Words by Loureen Murphy
A young San Carlos couple leveraged the adage, “It’s not what you know, but who you know,” to create their dream home. When they bought into the tight-knit White Oaks neighborhood, they envisioned razing and rebuilding. After their friends down the street remodeled, the couple admired the interiors, courtesy of the artful hand of Angela Scaletta of Angela Grace Design. They looked no further.
Because Angela’s new clients “were very aware of who I am, it was a natural fit,” she says. Together, they pursued creating a comfortable, beautiful, long-term home for the couple and their two young sons that fuses indoor and outdoor living, creating a peaceful retreat that inspires togetherness.
Intuitive Angela says that after talking with clients, she has a very good sense of what they want and a knack for making them feel heard. It’s to the point that some actually say, “We don’t even know what we need, but she does.” To keep the project fun and exciting for clients, Angela communicated frequently and remained well-organized. “We kept the process pretty structured,” so the homeowners knew what to expect, she says. Behind the scenes, her small, expert team managed the project’s many complexities.
In this case, Angela prioritized durability because these homeowners, like many of her clients, have young kids. “Any sofa of ours is an outdoor-friendly fabric that you can clean with soap and water,” she explains. Likewise, durable counters, like non-porous, heat- and stain-resistant quartzite in the kitchen and quartz in the boys’ bathroom, are easy upkeep choices for this home.
Angela says she sources from local manufacturers and materials whenever possible. For this project, David Vant Voort of Ripon Woodworks designed and built all the custom cabinets from his East Bay workshop. The advantage? “You get to meet the person and support their business. It’s so much more meaningful,” Angela says.
Describing their relationship as “highly collaborative,” Angela and her clients shared pictures and inspirations over text messages. “We gave the clients options so they had agency in the creative decisions.” Yet they avoided avalanching the homeowners with possibilities by providing just enough to let their tastes and preferences reign.
Though she often curates, Angela sent the couple to Da Vinci Marble in San Carlos, where they found a slab they loved, and made it into the counter and backsplash in their accessory dwelling unit’s bar. Striking a contrast with Benjamin Moore’s deep Essex Green paint on the bar cabinets, it’s now one of the homeowners’ favorite “show and tell” features.
Angela took the architectural indoor-outdoor theme and further personalized it for the family. Light pours into the kitchen from three sides, and the over-sink awning window creates a pass-through to the outdoor counter-bar. It’s perfect for guests or for kids who’d rather stay outside for lunch.
A subtle gem, the media room is framed by steel and glass doors and windows, balancing light with coziness, plush with natural wood accents. The deep blue velvet sofa invites a long sit, and custom cabinets swathed in blue-gray create the viewing screen’s backdrop. On a warm day, the room can open to the backyard. In cooler weather, “it’s like a warm hug,” says Angela.
Nearby, the versatile main floor playroom offers plenty of floor space for children, plus a built-in desk big enough for a parent. The bonus? What appears to be a simple bookcase actually swivels around and drops down as the base of a Murphy bed. The home office upstairs, with its ample cabinets and L-shaped desk, is also a multitasker that will provide a welcoming space for projects and homework when the boys get older.
Missing no opportunities, Angela rendered the home’s most private places unique and memorable. In the main floor’s powder room, a timeless travertine vessel sink is offset by the smooth curves of the Brassy Gold Organik Mirror from Ethnik Living and the bubbly whimsy of the Orbet 5-Light Pendant from Visual Comfort. Wrapped in San Francisco-based Color Atelier’s Natural Linen Limewash, the room evokes a Mediterranean vibe.
The ADU’s powder room also makes a statement with its ribbed black sink above two-toned diamond flooring surrounded by Benjamin Moore’s Revere Pewter walls. And in the top floor’s primary bath, Angela highlighted the dramatic western view—think sunsets over mountains—aptly placing the soaking tub and shower to maximize refreshment of body and spirit. It’s a client favorite.
Even more than lovely spaces, Angela relishes the relationships she builds over the course of a project and its many conversations. In this instance, she
drew close to the clients as she fulfilled their vision for a comfortable, multi-functional home. With such designer-client synergy, their dream of “a home the kids can grow into” became a solid reality.