In their work, sleight of hand and trompe l’oeil abound: A chandelier isn’t merely a light fixture; it is an apparition that appears to be made of gilded branches. Kitchen cabinets are inset with smoked-mirror panels that cast glimmering reflections. At the flick of a switch, a bathroom’s lyrical, shell-encrusted ceiling fixture becomes an unimaginably glamorous tub-filler; while a dramatic, wall-size collage turns out to be an assemblage of paper coffee filters-stretched flat, subtly dyed, and finely stitched into a vast grid. Even the design duo’s most simplistic spaces offer transporting experiences through exquisite accents and the melding of elements both humble and luxe–raw plaster, wool flannel, graphic African mud cloth, and rustic stone mixed with intricately painted faux bois, supple glove leather, sparkling quartz crystals, and sensuous silk velvet.

Over the years, I’ve published several magazine features on Fisher Weisman’s projects, but it’s Jeffry and Andrew’s own homes that have been the most memorable for me; they are the places that are truly emblematic of their firm’s signature style. The swank, sophisticated Nob Hill flat where the two live in San Francisco and the extraordinary estate they built in the Sonoma Valley share an essential quality, a unique balance between practicality and poetry. We all want to live in homes that are comfortable and inviting–but a bit of fantasy never hurts. After all, who doesn’t want to live happily ever after?

MARGARET RUSSELL
Former Editor in Chief, Architectural Digest