An Atherton couple transforms their home’s French country aesthetic into one with an artistic, modern flair.
The living room features pony leather chairs from 1st Dibs and Wabi silver wallpaper on the ceiling by Calico.
THE PROJECT
A couple with twin girls in middle school decided to renovate their French-style chateau in Atherton. The 8,800-square-foot home was structurally solid, but a French country aesthetic dominated every room. The couple desired more balance and to incorporate an artistic flair that projected their tastes.
THE TEAM
“My aesthetic is described as modern-day maximalism, rooted in classical design,” says renowned Bay Area designer Jeff Schlarb, whom the couple tapped for the project. Schlarb, the founder of his eponymous design studio (jeffschlarb.com), says he loves layering patterns, colors and textures, but “in a way that feels cleaned-up and pulled together. We always include a place where the eye can rest; that way, the space doesn’t overwhelm the clients. I also keep a keen eye on the shapes of the furniture, the special finishes and the artwork selections to complete the aesthetic.”
Schlarb’s description of his style is curiosity without chaos. “Balance is important to me,” he says. “When approaching a new project, I’ll ask, ‘Where do the big moments belong in this room? Where do we need some texture or color?’” Schlarb says he might add these elements in upholstery or an accent wall with an exceptional paint color or wallpaper on the ceiling. “Then I’ll ask, ‘Where do we need to pull it back so that the room feels balanced and not too weighed to one side—or too messy?’ Part of my expertise is knowing where to show restraint, where to add the punches of excitement, and how to balance those elements around the room.”
Phillip Jeffries wallpaper and a hand-tufted Wendy Morrison rug grace the foyer.
THE GOALS
Schlarb and his team renovated the living and dining rooms, powder room, family room, kitchen and office. In addition to creating more balance in the home, Schlarb says his clients are enthusiastic art collectors and always want to incorporate their extensive collection into each room’s design. “She was a real partner in the process and was involved in choosing everything with us,” says Schlarb. “She leaned into our suggestions for bold wallpapers and big colors.”
The dining room boasts Flight wallpaper from Phillip Jeffries, host chairs from Casamance and Louis XVI dining chairs from 1st Dibs. A silver leaf dining table by Shine by S.H.O anchors the room.
LIVING AND DINING ROOMS
The living room, one of the home’s dramatic social hubs, features a handpainted wall, walnut and pony leather chairs from 1st Dibs (1stdibs.com), a blue ceramic lamp from Regina Andrew (reginaandrew.com) and Wabi silver mylar wallpaper on the ceiling by Calico (calicowallpaper.com).
“The dining room is the couple’s more important area since they love entertaining and hosting business-related events,” says Schlarb. “We spent a lot of time designing this room—to the point where we chose the exact placement of each bird in beautiful Flight wallpaper from Phillip Jeffries (phillipjeffries.com).” Standout pieces include custom-made host chairs covered in Casamance (casamance.com) Voyage Imaginaire and Holly Hunt (hollyhunt.com) Cloud Nine, Louis XVI dining chairs from 1st Dibs, a silver leaf dining table from Shine By S.H.O (shinebysho.com), Lagunas Waves drapes by Opuzen (opuzen.com) and antique brass sconces by Arteriors (arteriorshome.com).
The exteriors of the 8,800-square-foot Atherton home reveal gorgeous landscaping.
FOYER
Great design also allows the mind to recollect past homes and time spent in other countries. That was especially true in this space, as Schlarb says the Phillip Jeffries Serenity wallpaper and a hand-tufted Wendy Morrison (wendymorrisondesign.com) rug reminded one of the homeowners of her time in Shanghai.
Timorous Beasties (timorousbeasties.com) Matzu fabric—reminiscent of beautiful Japanese pines—covers the stools, and a brass table from Organic Modernism (organicmodernism.com) cements the space’s beauty.
HOW THE HOME IS LIVING
“I feel strongly about building trust through the design process. That way, our clients can trust us to translate their desires and create a home that reflects their uniqueness,” says Schlarb, who adds that his Atherton clients love their home. “The redesign met all of their expectations.”
Jeff Schlarb's colorful design is even showcased in the home's bathrooms.
HOME DETAILS
HOME TYPE
Single-family
LOCATION
Atherton
INTERIOR DESIGN
Jeff Schlarb Design Studio
jeffschlarb.com
RESOURCES
1ST DIBS
Chairs, living and dining rooms
1stdibs.com
REGINA ANDREW
Lamp, living room
reginaandrew.com
CALICO
Wabi silver mylar wallpaper, living room
calicowallpaper.com
PHILLIP JEFFRIES
Flight wallpaper, dining room; Serenity wallpaper, foyer
phillipjeffries.com
CASAMANCE
Voyage Imaginaire fabric, host chairs, dining room
casamance.com
HOLLY HUNT
Cloud Nine fabric, host chairs, dining room
hollyhunt.com
SHINE BY S.H.O
Table, dining room
shinebysho.com
OPUZEN
Laguna Waves drapes, dining room
opuzen.com
ARTERIORS
Antique brass sconces, dining room
arteriorshome.com
WENDY MORRISON
Rug, foyer
wendymorrisondesign.com
TIMOROUS BEASTIES
Matzu fabric, stools, foyer
timorousbeasties.com
ORGANIC MODERNISM
Brass table, foyer
organicmodernism.com
Photography by: Noe Dewitt
