NATURE INSPIRED PALETTES AND POPS OF WHIMSICAL PATTERNS HIGHLIGHT THE INHERENT BEAUTIFY IN THIS STUNNING GREEK REVIVAL.

In January 2023, clients Shannon and Michael reached out to me for help decorating their living room. They had only been in the house a few weeks, and figured they’d just start with one space and go from there. The home offered stunning tall ceilings and hardwood floors, but lacked any life. Of course, once I walked in the wheels started turning and I couldn’t hold back my dreams for every room in the house – ideas they jumped to execute on!  Within just a few months, we had completely painted and furnished the entire first floor of the home and kicked off an overhaul of the mudroom and kitchen. By fall 2023, we had engaged with Cecil Lee, a Bay Area architect with experience modernizing older spaces while preserving their historic architecture. He put together a plan to completely gut the upstairs guest bathroom and primary suite.

From then on, Shannon, Michael, and the team at iSPY have tackled every inch of this house, focusing on a traditional aesthetic with contemporary touches that meet the needs of a modern family. As frequent travelers to Italy with a love for the Italian countryside and beaches, iSPY worked hard to bring the Italian villa vibe into the home, using lots of marble, handmade tile, and hand painted wall coverings. The dining room, for example, is grounded by a modern concrete dining table and low-profile mid-century chairs, but the wallpaper and bold green trim work makes it feel stately. The little seating space upstairs, which we playfully call “The Solarium” was instantly transformed into a space fit for a country home outside Florence with just the mural wallpaper, blue trim, and antique pendant. Shannon and Michael tell me they often go up there with a glass of wine to soak up some time together without the kids and watch the sun set over the Bay. What a dream!

We wanted both bathrooms to feel somewhat connected in style and function, so we chose the same tiles and vanities in different finishes and then added individuality through lighting, mirrors, and artwork. The guest bathroom is mostly used by their two young children, so we relied on their input for the perfect color to work off of. Ocean green was the winner! We identified a tile and trim color that worked beautifully together, evoking the feeling of a beachside resort, and complemented it with this Arabescato marble vanity, curb and niche. In the primary bath, the Calacatta Viola really steals the show, which meant we could choose more muted tiles to give the room a truly sophisticated and timeless touch. Our contractor had just built them a little chicken coup in the backyard, so I searched for the perfect chicken wallpaper for the water closet and couldn’t be happier with how that space turned out.

The photos shown here are only a small taste of the whole home. We’ll be photographing the remaining spaces once their ADU is complete in late 2026. In the meantime, I’m so grateful to finally be sharing this special sneak peek!