
1. NICOLEHOLLIS
Best for: collectors and estate owners who want an integrated team of interior designers, interior architects and furniture designers on a single project.
Founded by Nicole Hollis in 2002 and based on Brannan Street in SoMa, NICOLEHOLLIS is the most decorated firm in the city. It has appeared on the Architectural Digest AD100 every year from 2021 through 2026, on the Elle Decor A-List in 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2026 and on the 1stDibs 50, and Hollis was named ASID Designer of the Year in 2023. The studio's stated aim is "timeless interiors that elevate the human spirit," and its work is impeccably detailed, quiet and material-led, with inspiration drawn from the natural world.
The practice is structured as a collective of interior designers, interior architects and furniture designers, which is why it can take on ground-up estates and hospitality projects alike. Residential work accounts for most of the studio's output, with hospitality (Kona Village Resort, 1 Hotel San Francisco) making up the balance. The Bay Area portfolio runs from Presidio Heights, Russian Hill and Broadway residences to Atherton and Rosewood Sand Hill on the Peninsula and Alexander Valley in wine country. A Rizzoli monograph, Artistry of Home, was published in 2024.
Client reviews are few because the firm works almost entirely by referral; its Houzz profile shows a 5.0 rating from a handful of reviews. Expect a large team, a long timeline and a project scale to match.













