WORK • Friday Routine
KATHARINE WEBSTER • owner • Katharine Webster Inc. Landscape Design
Neighborhood you live in: Lower Pacific Heights
It’s Friday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
I work on outer Sacramento Street in one of San Francisco’s design districts, amongst other well-known interior designers, architecture firms, and shops selling home decor, bespoke furniture, and art (Future Perfect, de Gournay, Anthem, Anyon Atelier). While our office is in Presidio Heights, our ‘studio’ comprises gardens throughout northern California and as far away as the Hamptons.
We’ll usually have a team meeting to discuss our current landscape design projects — a mix of large and small scale, urban and countryside — in various stages of progress. We discuss everything from hardscape installation to planting layouts to planning a trip to the stone yard to look at the latest materials.
What’s on the agenda for today?
We’re preparing our last plant placement at a residential landscape project in Marin. We’re also working on a residential project in Sonoma near Glen Ellen with Greg Iboshi of Huang Iboshi Architecture and interior designer Regan Baker. Together, we’re designing a weekend retreat for a multi-generational family that includes outdoor living, entertaining, and recreation: a bocce court and new pool, plus terraces, pathways, and landscaping.
Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
I recently went for a late lunch to Cotogna with my husband and daughter, who was visiting from New York. I love the outdoor dining there. The restaurant sets up a cute gelato cart on Friday afternoons, and it’s fun to see office workers gathering there for a quick scoop. Garibaldis’s Friday night happy hour is a favorite date night destination for a drink and a great meal.
Any weekend getaways?
We go to Mayacama Golf Club in Santa Rosa for quick weekend trips with friends and family. Even though I’m not a golfer, it’s a great place to reboot and have some fun in the sun.
What was your last great vacation?
My husband and I are preparing for a 30th-anniversary trip to the Baumanière Hotel in Les Beaux de Provence, France. We’ll climb to the local hillside town, Les Beaux, visit a few gardens, and go to Carrières des Lumiéres, an abandoned quarry that’s been transformed into an art experience.
What’s a recent big-ticket purchase you love?
I bought a pair of cowboy boots for my 60th birthday from Kemo Sabe in Park City. They’re sage green and put a spring in my step. I wore them for my designer portrait at this year’s San Francisco Showcase.
What store or service do you always recommend?
William Stout Books in Jackson Square and home decor from Sue Fisher King on Fillmore Street.
Where are you donating your time or money locally?
K9 Rescue, a nonprofit associated with the San Francisco Fire Department. Donations go to the K-9 team’s Community Response and Recovery initiatives. Also, the Lewis Butler Foundation, which supports education and fostering new local design talent.