Call it Hillsborough Hip. Or in the words of the homeowner: "Rock star meets fashion designer meets pop artist."

Interior designer Vernon Applegate's latest project is a departure from the traditional Mediterranean and stately Tudor homes he has worked on in this San Francisco suburb.

"It took me a little off guard when I went down to Hillsborough and realized what the clients wanted," he recalled. "They were more playful than most of our other clients. They got me to stretch and think outside of the box, which is always exciting."

Applegate, who along with Gioi Tran is a principal at Applegate Tran Interiors of San Francisco (applegatetran.com), completely transformed the ho-hum rancher, injecting it with plenty of personality.

"Our imagination has always exceeded our options," said the client, an artist. Her husband works in the retail and fashion industry, and the young couple have a toddler son. "Vernon and Gioi were able to interpret what we wanted, and then elaborated. Applegate Tran Interiors definitely helped us turn all our ideas into reality."

She described their style as "ultramodern, super ornate." Unexpected fabrics, textures and colors were high on their wish list.