Sonoma-Modern Style in SoCal

When we first toured this home — and walked its white wide-planked floors — we had already started planning the staging: A fresh interpretation of American Modern, a style popularized by Thomas O’Brien, one of our fave interior designers. Turns out, our client is also a fan of his clean, unfettered rooms with high contrast neutrals. Talk about being on the same page! She also wanted the home to feel as if it was located in Sonoma. We got this! A seagrass rug grounds the living room’s white linen sofa and rustic chairs. A wood and metal coffee table adds graphic contrast with its strong lines. Decor is kept simple — a spray of eucalyptus leaves in a tall white vase, a black rattan tray, Shibori pillows, oh, and a dog named Carl (who happens to have an Instagram following of over 22K!) All photography by Christopher Lee Foto.

This particular client always wants us to put an Eames lounge chair and ottoman into her stagings. Luckily, the living room had the ideal corner for it. A fiddle leaf fig tucks in behind and a wood-framed mirror over the fireplace “stands in” for a TV. We love the backs of these chairs, so sculptural and rustic.

One especially unique feature of this home is its cozy book nook — a great space for relaxing and reading a book pulled from these built-in wood shelves. We placed two Mid Century modern style chairs and a rope-wrapped side table here to take advantage of sunny afternoons and mellow mornings.

The large open-concept great room encompasses a large dining room, big enough for the whole family or an intimate dinner party. We placed six Mid Century modern chairs in a richly textured gray fabric around a hefty farmhouse table — and topped it off with a huge wooden tray, large wooden vase and ginger jar. The kitchen is on full display here and what a kitchen it is. We’ll get to that soon….

This client likes to create mudrooms, under-the-stairs hideouts and lots of cool areas to store, stash and organize your stuff. Here, that often-wasted under-stair area is fully functional with coat hooks, benches and places to hide your post-beach flip-flops.

One of our fave kitchens to date, this stylish one features European-style flat-front cabinetry and super-cute wooden knobs in a light wood tone. Open shelves allow ample storage for your “nice” things, while a pantry to the left holds everything else. Three gray cement pendants hang over the kitchen island, swathed in shiplap below and cement-colored gray quartz above.

Industrial counter stools add just the punch needed to contrast with the light colors floor-to-ceiling in this designer kitchen. A highly-prized pot-filler and other amenities (there’s a wine fridge too) make this a cook’s dream.

A ground-floor guest bedroom is treated to a Millennial Pink color scheme thanks to cute bedding and pillows. A thick Moroccan rug adds touchable softness underfoot, and a Mid Century modern bench supplies a place to remove shoes (or toss tomorrow’s laundry).

The guest room’s pink extends to the built-in shelving which we styled with large decor, brass elements, Monstera leaves and magenta books,

The top of the stair landing will provide some lucky family with a functional homework station (or a tandem work-from-home sitch for mom and dad). Tall beamed ceilings soar overhead and the room is flooded with natural light, just right for a modern family.

The master bedroom is a symphony of neutrals. We’ve accented textural gray bedding with a brass medallion and large B&W abstract art. The glass and brass hanging pendant obviates the need for bedside lamps and provides quality reading light for late-night relaxing.

Light, airy, open and boasting tons of space, this master bath is the stuff of dreams. Imagine all the cute stuff you could put on those awesome built-in shelves. We placed rolled-up towels, baskets, sea sponges, bath brushes and a supply of thirsty Turkish towels in neutral stripes. You could feature an entire succulent garden… Just sayin’.