Image: Designer, Christopher Roy & Co.; Architect, Skurman Architects; Photo, R. Brad Knipstein Photography
With this year’s San Francisco Fall Show theme, “Métallique Chic,” we immediately thought of Willem Racké, a master of gilded and metal finishes. The Dutch-born decorative painter is known for transforming interiors through the artful application of lustrous, layered finishes. For a formal dining room in a Hillsborough Georgian-style estate, Racké gilded the ceiling and glazed the millwork, creating a seamless dialogue with the rust-and-gold Fortuny-upholstered walls. The project was a collaboration with designer Christopher Roy and Skurman Architects. Over his thirty-seven-year career, Racké has become a cherished resource for many of the Bay Area’s leading designers, architects, and builders.
BC: The San Francisco Fall Show is upon us, with this year’s theme, “Métallique Chic.” As a master of gilded and metal finishes, what do you find so magical about these materials?
WR: Gold and silver are materials that have been treasured and used decoratively for thousands of years. They have been of great value to many different civilizations and peoples through the ages because they seem magical, with their “otherworldly” luminous quality. I love working with both; I use them as backgrounds for paintings, decorative panels, and detailing, as well as on furniture. We have done many ceilings in gold or silver leaf. Designers and architects also use them in contemporary interiors.
BC: You grew up in New Zealand. How did that experience—and your Dutch-Indonesian heritage—influence your aesthetic sensibility?
WR: My aesthetic sensibility definitely comes from my mother, who had a wonderful sense of style, both in fashion and decorating. She taught me a great deal about color—how different colors work together and, most of all, an appreciation for color itself. My father was a professional sailor and captain, but he was also a talented artist and painter. He didn’t like the term “‘artist” for himself; he preferred “craftsman.” That’s how I think of myself, too.
BC: How did you become a decorative painter, and what continues to inspire you most about the craft?
WR: I studied graphic design in New Zealand, but I didn't love it, so I dropped out to travel. I first traveled to the US to visit my father, and while living in SF, I met a friend who connected me with a decorative painter in NYC, where I planned to spend time before going to Europe. I started working for him on Avenue D in the East Village, at $10/hr as his assistant. Those were the days of “Memphis”, lots of bright pastel colors and “sea sponging”. I loved NY, loved the work, and learned so much, and when I moved back to SF, I started my own business. I love that what I do is creative and always changing, and I am always learning new techniques and historical influences, and that I’m working with other like-minded people.
Image: Willem Racké; Photo, Rebecca Kmiec
BC: Over the years, you have participated in numerous San Francisco Decorator Showcases, creating exquisite jewel boxes. Which projects have been your favorites, and why?
WR: Yes, I have worked on many Decorator Showcases; here are some of my favorites.
1996, the “Linen Closet”- this was my first showcase room by myself, with help from my sister from another mother, Suzy Chastain, who did the soft furnishings and helped me with the styling. I saw the room a year or so ago, and the owner has kept it pretty much the same as when I created it.
2004, on Pacific Ave, where I did a Regency-style powder room inspired by the Brighton Pavilion. This was fun as we painted it in a Chinoiserie style, using bright colors and gold leaf. Ann Getty was my neighbor on the floor; she did the dining room and loved what I did, which was a great compliment.
2018, Marina Blvd: “Tangerine Dream Lounge” - Suzy and I transformed a small study into a fun lounge, with tangerine as the predominant color and mid-century furniture. It was a happy room; we got a great response.
In 2019, at Le Petit Trianon Washington Street’s “Rendezvous Lounge,” Suzy and I did this together. I designed an SF-themed wallpaper in black and white; the room was light and airy, and the wallcovering was whimsical.
BC: Over the 37 years you have been in business, you’ve witnessed countless decorative wall and furniture finishes come and go. Which trends were you happy to see disappear, and which finishes do you continue to love?
WR: I was happy to see “sea sponging” go away! There are a lot of classic finishes we may not do as often as we did, but we still do, such as strié, wood graining, verre églomisé (reverse glass painting), and gilding, all of which I love doing.
BC: When you’re not painting, you’re often traveling. What destinations have captured your imagination?
WR: I go to Europe a lot; the history, museums, beauty of old towns and buildings, and landscapes are always inspiring. Paris, Amsterdam, and London are my favorites.
BC: Closer to home, which buildings in San Francisco resonate with you most—and what is it about them that speaks to you?
WR: I love the former San Francisco Art Institute building, where so many artists trained, and where Diego Rivera painted an amazing mural, the Circle Gallery Maiden Lane by Frank Lloyd Wright, which is a work of art to me, the Hallidie Building by Willis Polk a mix of ornamentation and wide expanses of glass, SFMOMA where the newer addition by Snøhetta has added so much to the original Mario Botta building and the JPMorgan Chase Building by Cesar Pelli, I love the dark green black still frame.
BC: You have worked on some of the Bay Area’s most important and beautiful projects. Which have been particularly rewarding, and what made them memorable?
WR: I love working on projects that are a creative challenge, and working with designers and architects to come up with solutions that translate into beautiful finishes, decorative paintings, and murals. Absinthe Brasserie & Bar - their private dining room where we painted a whimsical mural on metal leaf and the main mural in the restaurant. The lobby off the Clay Jones building; a tortoiseshell powder room I did for Suzanne Tucker that was very challenging and still looks amazing; the ceiling we did for Jay Jeffers at The Madrona. I have done so many projects. It’s difficult to pick a favorite.
Image: Designer, Jay Jeffers; Architect, Daniel Strening; Photo, Matthew Millman Photography
