INNER SPACES BOOK: LOOKING BACK AT 2014

Moritz Hammer (KGM Architectural Lighting), James Hunter (TWG design principal), Jessica Barnard (TWG designer), and Mauricio Muñoz (TWG design principal)

This time last year The Wiseman Group was fêted by Therien & Co. at their La Cienega showroom in Los Angeles. The occasion? The publication of TWG's book, 

Inner Spaces: Paul Vincent Wiseman and The Wiseman Group

. It was fitting that the SoCal company played host to the San Francisco-based Wiseman Group: Therien, 

a 

Dessin Fournir

 company, h

ad deep roots in the San Francisco Bay Area before opening a Los Angeles showroom in the late 1980s.

JP Hayden (Hayden & Fandetta Rare Books) and

 Patri

cia Sims (Therien)

Chase Roberson (TWG) and Andrew Huge (Deloitte Consulting)

Kirsten Honeyman (TWG blog author) and Michael Danahy (Writer/Producer)

Devin Donner (Rudin Donner Design, Inc.) 

and Bill Dono

hoe (Donohoe Design Works)

with 

Kevin Peters (TWG CEO)

The company is a purveyor of timeless period antiques, but in keeping with shifting design tastes, has also created a division devoted to 20th Century classics. Thus their location on La Cienega Boulevard is known throughout the U.S. and Europe as a one-stop source of premier quality decorative arts.

Mary Kate Spach and Tim Barber (both of Tim Barber Ltd. Architecture), Keith Granet (Granet Associates), and Brenda Mickel (TWG design principal)

Suzanne Shepela, 

Brian Pinkett

, and 

Lauren Fulton (all of 

Landry Design 

Group)

Guests were able to wander among the company's several showrooms and take in their lovely contents. CEO Kevin Peters greeted guests and Paul Wiseman signed books during the event. Wiseman Group Designers, Mauricio Munoz, Brenda Mickel, and James Hunter mingled with guests and sipped celebratory wine.

Phaedra Wilson (Munder Skiles)

Alison

 Chozen and TWG client 

Jill 

Chozen

Tom Stanley, Ron Woodson (Woodson & Rummerfield's), and Rocky La Fleur (Kneedler|Fauchère)

Paul Wiseman (TWG founder and president)

An after-party dinner was hosted by The Wiseman Group at nearby Ago. All in all, a lovely evening!

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IN THE NEWS: JAMES HUNTER'S PROJECT IN SFC&G

Under the title "Elevated Style," the work of James Hunter was recently

featured in

SFC&G

 (

San Francisco Cottages & Gardens

). The Wiseman Group design principal created a très chic apartment in the Millennium Tower for his client, Juli Betwee. Among many creative tours de force conceived by James and his team, the 5-by-10-foot taffeta window panels are among the most awe-inspiring. Commissioned from Pietro Seminelli, a French curtain couturier and origami master, the panels are both beautiful and supremely functional.

Pick up a copy of SFC&G or read about the project online at

cottagesgardens.com/SFCandG

.

~

IN THE NEWS: JAMES HUNTER AND THE WISEMAN GROUP ON HOUZZ

Photo by Aaron Leitz

Houzz

, an online community of more than 25 million homeowners, home design enthusiasts and home improvement professionals, recently featured

the top ten Houzz articles of 2014

. Among these articles is one entitled "

12 Key Decorating Tips to Make Any Room Better

." One of TWG's projects, led by design principal James Hunter, appears as an illustration.

The Houzz decorating tip this room embodies?

Vary the scale. What looks good in the store may look like an elephant in the room when you bring it home. Or it’s too tiny to be of any significance. So always vary scale and proportion.  

The oversize sunburst mirror frame fills up the wall space nicely here, while the sand dollars make an interesting grouping below. They would be much too insignificant individually. Threes and fives make for more pleasing arrangements than even numbers.

Steven Sutro was the architect for this project, and Clayton Timbrell was the contractor.

~

INNER SPACES BOOK: CARLTON HOBBS ANTIQUES HOSTS EVENT IN THE BIG APPLE

Paul Wiseman and Inner Spaces author Brian Coleman signing books Photos by Kate Jerde Cole of Editor At Large

What better place than Carlton Hobbs Antiques, located in the exquisite "Birdie" Vanderbilt Mansion on the Upper East Side, to have a New York City celebration of The Wiseman Group's new book,  Inner Spaces? Owners Carlton Hobbs and Stefanie Rinza were the consummate hosts, and the setting, filled with antique pieces of exceptional merit, made for a spectacular backdrop for the East Coast book launch event. Paul Goldberger's warm introduction sang the praises of Paul Wiseman and his firm's work. Mr. Goldberger's remarks set the stage for a standing room only lecture by Mr. Wiseman covering three of TWG's finest design projects conceived by three of the world's most talented architects.

Architecture critic Paul Goldberger introducing Paul Vincent Wiseman Video by One Dream Sound

In addition to showcasing the firm's range of work, the lecture was intended to elucidate The Wiseman Group's design philosophy -- that interior design is very serious business, and not simply the art of making pretty rooms. Human beings have deeply ingrained needs to create homes that are both sanctuaries and reflections of what is meaningful to them. "I believe that good interior design must tap into what the Iroquois called the 'long-body,' our deep psyche’s personal and collective history of meaning. We bring in this element by finding objects, art, or antiques that have 'soul' and are appropriate to the home and client. We feel we have truly succeeded in our work if the resulting living space provides beauty, safety, and creative expression of the psyche!"

Mr. Wiseman giving his talk on "Mindful Design and the Art of Storytelling" Video by One Dream Sound

Phil Benson, Paul Wiseman, and Brian Coleman

TWG design principal Brenda Mickel and designer Louis Navarrete

TWG CEO Kevin Peters, designer Bunny Williams, and Chase Roberson, assistant to Mr. Wiseman

Joy Venturini Bianchi of San Francisco, Paul Vincent Wiseman, and Jeanne Lawrence of the New York Social Diary

TWG design principal James Hunter and Trevor Watt

Bruce Honeyman, Hara Woltz, and TWG blog author Kirsten Honeyman

Gretchen Berggruen (R) and guest

Hon. Rebecca Wiseman and Brian Coleman

Chiles Wilson, Leslie Wilson, Stacy Benson, and Phil Benson

Phaedra Wilson (left) and John Danzer (center) of Munder Skiles with Taffy Dahl and Donald Kaufman

Exceptional antiques on display at Carlton Hobbs

Nina Reeves, designer John Lyle, Kory Drahos, and Andrew Joseph of Andrew Joseph PR

Kate Bergeron and Jessica Robb

Kirsten Honeyman and TWG designer Victoria Kennedy

Lovely setting for the bar

Guillermo Martinez and Todd Henderson of Ralph Lauren with Steve Brister of Nella Vitrina

Joseph Aldrich of OC South Magazine and Brian Coleman

Henry Neville of Mallett Antiques and guests

Designer Faye Kitchener Cone with guest

Drew Stevens of Feminist Press and Joel Barkley of Ike Kligerman Barkley Architects

Brina Gehry, City of New York archeologist David Pagano, and Richard N. Snyder

Sondra Whitney, Jeanne Lawrence, and Joan Budd

Bunny Williams and Paul Wiseman

Phaedra Wilson, Ron Brick, and Michael Hill

Kerry Howard and Toma Clark Haines

Kevin Peters, Louis Navarrete, and guest

Robin Seegal and Joy Venturini Bianchi

Brian Coleman and guest

Edouard Daunas of Martin Patrick Evan, design writer Jorge Arango, and host Carlton Hobbs

Glenn Gissler, Taffy Dahl, Donald Kaufman, and guest

Darcy Fulton of John Rosselli Antiques and Decorations and guest

Jorge Arango and TWG design principal James Hunter

Guest and host Stefanie Rinza

Beautiful gallery of rare pieces

~

INNER SPACES BOOK: EVENING AT THE HOME OF SANDY & JEANNE ROBERTSON

Hostess Jeanne Robertson speaks to her guests about the design work of Paul Wiseman and The Wiseman Group

The oldest residence in San Francisco sits on a quiet street atop Russian Hill overlooking a large swath of the Bay: the Golden Gate Bridge to the west; Belvedere Island, Angel Island, and Alcatraz to the north; and Berkeley and the Bay Bridge to the east. Sandy and Jeanne Robertson bought their home twenty years ago, and with the help of Walker & Moody Architects and The Wiseman Group they have transformed the historic house into a sanctuary of beauty and comfort. The home was recently the setting for a private book party celebrating the publication of Inner Spaces, a retrospective of the interior design work of The Wiseman Group.

Signed, special edition copies of Inner Spaces

Joan Vinson and Kevin Hsu peruse the book upon arrival

A feature of Paul Wiseman's residence catches Joan Vinson's eye

Host Sandy Robertson greets guests

TWG CEO Kevin Peters is greeted by Laura Robertson and Sandy Robertson

California State Senator Mark Leno chats with John Gunn and Richard Snyder

Rita Laven, TWG President Paul Wiseman, and TWG Design Principal Brenda Mickel

Brett Robertson, Kevin Peters, and TWG Design Principal James Hunter

Jerry Weissman, Lucie Weissman, Nan McDowell, and Jim Grossman

Jim Marver, Stephanie Marver, Paul Wiseman, and Catherine Hoenig

Jeanne Robertson, Mark Leno, and Barbara Rosenberg

Patsy Ludwig

Ann Alkire and Brenda Mickel

Michele Goss, Paul Wiseman, and Connie Goodyear Baron

Richard Snyder, Cynthia Gunn, and John Gunn

Janet Moody McMurty and Deedee McMurty

Paul Wiseman jokes with Kent Eff, Karen & Richard Goss, and Heather Gray

TWG Design Principal Mauricio Munoz with Brenda Mickel

Jeanne Robertson, Paul Wiseman, Joan Vinson, and Cynthia Gunn

Sam Barondes and Richard Snyder

Patsy Ludwig

Catherine Hoenig and Heather Gray

Kevin Hsu, Stephen Suzman, landscape architect for the Robertson property, and Joan Vinson

Jeanne Robertson chats with guests

Tom Beischer, Cynthia Gunn, and James Hunter

David DeWilde, Paul Wiseman, and Joy Venturini Bianchi

Kent Eff and Heather Gray

Stephanie Marver

Lucie and Jerry Weissman with Jeanne Robertson

David DeWilde and Mauricio Munoz

Roger Evans and Aey Phanachet

Bruce Honeyman and TWG blog author Kirsten Honeyman

With drinks in hand, guests were free to roam the three-story Victorian home, taking in its lovely decor, impressive art collection, and spectacular views over the Bay. As the stars came out, guests were treated to a front row seat to The Bay Lights, the world’s largest LED light sculpture across the western span of the Bay Bridge.

View north to Alcatraz and Angel Island

Roger Evans, Kirsten Honeyman, and Joy Venturini Bianchi are regaled by Paul Wiseman

Paul Wiseman points out the Golden Gate Bridge to Joy Venturini Bianchi, Aey Phanachet, and Roger Evans

James Hunter and Tom Beischer

To the east the lights of the Bay Bridge can be seen after dusk

Brenda Mickel, Paul Wiseman, Ann Alkire, and Kirsten Honeyman are served desert on the rooftop

Bruce Honeyman and Mauricio Munoz enjoy a drink in the rooftop viewing room

At one point in the evening, Mrs. Robertson spoke to the assembled guests about her affection for Paul Wiseman and her appreciation of the excellent work of the firm. She thanked James Hunter for his contribution to their projects as well. It was a very special evening for all involved, and The Wiseman Group wishes to thank the Robertsons for all their invaluable support and good will!

Jeanne Robertson, Paul Wiseman, and gathered guests

Carrie Swing of TWG makes sure each guest leaves with a copy of the book

Chase Roberson of TWG looks on as Paul Wiseman says goodnight to Brenda Mickel

Sandy Robertson bids Shirley Sun goodnight

~