This San Francisco home started out as a a building spec project. “While it had some nice details, it was lacking in personality,” interior designer Elena Calabrese says. “We were hired to give it some style, more reflective of the clients’ lives and personalities.” Her clients, a young professional couple, wanted to bring color, texture, and graphic elements to many of the rooms. “The bi-level home is spacious for 2, but being an open floor plan with the exception of the bedrooms, we really wanted to create one look that repeated common colors and textures,” Calabrese continues. “Navy, blues, jade green and golds were used throughout the home.”

The designer got quite creative in bringing their vision to life in the main living spaces. In the large stairwell, they added a textured linen covering from Phillip Jeffries that instantly warms up the space. The kitchen came with a white porcelain tile with black painterly stripes used as the backsplash. “We liked the graphic nature of the tile and decided to extend it into the dining room to make the space feel more cohesive,” she says. “However since we didn’t want the coldness of the tile in the dining room we enlisted the creative team of Caroline Lizaragga to paint the wall. It is an exact match to the kitchen, and really makes a big statement.” There’s also a wood and antique mirror credenza that sits on that wall and sets the tone with a little glam and shimmer. In the living room, another decorative painting trick: “We painted all the grout on the fireplace from white to matching black, which gives the illusion of a solid marble fireplace.” 

In the primary bedroom, they custom designed a mohair channel upholstered bed–a beautiful textural statement against the Phillip Jeffries multi woven metallic grass cloth. There are navy blue nightstands, which tie in the warmth and gold with their rattan and brass handles. “The area rug was a beautiful hand woven design by Jaipur, a modern take on a more traditional area rug. The clients loved the global feel of it while still being modern,” Calabrese shares.

The office is another highlight of the home. “We wanted to show off our clients guitar collection which paved the way for a bit of a rock ‘n roll vibe,” the designer explains. “Also being a lover of sports cars, a huge black and white photo featuring a Lamborghini hangs opposite of the guitars.” These details made the space, bringing it from ‘basic’ to bold in a matter of months. See more in the slideshow.