2026 Design Icon: Martin Kobus Home

Back in the early 1990s, when Martin Kobus was designing and handcrafting elaborate decorative pillows that became an immediate hit with San Francisco retailers, a designer friend approached him with a surprising request: Roman shades. Despite having no direct experience, Kobus decided to give it a whirl.

“Our answer throughout our career has always been ‘yes,’” says Chris Bergin, vice president of Martin Kobus Home and Kobus’ life partner. That receptive attitude launched a new business, one the couple grew into a go-to source for bespoke window treatments, and which eventually evolved into a full- service design practice built on Kobus’ talents.

A few years later, as word-of-mouth demand for their drapery workroom continued apace with orders from new and repeat clients, Kobus moved on to his next endeavor. The ever-curious Dutch-born designer created an eponymous line of bedding, pajamas and soft home goods during what Bergin describes as “a frilly, chintzy time.” “This collection was clean, simple,” he says. The products found an eager market both domestically and in Japan, where department store giant Isetan opened Martin Kobus Home boutiques in multiple locations. “We were young and doing things blindly,” Bergin jokes in retrospect.

Bergin and Kobus then began buying and renovating properties around the Bay Area and Marin for their own use—projects that quickly caught the attention of prospective buyers, even when pursuing real estate transactions wasn’t their intention. Designing homes people wanted became a quality problem. Official client requests for Kobus’ services soon became impossible to ignore.

“‘It’s time for you to do this for other people,’” Bergin recalls telling Kobus in 2014. Kobus’ participation in transforming the kitchen and dining/family room area of the 2016 San Francisco Decorator Showcase became a calling card, helping grow the firm from a team of five to a dozen. A showstopping library followed the next year, and his 2019 Showcase contribution—featuring details such as a ceiling lavishly covered in de Gournay wallpaper—made another splash. Additional favorite past projects include an immersive showroom in Sonoma and the launch of Kobus Estate Wines from their Healdsburg vineyard.

Meanwhile, their drapery business continued to thrive in parallel with other San Francisco talents who have left their mark on the industry. “Being able to work with all these great designers and collaborate with them” remains among the most rewarding aspects of the work, Bergin notes. They’ve known Nicole Hollis since her days at Backen & Gillam, for instance, and prolific visionary Ken Fulk is another longtime client. “I have measured my last millionth window, and my last installation was for a Ken Fulk project in Healdsburg,” Bergin says, referring to the recently opened Cottages at Little Saint. This task was a fitting coda to Bergin’s retirement, which he officially marked in October.

Their most recently completed California home is in Belvedere, built as their “forever house.” And then the inevitable happened. After about a year and a half, they received an offer, and plans suddenly changed. Kobus is now designing their new home outside Florence, Italy, in the village of Fiesole, in what was originally a 16th-century villa that was a monastery for a moment. The building later became a private home and is currently being updated as a multiunit residence.

“We’re at a point where we can enjoy life, and we’re starting a new chapter,” Bergin shares. Kobus will continue to work on client projects remotely, and the couple plans to travel. The full-circle trajectory isn’t lost on Kobus, who lived in Perugia, Italy, before immigrating to the U.S. “After 40 years here,” he says, “I’m going back to where I started.”

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