The Best High-End Interior Designers in San Francisco

NICOLEHOLLIS is one of the most internationally recognized luxury design studios in the country, consistently ranked among the top residential firms in the US. Founded by Nicole Hollis, who was named ASID Designer of the Year in 2023, the studio draws from fine art, fashion, and nature to create highly considered, architecturally integrated interiors. With a studio of over 90 designers, architects, and furniture specialists, NICOLEHOLLIS takes on complex residential and hospitality commissions across the US and Europe. Their work is characterized by restraint, depth of material, and a rigorous attention to craft. Best suited to clients seeking a globally recognized, award-winning firm for large-scale or architecturally ambitious projects.

Ken Fulk is the Bay Area's foremost storyteller in design. Operating from his famously inventive studio known as "The Magic Factory," Fulk's 80-person firm functions more like a creative agency than a traditional design office — with in-house branding, events, and floral teams. His interiors are richly layered, narrative-driven, and unmistakable: a signature mix of opulence, wit, and historical reference. His residential work spans Pacific Heights townhouses to Silicon Valley estates; his commercial portfolio includes some of San Francisco's most celebrated venues. Fulk is the right choice for clients who want an immersive, theatrical point of view and a maximalist experience.

Heather Hilliard Design is known for interiors that bridge classical tradition with modern restraint — spaces that feel both timeless and personal. With an MFA in Interior Architecture and a background working at leading Philadelphia and San Francisco museums, Hilliard brings an unusually deep grounding in art history to her design process. Her studio has been recognized in the Wall Street Journal, Elle Décor, and House Beautiful, and has won nine juried rooms at the San Francisco Decorator Showcase. Heather integrates antiques, contemporary art, and bespoke custom pieces into each project, and travels regularly to source unique finds in Europe and New York. Well-suited to clients who value art-informed design and refined transitional aesthetics.

Leverone Design is a refined San Francisco studio founded by Matthew Leverone, whose design language blends East Coast classical sensibility with the ease of California living. The firm is known for interiors that are richly layered yet distinctly modern — rooted in proper scale, proportion, and craftsmanship, and shaped by a seamless integration of architecture, custom furnishings, curated art, and artisanal detail. Matthew oversees a team of 13, handling major residential commissions throughout the United States. The studio's portfolio spans California, Hawaii, Idaho, Wyoming, Mexico, and beyond, with frequent collaborators including Walker Warner Architects and Olson Kundig. Leverone is the right choice for clients who want an architecturally rigorous process with a quietly sophisticated result — interiors that are functionally elegant and deeply reflective of how their owners actually live.

Douglas Durkin Design is one of San Francisco's most respected and longest-established luxury residential firms, with over 30 years of practice and a staff of 25 spanning the full arc of design and project management. A Cornell graduate who trained in New York before becoming a Design Principal at the Wiseman Group, Douglas founded his eponymous studio in 2002 and has since built a reputation for interiors defined by a romantic sensibility, eclectic range, and deep engagement with fine art, antiques, and contemporary design. The firm received the Julia Morgan Award for large-scale residential interior design and has been featured in Architectural Digest, Elle Décor, and House Beautiful. Douglas is also one of the original founders of FOG Design + Art, SFMOMA's premier design and art fair — a reflection of his unusually deep roots in the Bay Area arts community. Best suited to clients who want a storied, art-informed studio with the bandwidth and experience to handle complex, multi-year projects with sophistication and care.

Niche Interiors is a full-service luxury design firm founded in 2007 and led by Jennifer Jones — a LEED Accredited Professional and Founding Member of the Good Future Design Alliance. The boutique studio of six specializes in sophisticated, contemporary homes for Bay Area founders and executives who value both design excellence and a streamlined, transparent process. Niche Interiors brings a personalized approach to each project, balancing modern design and comfort to create warm, livable spaces for Bay Area families. With deep expertise across San Francisco, Atherton, Hillsborough, Woodside and Wine Country, Jennifer and her team are trusted for complex new construction and full-scale renovations, with a reputation for strong project management and seamless collaboration with leading architects and builders. Their work has been featured in Architectural Digest, Elle Decor, Luxe Magazine and The Wall Street Journal, receiving multiple awards from the American Society of Interior Designers. With over 90 five-star reviews on Google and Houzz, Niche is one of the Bay Area's highest-rated luxury firms. Their commitment to sustainable materials and responsible sourcing sets them apart in a field where these priorities are often secondary.