This Sophisticated Bay Area Apartment Marries Warm, Natural Materials and Unexpected Moments of Glamour
Jay Jeffers transforms an intimate unit by crafting a show-stopping entry and echoing the bold artworks in chic mirrored pieces
Designer Jay Jeffers is known for the interiors he creates that weave a rich narrative by layering thoughtful furniture finds with interesting art, supple fabrics, and rich palettes. It’s an aesthetic he’s cultivated at private residences—including his own New York apartment—and his California hotel, The Madrona. Several years ago, his San Francisco studio shaped the model units at a Bay Area address with Manhattan vibes.
It was there that his client, a young tech entrepreneur, was introduced to his work and brought Jeffers on to design his two-bedroom home within the building. “He wanted modern, easy living but also space to entertain,” says Jeffers of the homeowner’s directive.
When approaching the design of the space, Jeffers first tackled the entry. “One of the things about these new build apartments that I really don’t love is there’s not an entryway, there’s not a foyer,” says the designer. “You open the door and you’re automatically in the kitchen or the living room or you’re peering through the rest of the house.”
Jeffers reconfigured a small office between the front door and kitchen to create a cinematic first impression. Here, walls are paneled with a tight mosaic of whiskey color oak panels and bronze channeling, the unexpected geometry echoing the pattern of a rug by Yerra from De Sousa Hughes and a kaleidoscopic Misia fabric used on a Dylan Ferrell bench. “It’s not a large apartment but it has nice high ceilings, and great windows and great natural light, so we were able to bring some color and warmth in and not have it feel tight or closed in,” he says.
To support the client’s love of entertaining, one of the apartment’s bedrooms was remastered to host a dining area connected to a show-stopping powder room. “I always think of them as the jewelry of the home,” says Jeffers of the punctuating bath wrapped in the same paneling as the entry and an exuberant Walker Zanger tile. “I love it when people walk into a room like a powder room and they’re like gasp, what’s going on in here, this is incredible.”
Also high on the client’s wish list was a large television, so Jeffers imagined a wall-size unit of built-ins that frame the technology with a sophisticated border of books, art, and decorative objects. “We’re at this place, especially with bachelor apartments, where we’re not hiding the TV,” says Jeffers. “This is his apartment and he’s using that probably every day so I like to create a moment on the wall where it’s not just about the TV; you have shelves, you have salon-style art hanging, you have lamps, and you can build in all the speakers so it looks good.”
Peppering the rooms with metallic notes created a visual counterpoint to the organic spirit of the colors and materials. “In apartments like this, I love a reflection,” says Jeffers, who installed a metal and glass Jean de Merry dining table, Daikon Lighting chandelier, and a mirrored console by Azadeh Shladovsky. “Having a mirror that has some faceting to it or a piece of furniture that’s mirrored, I feel that enhances the space but also gives you a different view of that room in the reflection.” Sumptuous fabrics, leather, and rugs soften the hard edges of the more rigorous pieces.
While fabrics bring subtle pops of color, the most chromatic splash comes from the artworks, sourced from the client’s family home. Here, a mix of paintings, photography, and sculpture by mostly European talents electrify the primary suite, hall, and dining room. “My whole thought process when designing any apartment is about entertaining, whether the clients do or not,” suggests Jeffers. “I think about when you’re sitting at the dining table and wine is being poured, that dinner party scene. I want you looking around and seeing an amazing chandelier and art on the walls. But when you’re not entertaining, I thought about where there’s a moment where we need a pop.”
With the open sightlines and strategically placed mirrored pieces echoing the carefully curated swaths of glitter and glamour, this home reverberates with a distinct panache—perfect for raising the spirits on a convivial cocktail soiree or nightcap for a party of one.