An interior designer’s job consists of far more than sussing out fabric swatches and sourcing pretty furniture. Ultimately, the pros are tasked with creating a space that reflects the people who live here.
“Beautiful homes are great, but if there's no soul, it's not necessarily meaningful,” says Clara Jung, who runs a Bay Area-based design firm called Banner Day. “It’s the flex of a good designer to really capture the people that live there and be able to reflect back upon them the environment that is representative of them now, but also where they see themselves in however many years or decades.”
That’s why Jung’s new book, Storied Homes, focuses on the homes she designed and its inhabitants. Though her tome offers a look at her design philosophy, Jung says the focus on her clients makes this different from other decorating books out there.
“In each chapter, we ask the clients about their favorite things like cocktails or what they listen to,” she explains. “You really feel like you're getting to know not just the spaces, but the people who live inside of them.”
Case in point: This 2,362-square-foot family home in Piedmont, California. With sleek lines and a unique, horseshoe shape that housed an interior courtyard, the 1951 residence is a love letter to mid-century modernism; however, Jung didn’t necessarily want it to be stuck in the past. “There are different flavors of mid-century, and this family did not want to live in a museum,” the designer shares. “It wasn’t going to be brown paneling with primary colors.”
Plus, the home had to be fun. Not only are her clients lively people who “don’t take themselves too seriously,” Jung says they also had a “tribe of chickens” named after the characters from Frozen.
To create a space that matched the family’s lively vibe—and still upheld the home’s history—Jung included classic mid-century silhouettes in a punchier color palette. “We kept the main spaces like the kitchen as well as living and dining areas quiet,” she reveals. “We wanted to be extremely thoughtful and a little judicious about where we placed pattern and stronger colors.”
At first look, the living room’s Eames lounger looks like something plucked out of Mad Men; however, the pink checkered upholstery that covers the seat feels fresh. Ditto for the marigold velvet sofa, courtesy of Clad Home. “The most unexpected, yet funky, part is the Hedge House coffee table with curved legs,” she adds. “It’s decidedly not mid-century, but it’s that mix of things that makes the feel a bit more whimsical.”
Jung brings a similar magic to the kitchen, where a breakfast nook with a sunny &Tradition pendant and mint Vitra chairs punctuate the wooden cabinetry.
Most of the home’s common areas have a subdued style—a move, Jung says, helps put the attention on the interior courtyard—but the private spaces are rife with personality. The verdant color palette in the primary suite delivers both style and serenity, while the children’s bedrooms boast wallcoverings that are joyful, not juvenile.
“I really want them to take possession of their room,” Jung shares. “They’re very playful, but hopefully they don’t need to change too much when they’re in their teenage years.” The floral wallpaper from Block Shop Textiles brings a daintiness to the girl’s bedroom, while the two-toned checkered repeat in the boy’s bedroom offers a bold moment that feels surprisingly subdued.
At the heart of the children’s rooms is in the Jack and Jill bathroom, a delightful mix of blue Zia Tiles, lime accents, and a charming wallpaper on the ceiling. “It a lot of the heavy lifting here,” Jung says of the Wallshoppe wallcovering, which is covered with tiny swimmers. “It brings all of it together and completes the circle of design.”
No detail was too small to consider—not even the home’s storage solutions. Jung added various built-in cabinets, closets, and drop zones throughout to make the relatively small footprint more functional.
“When you're putting furniture or an aftermarket piece, it’s not as clean and it feels like it was a little bit shoehorned in there,” she explains. “Once it’s integrated with a built-in, it feels cleaner and looks like it inherently belongs.”
The result? A practical space that’s “fun, playful, and has a gusto for living”—just like the people who live there.
Kelsey Mulvey is a freelance journalist who has over a decade of experience in print and digital media. She covers interior design and lifestyle content for a breadth of publications, including Good Housekeeping, Country Living, House Beautiful, Veranda, and more. Her hobbies include themed spinning classes, Netflix, and nachos.
