Melanie Coddington a 'girly modern' rebel designer

The past several holiday seasons have marked a joyful anniversary of sorts for San Francisco interior designer Melanie Coddington. In December 2007, shortly after moving into her first home, a turn-of-the-century Victorian cottage in Potrero Hill, the Eureka native hosted her first party there, in surroundings barely fit for entertaining: A fold-out table and a single couch were the only furnishings available to accommodate a dozen guests merrily feasting on a nontraditional holiday meal of Southern takeout food.

"It was an exciting time, for sure," says Coddington, who was honored by House Beautiful as part of the 2010 Next Wave of Designers to Watch. "But as a designer, I'm not really comfortable if my environment isn't pulled together."

To describe the current condition of the Coddington cottage - back in the day a survivor of the 1906 earthquake, and now, more than a century later, a glamorous, but casual, setting for either a solitary afternoon spent poring over shelter magazines, which she does often, or another festive holiday bash - the designer has coined the term "girly modern."

A serene palette of pale blues and grays is embellished with plush textures, curvaceous lines and glimmering accents that nod to her love of fashion and jewelry.

In the living room, for example, a generously sized, moderne-style sofa is upholstered in sumptuous deep-gold velvet, its throw pillows are lined in gold vinyl (a '70s glam reference), and an entire wall is devoted to an extravagant display of Romo beaded-gold wallpaper from DeSousa Hughes. (While Coddington's use of the metallic element is inspired by vintage fashion, the decadent gold trend is proving timeless, popping up in the fall 2010 runway collections of such style luminaries as Diane von Furstenberg, Dries van Noten and Peter Som.)

Downstairs

Downstairs in the basement-level master bedroom, Coddington drew inspiration from a studded Chanel handbag for the custom headboard, embellished with diamond quilting and brass nail heads.

The custom bed skirt boasts a beautiful dressmaker detail - an ethereal silk-organza overlay that is reminiscent of a ball gown. Given fashion's strong influence on Coddington's decor, it's not surprising that she often refers to a famous quote by Coco Chanel - "It's not the houses I love, it's the life lived in them" - when concocting interiors for herself and for clients.

"But when it comes to my own place, I'm much more confident," she admits. "I just have myself to please."

Indeed, Coddington is a skillful rule breaker, especially within the confines of her 1,400-square-foot, two-bedroom home, where the sophisticated fittings truly belie the rebellious undertones.

After all, the last thing you'd expect to see in an interior that prides itself on its downright prettiness - from the gleaming metallic touches to the bubble-gum-pink master closet to the crystal chandelier tucked into a narrow, gold-trimmed, built-in bookcase - is, well, a crystal chandelier tucked into a narrow, gold-trimmed, built-in bookcase.

In a triumph of imagination and resourcefulness, Coddington revamped the original architectural feature, located around the corner from the dining room, into a modern-day bar by banishing the reading material and other decorative tchotchkes in favor of wineglasses, highball glasses and top-shelf bottles.

She considers the chandelier topper nothing less than a sparkling act of defiance. "Why would I hang a chandelier in such a restricted space?" she asks. "Because it's so indulgent!"

Other daring feats that fortify Coddington's enchanting style include the repurposing of a kitchen-adjacent breakfast nook into a seriously charming sitting room.

"I'm just not the kind of person who would use a breakfast nook," says Coddington, who outfitted the space with a vintage love seat upholstered in Holland & Sherry wool and a curvaceous side chair covered in neoprene - that's right, the wet suit material.

"It's great near the kitchen - if it gets dirty, you just wipe it down," she laughs.