Getting Warmer

HOW AN ORANGEVALE HOME WENT FROM BASIC TO WOW .

TOP: In the dining room, a white oak table is teamed with black stained chairs in a classic silhouette. “We played with a lot of wood tones in these spaces, but I think they all speak to each other really well here,” says designer Jada Gilbert.

RIGHT: A first-floor bathroom was designed to welcome guests and pets alike. The arched cutout in the cabinetry is the opening for a custom-made kitty litter box built as a drawer for easy cleaning. The V-groove cabinetry is painted a muted green-gray called Cromarty by Farrow & Ball.

when the owners of a home in Orangevale tapped Jada Gilbert of Design Shop Interiors to help inject some character into their builder-basic residence, warmth became a guiding principle of the overall design. “They wanted to add their own style and function and flow,” says Gilbert, “and they were drawn to more traditional, warmer spaces, so that’s what I focused on.”

Gilbert was intentional about selecting finishes that lent the home a bit of old-world appeal while still being very much of the moment. In the kitchen, for example, the pretty hand-painted terra-cotta tile backsplash looks as though it could have been plucked straight out of a charming old apartment in Paris or Lisbon. “It’s the wow moment on that range wall,” says Gilbert.

In the dining room, which enjoys ample natural light and a commanding view of the large backyard, Gilbert added wooden plank paneling, box beams and an oversized pendant light to give the space depth, texture and a dose of cottagey coziness. “There’s a huge oak tree outside the window, so we decided against window treatments here,” explains Gilbert. “This room is all about the view and enjoying an indooroutdoor lifestyle.”

“It was a challenge to start with the darker because it meant that everything else had to be lighter,”

RIGHT AND BOTTOM:

The principal bath was one of the few spaces where the layout had to be reconfigured to meet the homeowners’ needs. A large drop-in Jacuzzistyle tub and small shower were replaced with a compact soaking tub and spacious bench-style shower with zellige tile. “It’s not a large space, but the new layout feels totally open and has that spa feel, thanks to the soft blues and whites and neutral flooring,” says Gilbert.

Throughout the kitchen, bathrooms and laundry room, Gilbert employed a mix of subtly beautiful materials—leathered quartzite, white oak, V-groove paneling, unlacquered brass—to achieve a subdued elegance. There’s not a hint of flashiness in the graceful design; this is a space where understated beauty reins, even down to the sheen of the materials. “Because we were working with existing flooring that was very shiny, I kept everything else matte to balance things out,” adds Gilbert.

“We were able to layer in a lot of warmer natural materials on top of a pretty neutral, transitional, timeless space,” says the designer, who credits her clients with bringing good ideas and inspirational examples to the process. “It was a fun collaboration, and they were really trusting, which led to a great project.”