California Classic
Award-winning San Francisco designer Jeff Shuler reinvents a Palo Alto Mediterranean

By Kristin Ammon

Part Mediterranean,  part contemporary California classic is how Jeff Shuler describes the house he designed for his clients. Nestled in an old part of Palo Alto, the two-story villa combines the stateliness of Old World Europe with the ease of California living. “The house seems big from the outside, but warm and inviting inside,” Shuler says. All rooms open to a courtyard so there’s a light, indoor-outdoor feel, “We chose furniture that says, ‘come over and sit for awhile,” adds Shuler.

The clients, a young venture capitalist and his wife, developed a passion for the Mediterranean while traveling. They enjoyed the relaxed and quiet elegance of the homes. Few people turn their dreams into reality, but Shuler transformed theirs into a show-stopping estate.

The couple has two children so they needed a relaxed setting where the kids could play and have a good time. They also wanted lots of traditional Mediterranean elements such as arches and wood beams plus contemporary items. Gold is a traditional Etruscan color so Shuler chose a gold and khaki palette with punches of red. 

Rugs were an important part of the decor. One of Shuler’s strengths is selecting the best carpet for a room, a skill he developed while a student at the New York School of Design. “The carpet becomes the foundation for showcasing furniture, antiques and art,” he says.

In the living room are two Turkish Gabbeh carpets with diverse patterns, which he paired with paisley, leaf and solid woven upholstery in maize, khaki, gold, and red. A slender country bench is covered in a birch-leaf print cotton, and near the piano is a charming footstool dressed in an antique kilim. In lieu of cocktail tables, he ingeniously bronzed two outdoor metal basket-weave tables and topped them with glass. A huge Tuscan-style stone fireplace anchors the space.

The focal point of the dining room is a plank farm table from Peter Alexander, which expands to seat 14. The couple didn’t want true antiques because of the kids so Shuler used heavy distressing to make the furniture look old. Chairs are Guy Chaddock with solid woven seats, and backs are upholstered in velvet floral damask with nail-head trim. “I love to juxtapose texture and pattern,” Shuler notes. The carpet is from Turkey and the absract painting is by Irish artist Shawn Scully.

In the kitchen are custom-made cabinets with seeded glass panels and handcrafted bronzed hardware. They designed a wooden island with legs and surrounded it with country-style rush chairs to serve as a workspace or separate eating area for breakfast or lunch. Hand-glazed Italian pottery and a hand-hammered copper hood vent above the stove and add interest and color. The pendent lights are contemporary with white alabaster, and a kilim carpet runner dresses up the African hardwood floor.

Shuler reinforced the casual, relaxed feeling in the family room by using overscale furnishings such as the distressed pine hutch and pair of Paris sofas. “Large furnishings work well with the proportion of the room,” he explains. With two kids, the space needed to be practical as well, so Shuler employed dark colors to eliminate any worry about stains. The sofas, for instance, are upholstered in a Clarence House “African fabric.” Another creative touch was converting an old jar into a rustic lamp with a hand-painted shade. The couple’s collection of 20th-century French photographs by Jacques-Henri Lartique rounds out the décor.

They found antique pavers in France for the staircase and landing, which they topped with Pakistani, Indian, and Nepalese runners leading to the master bedroom, another favorite retreat. Shuler hung pale green double weave curtains on the windows and upholstered the Italian-inspired headboard in an elegant crème suede. The cushy club chairs are for relaxing and hanging out. “It’s simple, but calming,” notes Shuler.

The media-cum-exercise room was one of the hardest to decorate because it had to serve as an exercise area yet be comfortable enough to watch movies. Shuler solved the problem with beanbag chairs and Italian chairs upholstered in ultra suede for comfort and style. “It’s monochromatic, but it works,” he says.

The finished residence is now a treasured family home as well as a stunning showplace.

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