Our clients were excited to go bold with color and pattern in their 7,000 square foot vacation home. Since their tastes skew more cosmopolitan than country, we wanted to be sure to incorporate a familiar polished aesthetic to the interiors. Sculptural furniture is mixed with modern statement lighting and contemporary artwork for a luxe take on mountain living. We referenced the surrounding forest and skies with a palette of greens, blues and warm neutrals punctuated with walnut and oak woods.

Dramatic hand-painted walls by Caroline Lizarraga create a moody vibe in the office, which features his and hers desks, a lacquered cabinet from Hewn, and a light fixture by Lindsay Adelman. Guest suites were designed to accommodate entire families, with two custom queen beds upholstered in a geometric wool pattern.

The Niche team designed a bespoke modular sectional sofa to provide flexible seating for movie watching or lounging in the game room. The kids in the house love hanging out here! Want to see more? Take a tour of the entire house here.

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We decided to use one of our most eco-friendly homes, the Napa Wine Country Retreat, as a case study, illustrating the green choices made in three main rooms of this home – the dining room, primary bedroom and living room. This prefab home already had a jump start on the sustainability scale, as prefab homes greatly reduce the amount of construction waste compared to traditionally built homes.

Our clients wanted a large dining table to host big gatherings of family and friends. We designed this oversized custom dining table and coordinating benches and commissioned our local San Francisco fabricator to make them. Both the table and benches are made of FSC Certified wood, which ensures that wood comes from responsibly managed forests that provide environmental, social and economic benefits. The bentwood pendants were designed and fabricated by local San Francisco studio Path Design. Sourcing furnishings locally reduces the carbon footprint of each item and helps support local designers and fabricators – win, win!

We created a wabi-sabi retreat in the primary bedroom, with a mix of natural textures and organic materials. The custom plaster wall treatment behind the bed was designed to mimic the look of shou sugi ban – the Japanese art of charred cedar. Unfortunately, using charred wood inside a home is not the healthiest choice for indoor air quality, so we enlisted our local plaster artist to create a similar aesthetic using a non-toxic plaster treatment. The nightstands are made from reclaimed wood, which is the most sustainable type of wood aside from FSC certified wood or other sustainably harvested wood. To learn more about the sustainability of wood furniture at various retailers check out the Sustainable Furnishings Council Wood Scorecard.

The custom bed contains no harmful flame retardant chemicals, which are typically found in standard poly foam. We specified natural latex foam wrapped in organic wool and used a cotton blend fabric for the upholstery. We opted for a handmade rug made from 100% wool – the most durable and easy to clean choice for rugs. Not only is this a natural product, it’s inherent durability ensures that the rug will last for many years and avoid a premature trip to a landfill. The bedding is a mix of organic cotton and linen, adding additional layers of texture and softness to the space. Organic cotton and linen are grown without the use of toxic and persistent pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. By purchasing organic textiles you can help conserve water, support biodiversity and healthy soils, and eliminate hazardous toxic pesticides from our environment.

The living room features two custom, non-toxic sofas which were fabricated locally using FSC certified wood frames and natural latex wrapped in organic wool. Zero-VOC paint was used throughout the home to ensure healthy indoor air quality. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are emitted as gases from certain solids or liquids. VOCs include a variety of chemicals, some of which may have short and long-term adverse health effects. Most interior paints sold now are low or zero-VOC, but you should always inquire before purchasing.

Incorporating vintage furniture and accessories is one of our favorite ways to re-use products while adding personality to a home at the same time! We paired a collection of vintage ceramics on the console table with a photograph that the clients purchased from their travels abroad.

Head to our Green page for more eco-friendly home tips!

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Our team is currently embracing the challenge of designing two very different homes – a casual, family-friendly vacation home in Sonoma and a sophisticated, luxe historic estate in Southern California. This is the perfect opportunity to provide a glimpse into our creative process, specifically the initial stage of conceptual design where the direction for a home really starts to take shape.

SONOMA VACATION HOME :: INITIAL GREAT ROOM CONCEPT

After finalizing furniture layouts, a customized look book for a project is created which features a mix of rooms showing various design styles. After reviewing our client’s in-depth feedback on these images, our designers will take notes and meet as a team to discuss the overall style for a home which includes furniture shapes, color schemes, textures, and material palettes. We pull together fabrics and finishes to illustrate our vision and create photo realistic renderings to help clients visualize how a room will come together. During the design presentation our client provided helpful feedback on the living room rendering and we were able to make a few minor tweaks to the design to better reflect her vision for the space.

Our latest Wine Country vacation home is located in Sonoma (pictured above); with double height ceilings and ample natural light this home is going to be the perfect place for our client to escape on weekends. We opted for a mix of contemporary furniture and lighting (No kitschy farmhouse here) and textural fabrics with pops of salmon and navy for this fun-loving modern family.

HISTORIC ESTATE :: SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Southern California is calling our name! Not only is this our first project over 15,000 square feet, it is also our first historic home designed by a renowned architect. This grande 1920’s estate has multiple buildings throughout the 10 acre property, with a dignified and formal main house with spacious galleries leading to incredible garden views. We have just started sinking our teeth into this incredible project, and are utilizing quick furniture vignettes in Photoshop to convey design intent for each room. It’s a very useful way to see how items in a space work together before starting on photo realistic renderings.

In the formal living room, vintage pieces sit alongside works by contemporary designers to create an elevated, collected feel. After the design concepts are refined and perfected, we will present multiple furniture options to a client and then move on to layering in pattern, color and texture with fabric and finish selections. Upholstery fabrics, rug colors, window treatment fabrics, paint colors, metal and wood finishes are reviewed together to ensure cohesiveness and to make any final adjustments before placing orders.

We look forward to sharing the progress for both of these homes over the next few months. Be sure to follow along on Instagram for the latest updates!

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Casual, Durable Fabrics for Family-friendly Spaces

Woven Cotton or Linen Blends. As eco-friendly interior designers, we try to incorporate natural fibers as much as possible into our projects. We love woven cotton or linen blend fabrics  – they are breathable, have a soft hand, and lend a casual, laid-back vibe to a space. If you have a very active household, it would be advisable to opt for a cotton and synthetic blend for durability, such as 70% cotton and 30% polyester or rayon blend. Look for heavier weight cottons for longer life spans for your sofa or sectional.

There are a wide range of synthetic fabrics used in upholstery, the most common being polyester, rayon, viscose and nylon. Synthetic fabrics were created to mimic natural fabrics, but with increased stain resistance and durability (and often with a less expensive price tag). Generally, synthetic fibers are rather durable and are a good option when blended with a natural fabric.

Small scale patterns. Nothing hides stains better than a little pattern! Our general rule of thumb is that the smaller the pattern the more easily a fabric can be used as a neutral, mixing seamlessly with other fabrics and patterns in a room. Some of our favorite patterns include herringbone and geometric prints such as hexagons. Patterns come in a range of fabric types, our preferred construction is a woven pattern rather than a printed pattern. These fabrics are more durable and will hold up better over the long run.

Textural Wool Bouclé.  This nubby textile derived from the French word meaning “curled” or “ringed,” bouclé refers to a fabric made from a series of looped fibers. Wool is the most common fiber used in bouclés, which are very textural and typically have a high pile and a cozy vibe. Bouclés are fantastic at hiding sticky kids fingerprints and generally do not show wear as much due to their inherit variation and uneven texture. We love using a bouclé on armchairs, but you can also use this fabric on a sofa or ottoman.

Sophisticated Fabrics for Formal Spaces

Cotton, Linen or Silk Velvets. If you want a fabric that feels as luxurious as it looks, velvet is for you! The depth of the pile shows off dye really well, resulting in intense, rich tones. Blue velvet will have a much deeper color than a similarly-dyed piece of flat-weave cotton or linen. We opt for velvet when we want to create a statement with a bold, saturated color – it’s a great choice for armchairs, settees, beds and benches. Keep in mind that velvet does crush easily, even a highly durable velvet may be susceptible to marking as the pile flattens from normal use and wear. The tendency of velvet to crush is not a defect, and can even lend charm to your space as a piece gets more use.

Mohair is a soft wool that comes from the hair of the Angora goat, and is characterized by a distinct luster and sheen. Mohair has a thicker pile height and a very sophisticated appearance. It is also durable and highly resilient to crushing and creases, and may be a better choice than velvet if you prefer a uniform fabric that won’t change over time. Given it’s versatility, we tend to use this fabric on all types of furniture pieces – from sofas to upholstered beds.

Wool. A natural fiber that comes from animal hair, wool is a durable choice for upholstery fabric. We love using wool for understated, luxe spaces where we prefer a matte finish and no sheen. Wool comes in a variety of colors and is typically blended with other fibers to avoid a scratchy feel. Look for wools with a finer, tighter weave for a more elevated appearance.

Head over to our Custom Furniture page to explore more photos of custom upholstery designed by Niche Interiors!

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What are the three most important features to look for when selecting hand knotted rugs?

The most important things to consider are one’s budget, the reputation of the dealer you are visiting, and the design environment/performance concerns to be considered.

Everyone appreciates the beauty and craft that goes into a hand knotted rug but not everyone wants to wait 7-9 months. Can you delve into the process and explain what goes into creating a rug? How many people work on an average hand knotted rug? 

Rug making is the single most collaborative of all the art forms.  This is one of the reasons why rug production is supported and encouraged in poorer countries. A single rug employs so many people! Let’s start with the sheep herders, the wool shearers, the wool spinners, the dyers, the designers and factory staff, of course do not forget the weavers, but also do not forget all the people that wash, clip and finish your carpet and last but not least the fine folks that pack and ship that carpet to you! We are easily in the hundreds of persons required to make a single carpet. It is Stark’s job to coordinate all of these people in order to deliver our custom orders on time to the most discriminating buyers in the world.

Most of our hand knotted products take between 3- 9 month to produce based on complexity of design and the knotted quality. For a 9×12 rug each weaver can cover about 3 feet in width so to produce a 9×12 rug we are engaging three weavers for an average of six months working 8 hours six days a week. In total we are talking about 3,744 man-hours to weave just one 9×12 carpet. If one calculates the man-hours of all the other processes mentioned previously one should arrive at the logical conclusion that hand knotted rugs equate artistically to one of the greatest values on the planet!

What steps does Stark take to ensure fair labor practices and to prevent child labor at your mills?

Stark buys directly from the manufacturers in the countries of origin who we know have fair labor practices and without child labor. We have full time field staff working everyday on-site with our manufacturers inspecting and managing our production orders. Upper management spends months each year overseas vetting and working with its manufacturers to improve the quality of our supply chain. We believe our day to day contact with our manufactures is the best way to secure the quality of the work environment for weavers and our product for our clients.

Cleaning and caring for your hand knotted rug is so important. Do you have any tips for keeping wool and silk rugs looking their best?

Suction of your rug is the best way to go for day-to-day maintenance. For red wine drinkers, I always recommend they keep white wine in the house. If one spills red wine on wool or silk,  the best thing is to blot up the red with a clean cloth and then saturate the area with white wine lightly blot and let dry. A little known secret is white removes red.  

Rug pads: Why do we need them?

Padding reduces friction, slippage and impact pressure on the weave structure of hand woven carpets. 

What’s new and exciting in the world of hand knotted carpets? Any trends, styles, or manufacturing techniques that you are especially excited about?

This is an ancient industry based on 4,000-year-old technology. Manufacturing is very much the same as it always has been. The advent of CAD has made a huge impact on the designs being made today. Such detailed abstract and non-repetitive designs were never possible prior to the millennium.

In your opinion why do you think hand knotted rugs are so much more beautiful than other types of rugs? 

It is very simple. Hand knotted rugs are a reflection of their makers. They are beautiful, diverse, imperfect and therefore individual. No two are ever exactly alike…the same as their makers.

A huge thank you to Chad for his valuable industry insights!

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A new wall of windows and doors opens up the living/dining room to the expansive meadow views. Chevron floors add character and grey and white paint gives the space a fresh and airy feel.

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