sneak peek: rosy strazzeri-fridman + yanic fridman

In decorating her home, prop and fashion stylist Rosy Strazzeri-Fridman is guided by the “Personal Museum” decorating philosophy of fellow stylist Sibella Court (see Sibella’s peek and Toolbox feature), who says, “For me, a home is like a museum without the signs saying ‘Please Don’t Touch.'” Rosy’s museum just happens to be a Queen Anne Victorian located in the San Francisco historic neighborhood, just two blocks away from Alamo Square Park and the iconic “Painted Ladies.” Rosy happens to be trilingual (French, Italian and German), which allows her to fill up her museum with finds from hidden flea markets and shops throughout Europe. She shares the home with her husband, Yanic Fridman, and 9-year-old son, Noah. Rosy says they each have their own role — she is the finder of objects and big ideas, Yanic is the repairer and the realist and Noah makes sure that nothing is too precious. Thank you, Rosy, Yanic and Noah! And a big thank you to Lynn Kloythanomsup of Architectural Black for sending these lovely photos our way. — Amy Azzarito

Image above: I collect antique beds. This wooden twin bed is from Belgium. The art is from the Anthropologie SF store. I always have a hard time finding good quality bedding I like. So I buy quality fabrics and make my own bedding.

Image above: This table was just an old beat-up table with great lines, so I painted it. I loved the fact that it has three extension leaves, making it long enough for a huge Sunday brunch. We rotate our tables (three others are in the basement) depending on the size of the upcoming celebration. The shelves hold my porcelain collection. Some of my favorite pieces are Antheor/France, Anthropology Portugal China, Mud for Kiln 4, Le Comptoir De Famille/France, Seletti. [Editor’s note: These are great eBay search terms if you’d like to start collecting porcelain!] The teacups are lucky flea market finds from our travels in Europe. The tableware collection also includes different sets of plates, cups, wine and champagne glasses, frames, small vases, candy jars, new and antique pitchers, teapots, porcelain candlesticks, porcelain measuring spoons, a clock face plate made out of enamel and a hand-painted copper tin from Villeneuve. The floor is Douglas fir — typical for most SF Victorian homes; it’s stained a dark walnut/mahogany custom tint.

See more of Rosy’s Victorian home after the jump . . .

Image above: I like to overlap objects on the mantle — mirrors, frames, white canvases. The wooden flowers on the mantle are from Roost Home Furnishings; the round mirror is from Annecy. The antique mirror is from Brussels Boutique. The wax candelabra is from Anthropologie. I made the structured bouquet out of dried fine silk sea sponges. The vintage porcelain glove molds are from the Alameda Flea Market in California. The modern tufted sofa is from Zonal, and the acrylic coffee table is from Propeller Modern.

Image above: This is the main hallway on the second floor. The artwork has been collected throughout my travels in Brussels, France, England, Italy, Holland and Switzerland. Mixed in are some neighborhood street finds.

Image above: This is an antique cast-iron bed. The bedding is a mix — the wool throws are from West Elm and the waffle cover is from Frette.

Image above: When we decided to redo the kitchen, we wanted to introduce something clean and modern into a house already filled with antiques. My concept was to fuse the two worlds without forcing one into the other. We couldn’t bring ourselves to destroy any of the original Victorian curves and detail, so the Victorian shell was left intact sans one cutout niche over the floating prep counter. To bring the two worlds together, the Victorian shell was painted glossy (one sheen, one color: Benjamin Moore, White Lace), and the Carrera marble left intact. My Italian grandmother had Carrera marble, as did my own mother. The best homemade pasta and pastries are rolled onto marble!

Image above: The mirror is a gilt Louis Philippe à fronton Wall Mirror XIXth century (à fronton means “crested,” or literally “with the forehead” in French). I love using the mirror to announce “le menu du jour.”

Image above: The baker’s rack was bought in a brocante in Brussels. I love searching in flea markets and brocantes. My favorite moment is when I score a classic piece but with unusual proportions. I love bringing the memory home; for years after, we associate that particular trip or outing with the newly acquired beautiful object. Many of my favorite chandeliers are from Europe. Most chandeliers, even antique pieces, disassemble into individual arms. Perfect for suitcase travel.

Image above: This 19th-century French secretaire desk has become my favorite spot to read and look through art books and magazines.