From the 1940s to the 1980s, some of the best residences in
Northern California were decorated by a coterie of designers
whose names were once recognised only by the cognoscenti of
interior design. From Frances Elkins and Tony Hail, with their
aristocratic aesthetics,to Michael Taylor and John Dickinson,
with their bold fantasies, these designers created revolutionary
settings that were idiomatic of their time and place fresh,
luxurious spaces complementing the various terrains and
lifestyles of the northern part of the state.
Fred Lyon (b. 1924) is perhaps the only photographer who knew and
documented the work of this talented group. Akin to what Julius
Shulman was doing in Southern California, Lyon worked closely
with the designers and magazine editors to help shape the look
for posterity.