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After more than 20 years of designing spaces in the Mediterranean style with textured walls, burnished hardware and short furniture with ornate legs, the emergence of Bay Area style has felt like a cool breeze to interior designer Toni Berry.
Berry, who opened Marie Antoinette Interiors in Sunol 34 years ago, says more people are getting rid of the earth tones and embracing openness, simplicity and comfort — hallmarks of Bay Area and much of California style.
We asked her to help define Bay Area style.
Does the Bay Area have a recognizable style?
After a couple of decades of Tuscan/Mediterranean style decor, we have finally moved on to a new style! Trending now is a style called “California Cool” or “Casual” style, a mix of beachy coastal and boho. Think cool hippie in Berkeley who was originally from L.A. It speaks to the memory of the counter culture of the late ’60s and early ’70s.
What’s the color story?
Light colors, like cool, pale, washed blues, greens and sand. Think sea glass. It’s as though the colors are meant to make you feel like a walk on the beach. Walls in this style are typically a white, such as Benjamin Moore’s Chantilly Lace in a flat sheen.
This white has a very high light reflective value and is a beautiful back drop for all the organic textures in the space.
What are the must-have accessories?
When it comes to accessories in this style, anything that is handmade, natural or organic, such as a huge basket and a fabulous area rug, work well in this style. Vintage Moroccan rugs with Berber motifs and Turkish kilims are hallmarks to the look of this style.
Another key to this relaxed style is to not over-accessorize. It’s about having lots of free space and scale and not so much filling the space.
The go-to light fixtures for this style are swag lamps with rattan or wicker shades. This type of lighting acts as a sculpture in the room and is meant to be appreciated as such.
Are there certain furniture styles and essential pieces you’ll need?
Furniture that has simple lines and an unstructured form is best here. In upholstered pieces, it’s always in linen in a raw natural color. In case goods, it’s distressed, sometimes oversized but with little or no carvings.
General feel or mood of the style, I’d have to say is a really relaxed feeling that surrounds you. For example, a coffee table is not important in front of the sofa, but a hassock with a tray filled with casual accessories is.
It’s also important to note that nothing in the room looks planned or contrived. It’s supposed to look mismatched — that’s the beauty in it.
How about plants?
The best plant for this style is a large-scale rubber tree plant in a large handmade pot.
Are there other elements that would be must-haves in the design?
Natural materials that make a space feel clean and pure. It’s not a cold minimalist style, as much as it is a warm relaxed style.
What is Bay Area style trying to say?
I’m not sure really, but I do know that the Tuscan/Mediterranean style that we were so heavily immersed in for so long has perhaps made us swing all the way over to the exact opposite, which is saying, if anything, “Let’s go to the beach” instead of “Let’s go to Tuscany.”
Another point to be made is that our fast-paced life here in the Bay Area is so busy. This style has become more of a necessity to unwind and downshift from the hectic flow of life here. I think it’s all in a natural effort to get away from the rush and just be California cool.
Learn what other Bay Area designers have to say about our unique style.
