Sometimes a room's history gives design inspiration. In the case of Brenda Stearns' (@she_plusfive) living room, underneath ...

Plus: threading stories together, Chantal Joffe's other side of women writers, and bingo meets circus meets drag ...

Javier Espinoza wrote for a number of Wall Street Journal sections, including Off Duty, Special Reports and Mansion. He also contributed to blogs including Speakeasy, Frontiers, Digits and MoneyBeat.

The property itself is unbelievable—and it’s a San Francisco historic landmark,” interior designer Noz Nozawa breathlessly ...