Sue Fisher King runs one of San Francisco's most popular home design stores.
By CYNTHIA TRAINA
After more than four decades on Sacramento Street, luxury home goods retailer Sue Fisher King is moving her business to 1913 Fillmore Street. She will take over the store space south of Florio restaurant, recently vacated by wellness brand Saje.
Instead of retiring, she is looking forward to a new chapter.
“Fillmore is a wonderful street with interesting shops,” says King. “It's a busy place and it was the only viable location for us.” She adds with a smile, “And our employees are excited about all the new dining options.”
King looked at several locations on the street before settling on the corner of Fillmore and Wilmot. She particularly liked the block's Victorian architecture and mix of interesting shops.
She is planning the move as she prepares to celebrate her 45th anniversary in business. “The most important thing is not to think about it. I'm just not a bored person, and I still want to contribute. I need something concrete to do every day – and besides, everyone here is so nice to me.”
In fact, many of her core staff were hired directly from San Francisco State University, and some are still with her after 25 years. “I've been fortunate to hire great people who are smart and high achievers,” she says.
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Sue Fisher King's crew is gearing up for an early to mid-May opening. Remodeling is underway. Saje's iconic green plant wall is gone, but the herringbone floors remain. The interior arches of the space are being modified to divide the store into three sections.
Shelves have already been set up for her bestselling handmade ceramics from Astier de Villatte. This milky white ceramic was a brand she discovered in Paris in 1996 and introduced to the US market. Since then, the brand has spread worldwide.
The store will also experiment with new inventory and continue to collaborate with new artists. Sue Fisher King's staples include handmade and traditional items, including hand-painted porcelain by Richard Ginori and Marie Daage, Fortuny light fixtures, Porthault linens, and glassware from Murano, Italy.
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When she was 16, King's parents insisted that she find a job in her hometown of Portland. She began working in retail and, to her surprise, fell in love with the diversity of people she met on the job. After graduating from UC Berkeley, she entered Joseph Magnin's leadership training program, where she specialized in selling high-end home goods. Determined to share finds from her personal travels and visits to creative designers' studios, she opened Sue Fisher King at 3067 Sacramento Street in 1978. The store quickly built a following for its sophisticated and high-quality home goods, including a line of luxurious tabletop items, decorative accents, fine European bed and bath linens, handcrafted jewelry, furniture and unique gift items.
In addition to the retail store, Sue Fisher King operates a thriving online business and a warehouse near Polk Street. The company is currently hiring sales associates for the new location.
Cynthia Traina is a lifelong resident of the neighborhood and a real estate consultant with Vantage Realty.
Filed under: Retail Report
