Photo credit: Metaphor Edge,
Location: 2025 San Francisco Decorator Showcase, San Francisco, California,
Wood Highlights: S4S Boards in fencing

SF Decorator Showcase: Garden Grace with S4S Boards

Natural Order: Modern Lines Meet Garden Life

In the 2025 San Francisco Decorator Showcase garden, classic design meets poetic restraint. Designed by Katharine Webster, Inc., the space—titled Reclaiming the Garden—reflects a belief in the healing potential of landscapes and their ability to foster deeper connections to nature. Thoughtful in concept and layered in execution, the garden balances tactile materials with spatial rhythm, making it both grounding and expressive.

A standout feature of the exterior design is the use of S4S boards—smooth, surfaced-on-four-sides boards—integrated into modern fencing and vertical structures. These simple yet refined profiles establish a strong visual rhythm, giving definition to hedges, beds, and paths. With their straight edges and uniform surface, S4S boards offer the perfect balance between utility and elegance, transforming outdoor architecture into a composed, quiet frame for natural growth.

As seen in the fencing design, S4S boards are not only durable but sculptural. Their clean geometry contrasts beautifully with the organic forms of plants, guiding the eye without overwhelming the landscape. It’s a subtle gesture, but one that speaks volumes in a space where detail matters.

Additional detailing adds a layer of craft: the S4S boards here include special cut-outs that form a subtle repeating pattern, bringing lightness and variation to the vertical fencing. Above, smaller members are used to create a screened effect—perfect for privacy without sacrificing air flow or natural light. Each bay is punctuated by a capped post, topped in a classic design that not only offers visual closure but also sheds water, reducing long-term maintenance and wear.

Surface Simplicity, Structural Strength, Landscape Architecture

S4S boards shine in garden environments for more than their looks. Their planed surfaces make them easier to stain or seal, increasing longevity and supporting sustainable garden planning. In this Showcase setting, the boards serve multiple roles: they act as fencing, edge treatment, and even sculptural accent.

Unlike more ornate moulding types used indoors, the simplicity of S4S allows it to recede visually while providing structure. And when fabricated in redwood, cedar, or Alaskan yellow cedar, these boards offer natural weather resistance—ideal for California’s climate. For designers working on outdoor, public, or residential spaces, they’re a reliable and beautiful choice. When an FSC-certified species can be selected, it supports environmental stewardship from cradle to grave.

Sculptural Seating and Stonework That Ground the Space

Another memorable detail of the Showcase garden is the sculptural seating: four cube-like stools surrounding a circular stone table. The stools feature a split seat detail, with each crevice planted with living moss. This gesture blurs the line between furniture and landscape, introducing greenery where you’d least expect it. The design feels both organic and contemporary—raw in texture yet intentional in form. It speaks to the garden’s overarching philosophy of inviting nature into every corner of human experience.

Nearby, the outdoor bar area features a striking slab of raw, rough-edged stone. Its rugged form and textural honesty recall the work of landscape architect Lawrence Halprin—celebrated for grounding public spaces in natural materials that invite interaction. The stone’s unpolished finish anchors the garden in place, suggesting timelessness and elemental simplicity.

Further Reading

To explore more perspectives on the 2025 San Francisco Decorator Showcase garden and adjacent rooms, including Reclaiming the Garden by Katharine Webster, visit:

• Architectural Digest – 2025 SF Decorator Showcase
• California Home+Design – Sneak Peek
• SF Decorator Showcase: The Art of Trim with High Style

Final Thoughts

The 2025 Showcase garden proves that modern garden design benefits from the same principles as fine interior architecture: thoughtful use of materials, precise execution, and timeless details. S4S boards offer a modern natural wood solution for spaces that blur the boundary between natural and built environments.

Contact us to explore wood S4S and moulding exterior options for your next outdoor project. Custom specifications are our specialty. 

Photo credit: Metaphor Edge,
Location: 2025 San Francisco Decorator Showcase, San Francisco, California,
Wood Highlights:S4S Boards in fencing