A Portuguese Bilros bed that has been in my family since the 18th century inspired this master bedroom that was designed for the 2014 San Francisco Decorator Showcase. It is believed that a family member, when traveling to the Portuguese colonies, commissioned the bed in Goa. Made of Pau Santo rosewood, it was designed according to strict guidelines of the period.

I wanted to blend my heritage with modern touches, so I added some Portuguese azulejos (blue and white tiles), expanded from the traditional 4-by-4-inch size to 24-by-24-inch squares, and shuffled around the walls to create a modern collage. “Land Ahoy,” a 250-pound Italian cord sculpture created by my team, was the final piece linking the room to the Old World. I used a pair of African tables from San Francisco design icon John Dickinson as bedside tables, which gives the room a taste of the city. Other key elements are a spider-web console by Scala Luxury, Tokyo-Pop chaise by Driade and cold-rolled steel details throughout. About the room, Newell Turner, editorial director of the Hearst Design Group wrote: “This room is spectacular. Antonio has clearly tapped into the extraordinary interior design legacy of San Francisco. It’s fresh, original and I’m hoping a sign that designers in SF are putting this city’s wonderful sensibility back on the world’s interior design map!’