Some projects stay with you long after they’re complete. This is one of them.

From the beginning, my clients placed an incredible amount of trust in me—giving me full creative freedom to design and manage every detail from start to finish. That kind of trust is rare, and it allowed me to do my best work. What we created together is a home that feels deeply personal—layered with meaning, intention, and refinement. Somewhere along the way, my clients also became a friend.

But the story didn’t begin there.

This project has quite a history. It began in 2016 with another interior designer, but the plans the designer created were not approved by the city due to the scope of structural and seismic work requiring a licensed architect’s stamp. After years of revisions and challenges in securing a permit, the previous designer eventually consulted with an architect to review, revise, and stamp the drawings. The city ultimately approved the plans, and the project was able to move forward.

I joined the project in 2021 after the clients decided to part ways with the previous designer.

A Living Room inspired by the clients’ time in Paris, showcasing custom millwork, curated furnishings, and refined architectural detailing—each element thoughtfully composed with intention, harmony, and enduring sophistication.

Beyond its elegance, the spaces tell a deeply personal story. Designed for connection and gracious entertaining, it is equally a private sanctuary—an environment that reflects my clients’ authenticity and stands as a true source of joy in their everyday lives.

An acquaintance (through a mutual connection) reached out a year before beginning their project, as they were starting to envision a home that would feel warm, inviting, and perfectly tailored for their family. Having never worked with an interior designer, they initially had reservations about entrusting someone with executing their vision. While they had explored other designers, they ultimately chose to collaborate with me—drawn by our mutual connection and, most importantly, the immediate sense of trust they felt.

They hadn’t initially envisioned a large-scale transformation. Their plan was modest: reface the kitchen cabinetry, select new appliances, replace granite countertops, update the kitchen flooring, refresh the interior paint throughout, and select a new sofa for the family room.

But what they truly sought went deeper. They imagined a home that felt warm, cozy, and airy—yet refined, timeless, and uniquely tailored to their family’s lifestyle.

Color is often the first thing people think about when updating their home or refreshing a space. It’s immediately visible and can instantly change the look and feel of a room. While color sets the tone, texture is what truly brings a space to life.  Texture and color work best when they support each other rather than compete. Material harmony—the way finishes, fabrics, and surfaces interact together can be just as powerful, if not more so, than color alone.

Color has the power to energize, inspire, and calm us, sometimes all at once. When coming up with designs for clients, I like to start with a neutral base. I let the impressions of the walls, ceilings, and trim exist in neutral color palettes because I find that most clients feel safest with a calm, neutral color, and it creates a grounded backdrop for the whole home. From there, I layer in bold, rich, deeply saturated hues through fabrics, furniture, art, and styled accents. This approach keeps the space timeless and harmonious while still giving it personality and depth.

Stanley Ambercrombie, one of the most influential design writers of our time and the editor for Interior Design magazine said it best. "Art is worth paying for because, in these days of social discontent and random violence, in these days of homelessness, drugs, guns, and pandemic, when our urban environments are becoming gradually more brutalized, we increasingly need both physical and mental refuge from that brutalization. We need the solace of interiors that are not only intelligently functional but also intelligently artful. In these days more than ever, the art of interior design is worth paying for, because a heightened quality of life is worth paying for." I agree wholeheartedly.