There’s a reason Mill Valley, California, is such a coveted place to live. Located just north of San Francisco across the Golden Gate Bridge, it’s nestled at the base of Mount Tamalpais. “It’s best known for its outdoor culture of hiking and biking, as well as its love of rock and psychedelic music, and for being home to the Sweetwater Music Hall, where members of the original Grateful Dead once performed,” interior designer Jennifer Tidwell tells us. “I love how the town has an elevated culture advocating the arts, music, and food, but the vibe is very rustic and down to earth.”
Jennifer is a co-founder and principal at The Workroom Interiors, a Bay Area design firm she runs alongside Stephanie Thill. Their client reached out to the firm to update her 1965 home. “She was a single mother of two boys who lived in the home for several years,” Jennifer explains. “After raising her boys to their teenage years, she was ready to embark on upgrades to build a foundation for her family for years to come. The client is British with impeccable taste, and while she was excited about bringing in some British textiles and prints, she was adamant about reducing her carbon footprint, insisting on all-electric appliances and being off the grid.”
In short, the client wanted the home to feel elevated, but comfortable enough for her family to grow and thrive—and the project was a full-home renovation from the inside out. “Her main goal was to create space by adding dormers for a new ensuite primary bath, laundry room, and ensuite baths for her two boys,” Jennifer says. “She wanted the entry to have more light with taller ceilings, a more efficient kitchen and butler’s pantry, and to create a dramatic great room by leveling out the ceiling soffits and providing indoor-outdoor access to the deck and backyard.”
The client really wanted to push the boundaries with color and patterned wallpaper, with a nod to her British roots. As a result, the home is filled with meaningful details that reflect her background, from richly patterned wallpapers by British designers to an art collection curated in collaboration with British art consultant Lucie Charkin. “She is a collector of memories,” the designer recalls. “She had many special heirlooms to highlight throughout, including a yard of fabric she found with her late mother that was used to cover the mudroom cushion in a patchwork design, since we didn’t have enough material.”
The exterior lacked interest as well, so the team collaborated with architect Kelly Haegglund on the vision and style of the home and bring the client’s ideas to life. “Kelly has the unique ability to transform homes so they feel like they were always built that way and fit perfectly within the surrounding neighborhood,” Jennifer notes.
The end result is “California Classic meets British Colonial,” with a decidedly modern twist. “The project took about three years from the moment we were hired and connected with Kelly Haegglund to the final install of furniture, art, accessories, and window treatments,” the designer recalls. “The client wanted the big reveal, and she got it! One of my favorite things is finding homes for our clients’ special treasures and mixing them with items we brought in to complete the various spaces. It truly makes a home feel like home when there are things collected over time that have meaning. She was all smiles when walking through with her new fiancé!”
