Designer Julie Mitchiner started her studio, JAM Interior Design, in Chicago after a career in law. There, she built the trust of style-savvy clients who appreciated her right- and left- brain balance—creating well-appointed homes that are approachable, beautiful, and richly layered with creativity.
When past clients decided to purchase a home in San Francisco to escape the bitter Midwest winters, Julie was at the creative helm. “It’s a young professional couple that happened to be one of my first clients in Chicago after I started my own firm,” she tells us. “After completing their Chicago condo, they reached out a few years later after going under contract on a San Francisco home. They are avid travelers, both for fun and work. Their Chicago condo is fairly neutral and textural, and while the clients typically lean toward more modern and neutral designs, they were open to embracing color and pattern. The main goal was to get the renovations completed for them to start enjoying it during this past winter.”
Even though everything in the home was going to be all new, Julie took care to ensure it wouldn’t feel brand new or hastily assembled. “It’s an old home in an historic area of San Francisco,” she explains. “Due to the tight timeline, they really let me run with the designs and trusted the process. I would describe it as earthy, comfortable, and nostalgic.”
Julie made quick work of renovating the kitchen, powder room, and primary bathroom, and curated all-new furnishings. “I was thrilled to be referred to an all-female-led GC team in P3 Construction who were amazing partners throughout and really helped me pull off the impossible,” she says.
In addition to the tight timeline, she had one other very important task on her plate. “In a crazy set of circumstances, I was 8 months pregnant with a friend’s baby when these clients reached out about their SF home,” she shares. “As a surrogate, I wasn’t allowed to travel after 30 weeks. Everything was done over email and Facetime with the clients and project manager. I had the baby in December and was cleared to travel 6 weeks later so I could make it for install and styling in February before they moved in.”
The couple closed on November 20, 2024, and when they moved in on February 20, 2025, they told Julie it already felt like home.
Take a tour in the slideshow.
