NATURE-INSPIRED PALETTES AND HAND PAINTED MURALS 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 room and go from there. The home offered dramatic 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 concepts for every room – ideas Shannon and Michael were just as excited to execute. Within 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. Come winter, the team at Will Rutherford Construction were off to the races.

As frequent travelers to Italy and France with a love of European countrysides and beaches, we focused on bringing a villa vibe into the home, using lots of marble, handmade tile, and floral murals. The dining room, for example, is amplified by French wallpaper designer Isadore Leroy’s “Frondaisons” design and a matching green trim and cabinetry. We chose another Isadore Leroy original for the the small room upstairs that we affectionately call “The Solarium”, which depicts the Mediterranean coastline. A warm gray-blue trim paint, slipcovered lounge chairs, sheepskin rug, and an antique pendant we had re-wired tied up the whole space with a bow. Shannon and Michael tell me they often go up there with a cocktail to soak up some time together without the kids and watch the sun set over the Bay. What a dream!

The guest bathroom is mostly used by their two children, so we relied on their input for the perfect accent color to work with. Ocean green was the winner! We had used a Napa-based tile company on the living room mantle and kitchen backsplash (images coming soon) so we chose more from their collection for both this and the primary bath shower wall tile. We identified a matching trim paint that worked beautifully, evoking the feeling of a beachside resort, and complemented it with Arabescato marble countertops, curb and niche. The off-white handmade ceramic floor tile provides a warm, weathered look that can withstand frequent foot traffic.

In the primary bathroom, we couldn’t resist bringing in a dramatic Calacatta Viola for the vanity countertop, curb and niche, and then I convinced Shannon and Michael to use it as an accent wall behind the bathtub, for that feeling of additional luxury. This statement stone meant we could choose a softer, more muted shower tile to give the room a truly sophisticated and timeless touch. Our contractor had just built them a beautiful chicken coop in the backyard, so I searched for the perfect chicken-themed wallpaper for the water closet and I’m beyond thrilled with how adorable that little room turned out. For the floors, we went with the same ceramic tile as the guest but in a darker color for contrast, and continued the theme of brass finishes and fixtures – including an antique pendant that Shannon was desperate to find a home for. This was by far the perfect spot.

By now, we have tackled every inch of this house, focusing on a traditional aesthetic with contemporary touches that meet the needs of a modern family. These photos are just a small taste of what’s to come…