San Francisco has its share of multitasking storefronts, including a video store–espresso bar and a burger-laundry joint. Then there’s Nancy Boy, a Hayes Valley shop whose skincare products have a devoted unisex following—and which also houses some of the most intriguing Danish midcentury decor this side of Copenhagen. The vibe is as light and appealing as the store’s name (and its sublimely scented bath gels and eye creams). Owners and partners Jack Richards, a former head of community affairs at the Federal Reserve, and Eric Roos, a onetime ad exec, share a discerning eye and an infectious optimism about the future of Bay Area retail—they just opened a second store in Sebastopol, devoted to furniture with a more casual feel. Here, Richards talks about how to liven up your living space by combining design eras with playful abandon. 347 Hayes St., S.F., 415-552-3636; 7773 Healdsburg Ave., Sebastopol, 707-823-5431

What’s the connection between shaving cream and German pottery, or between bath salts and Danish teak? We had a skincare store in the Castro, and when we moved to Hayes Street, we had a lot more space. I built all these shelves, but we didn’t have enough products to fill them. So I just started collecting pottery and adding furniture—smaller-scale pieces that work in city apartments—and we built a following.

The mix is so unexpected, and the prices are amazing for the quality. The same is true of your skincare line. Eric used to work in advertising for clients like Levi’s and Clorox, but he became pretty disillusioned with the business and thought it would be interesting to see if we could succeed without ads. We put the money into very high-quality ingredients instead. Almost everything is made by a family-owned lab in Berkeley: very simple, no extra packaging. Our model was Aveda or Kiehl’s, before they got enormous. We try to maintain the same authenticity with the furniture.

How do you find all this great, authentic stuff? I thought it was impossible to track down or too expensive. I’m from Ohio, and I go back and visit my friends and comb old towns and junky little stores. There is a lot of American decorative pottery from the ’30s and ’50s. Now we also have a bunch of very affordable midcentury German pottery from a source in Munich. We’re also starting to see some East German pieces.

And the furniture? Many of the smaller pieces are from a woman who lives in Denmark. There’s still a ton of midcentury furniture there, but you have to be careful because in the ’70s, they started using particle board covered in veneer. So I try to buy older pieces, where I know the wood is solid teak. I also find things at auctions or on Craigslist. But then you have to go to people’s homes, and boy, can that be depressing.

Speaking of depression, what do people seem to be looking for in furnishings these days? What is the decorative mood of the moment? I think people are flocking to things that feel safe. There’s a real Mad Men craze. Because of that show, even people who didn’t like midcentury are starting to see the elegance in that ’60s aesthetic. But whoever did the sets did a great job. I don’t think people actually lived quite that beautifully.

I certainly don’t remember the ’60s being beautiful. People want a bit of glamour now. I think artwork gives you that even more than furniture, but it can be expensive, so I started doing ’40s and ’50s menus from glam placeslike Trader Vic’s and Ernie’s. I dress them up in ready-made frames and inexpensive mats. Even paint-by-numbers pieces look sophisticated if you frame them.  

I think of San Francisco style as kind of French flea market, or vaguely Asian, or very buttoned-down. How do you toss something midcentury into the mix? Scale is really important. And it’s OK to have different kinds of wood, but they should mostly be a similar color. You should think about texture—a little metal, a little glass, some wood, so it doesn’t all feel matchy. I’m a great believer in replacing things judiciously. It’s important not to get rid of stuff unless you really hate it.


What else is there to consider besides scale? Color and accessories tie a room together. With a pop of color, you can also create a focal point that distracts the eye from what you want to play down. Add color with pillows or pottery, or older Murano glassware from the ’40s, ’50s, and ’60s, or maybe a chair.

But color is hard. That’s why so many people gravitate to boring beige. The important thing is, if you add color, you have to repeat it elsewhere in the room. Group objects together by color or texture or finish. They’re more pleasing to the eye that way, and they have more impact.

You live in Sebastopol, too. What’s your house like? It was built in 1980. The ’80s in Sonoma County were like the ’70s in San Francisco. When we bought it, it had sculptured carpeting and diagonal oak paneling on the walls. Right next to the bed in the master bedroom was this huge round hot tub, with a swan spout! The living room had a wet bar—this was a party pad. We got some Heath tile, and since we don’t have to worry about kids and scratches, we put in new floors and stained them a really dark color, almost ebony.

Does it smell as good as the store does? Peppermint is the top note—it’s got a freshness to it. Underlying that are rosemary and lavender, which are clean and relaxing. Scent changes the mood of a place. It’s a powerful motivator, and it brings back memories. I’ve sold a few houses in my day, and I’m sure this scent helped.