Tour a Napa Valley Home That Features Groovy Furniture and Gucci Wallpaper
You won’t have to venture far into this serene home, in Napa Valley, California, to feel the influence of its designer, Kristen Peña. Schooled in European elegance and proportions, the San Francisco–based decorator, and founder of K Interiors, has established a reputation for creating contemporary designs that thoughtfully balance openness and privacy. Nevertheless, inside this four-bedroom home, Peña has also managed to go further in melding the tailored, largely monochromatic palette of her clients with a playful, sophisticated scheme that elevates the residence’s overall aesthetic.
“It was a very clean slate when I was brought in, so we really wanted to honor all the lines of the interior architecture,” says Peña, whose globetrotting through Southeast Asia, Morocco, and beyond, over the years, has helped cultivate her love of pattern and texture. “[At the same time,] we wanted to provide accessibility and comfort by using lots of artisan designers to help foster a unique sense of space.”
That concept was furthered by Peña’s clients, two San Francisco tech executives who purchased the 4,500-square-foot property in 2020 as a weekend refuge. These two avid contemporary art fans have a wide-ranging collection encompassing pieces by a diverse roster of artists who specialize in various media. Today, the interiors are dotted with works by the likes of British fiber artist Sally England and Denmark-based sculptor Nicholas Shurey.
“Our art collection is an extension of our taste, and Kristen really understood that from the outset,” says one of the owners of the home. “She created unique spaces that not only highlight the art, but also express our style.”
While artwork plays a starring role in this home, interior furnishings, culled from a broad range of sources, underscore the interplay between craft and materiality. In the main living room, for example, a pair of bouclé sofas by British Canadian designer Philippe Malouin flank a travertine and burnished brass table from Banda, a design firm based in the U.K. Also of note is a gold-leafed wall, created by Bay Area decorative painter Caroline Lizarraga.
A custom table in the formal dining room emphasizes Peña’s urbane sensibilities. She designed the table herself and had it paired with chairs from Stahl + Band, a design studio in Venice, California. Elsewhere, handcrafted lighting by Natalie Page, a Philadelphia artist whose work includes ceramic lighting, decorative art, and product design, can be seen in the kitchen.
In the primary suite, a custom bed, from Hardesty Dwyer & Co., anchors a room that also features Coup D’Etat oak and bouclé chairs and Thomas Hayes nightstands. A rug from vintage and contemporary carpet dealer Tony Kitz adds playful warmth to the entire room, which includes more wall treatments by Caroline Lizarraga.
Colorful walls are a high point throughout the home, and can even be seen in unexpected areas of the home. “Whenever someone comes to visit the house I always show them the laundry room first,” the owner says with a slight laugh. The small space boasts Gucci wallpaper illuminated by a neon light photograph. Just more proof that when it came to this project, Peña left no stone—or square foot—unturned.
