My Houzz: California Rental Full of Color and Charm
A designer layers textures, patterns and inherited treasures to create a cozy home
Julianne Francis moved into this rental in a Menlo Park, California, fourplex three years ago and immediately wanted to add her own personality to it. She put up shades, mounted a light in the living room and added a much-needed shelf in the kitchen. Each change has made it feel less like a rental, she says. Another change has been in her career. She is taking a step back from her personalized stationery business to pursue interior design and staging, practicing her skills in her cozy apartment.
Inside the front door, an antique entry table from her mom sits snugly in what was once a closet. Francis wanted a landing space more than a coat closet, so before she moved in she asked the landlord to remove the closet door while the rental was being painted. “I think it’s important to have somewhere to throw your keys when you walk in the door so they are always in the same place,” she says.
She added hooks along the wall behind the front door for people to hang their coats instead of having a traditional coat closet. They can grab their coats on the go, and it’s convenient for guests, she says.
Below the table, Francis stacks her brimmed hat collection. “I’m a fan of brimmed hats, but they are so hard to store. They take up so much space!” she says. This storage spot, while perfect now, was a happy accident. She used to hang the hats on the hooks behind the door, but her fiance needed the hooks for his coats, so he tossed the hats below the table. And there they have been ever since.
She added hooks along the wall behind the front door for people to hang their coats instead of having a traditional coat closet. They can grab their coats on the go, and it’s convenient for guests, she says.
Below the table, Francis stacks her brimmed hat collection. “I’m a fan of brimmed hats, but they are so hard to store. They take up so much space!” she says. This storage spot, while perfect now, was a happy accident. She used to hang the hats on the hooks behind the door, but her fiance needed the hooks for his coats, so he tossed the hats below the table. And there they have been ever since.
On top of the entry table, Francis has her key-keeping bowl and fresh flowers that greet everyone who enters.
Chandeliers dangle in view but they do not provide light. They serve as a decorative element, framing the space and adding interest. Illumination comes from the overhead flush-mount light.
Chandeliers: Pottery Barn; wall art: Afterwards, a Menlo Park consignment store; vintage seltzer bottles: Alameda Point Antiques Faire
Chandeliers dangle in view but they do not provide light. They serve as a decorative element, framing the space and adding interest. Illumination comes from the overhead flush-mount light.
Chandeliers: Pottery Barn; wall art: Afterwards, a Menlo Park consignment store; vintage seltzer bottles: Alameda Point Antiques Faire
Francis’ belongings — both new and passed down — work together to create what she calls a traditional boho style. Layered rugs in the living room add texture. “I don’t like everything being one note,” she says. She added a cowhide rug on top because it adds an organic shape to the room.
Francis picked up the coffee table from Pottery Barn. She has many items from the store because she used to be an assistant buyer for the company. This gave her access to Pottery Barn sample sales. On top of the table is a bowl to keep things organized. It’s been known to hold her fiance’s keys and wallets.
The couch is a hand-me-down from her mom. While she’d love to replace it, that hasn’t happened yet. Instead, she arranges pillows along the back cushions. “Pillows are a great way to update any piece of furniture,” she says.
Before she moved in, the living room didn’t have any overhead lighting. She solved that by getting a large, spherical light with a long cord. She plugged it into the closet outlet and ran the cord up the wall and onto the ceiling. She then attached the light to the ceiling so it hangs above the coffee table. In the closet, she installed a light Super Switch, which is a device that you can plug into an outlet and control with a remote.
Diamond-patterned rug: H.D. Buttercup; cowhide rug: Sunland Home Decor; coffee table bowl: HomeGoods; light fixture: Cost Plus World Market
Francis picked up the coffee table from Pottery Barn. She has many items from the store because she used to be an assistant buyer for the company. This gave her access to Pottery Barn sample sales. On top of the table is a bowl to keep things organized. It’s been known to hold her fiance’s keys and wallets.
The couch is a hand-me-down from her mom. While she’d love to replace it, that hasn’t happened yet. Instead, she arranges pillows along the back cushions. “Pillows are a great way to update any piece of furniture,” she says.
Before she moved in, the living room didn’t have any overhead lighting. She solved that by getting a large, spherical light with a long cord. She plugged it into the closet outlet and ran the cord up the wall and onto the ceiling. She then attached the light to the ceiling so it hangs above the coffee table. In the closet, she installed a light Super Switch, which is a device that you can plug into an outlet and control with a remote.
Diamond-patterned rug: H.D. Buttercup; cowhide rug: Sunland Home Decor; coffee table bowl: HomeGoods; light fixture: Cost Plus World Market
The window treatments reflect Francis’ style and desire to make the rental feel more like home. She framed the front window with long curtain panels. On the other wall, she added Roman curtains because there wasn’t room for long curtains behind the couch.
“Curtains make the room feel less sterile,” she says.
“Curtains make the room feel less sterile,” she says.
A tall shelf in the corner serves multiple purposes. From the top down you’ll find decor, a bar area, a record player, records, books and a souvenir vase from Italy.
A shelf of the bookcase made for the perfect bar. “We didn’t have room in the place for a traditional bar cart,” she says. A tray keeps the bottles organized and in place.
The couple can easily find a record and pop it onto the player. They use it just about every week to play records by The Rolling Stones, Simon & Garfunkel, Talking Heads and Frank Sinatra from Foley’s dad.
The rest of the bookcase changes with the seasons and allows Francis to practice her styling skills. “No matter what, the circle mirror seems to stay,” she says.
A shelf of the bookcase made for the perfect bar. “We didn’t have room in the place for a traditional bar cart,” she says. A tray keeps the bottles organized and in place.
The couple can easily find a record and pop it onto the player. They use it just about every week to play records by The Rolling Stones, Simon & Garfunkel, Talking Heads and Frank Sinatra from Foley’s dad.
The rest of the bookcase changes with the seasons and allows Francis to practice her styling skills. “No matter what, the circle mirror seems to stay,” she says.
To Francis, the blue ikat chairs feel like a neutral element. “I’m someone who loves pattern,” she says. “And these chairs have a traditional silhouette that won’t go out of style.”
She picked these up at a Williams Sonoma sample sale, where she got a great deal on the pair, she says.
The side table came from another sample sale. She topped it with a sale-priced HomeGoods lamp and Pottery Barn lampshade. She got a deal on the lamp because it has a “baby chip” that no one can see from the front, she says. She’s a frequent HomeGoods shopper and always looks for deals on home decor.
A large metal clock leans against the wall behind the chair and side table. She found the clock at the Alameda Point Antiques Faire and knew that she wanted it, even though she wasn’t sure where she would put it. She says it would look great above a mantel, but the nonworking metal clock also serves as a great sculptural piece.
Ikat Patterns: Forgiving and Unforgettable
She picked these up at a Williams Sonoma sample sale, where she got a great deal on the pair, she says.
The side table came from another sample sale. She topped it with a sale-priced HomeGoods lamp and Pottery Barn lampshade. She got a deal on the lamp because it has a “baby chip” that no one can see from the front, she says. She’s a frequent HomeGoods shopper and always looks for deals on home decor.
A large metal clock leans against the wall behind the chair and side table. She found the clock at the Alameda Point Antiques Faire and knew that she wanted it, even though she wasn’t sure where she would put it. She says it would look great above a mantel, but the nonworking metal clock also serves as a great sculptural piece.
Ikat Patterns: Forgiving and Unforgettable
Francis’ home office and the couple’s occasional dining room sits off the living room. This room’s style differs from the rest of the apartment mostly because Francis likes a clean, clutter-free workspace. “My work already provides a lot of stimulus,” she says. “A white desk is like a blank slate.” Her work includes planning interior spaces, staging homes and events, and designing custom stationery.
Like most offices, this one has technology that requires cords. Francis hid the cords by designing the room around the outlets. She keeps the printer on a bookshelf near an outlet and the wires tucked out of sight.
Table and chairs: Ikea; chandelier: Pottery Barn
Like most offices, this one has technology that requires cords. Francis hid the cords by designing the room around the outlets. She keeps the printer on a bookshelf near an outlet and the wires tucked out of sight.
Table and chairs: Ikea; chandelier: Pottery Barn
Francis stashes office supplies in containers big and small. On the desktop, she uses jars to hold her pens, pencils, scissors and rulers. Other objects — including the decorative ribbon holder and the elephant sculpture from her mom — brighten the space.
Ribbon holder: Pottery Barn; wall art: HomeGoods
Ribbon holder: Pottery Barn; wall art: HomeGoods
Francis’ top kitchen dream is to get a dishwasher. Until then, she makes do without one in the small 1940s-era kitchen.
The stove sits out from the wall a few inches, so Francis asked the landlord if she could add a shelf to the wall. “The landlord is great,” she says. “She sees these types of things as overall improvements to the unit.”
The shelf, a wall cubbie with hooks and an end table from a sample sale give the space that much more storage. She can stock the shelf baskets with cooking oils and have fresh fruit at the ready.
The stove sits out from the wall a few inches, so Francis asked the landlord if she could add a shelf to the wall. “The landlord is great,” she says. “She sees these types of things as overall improvements to the unit.”
The shelf, a wall cubbie with hooks and an end table from a sample sale give the space that much more storage. She can stock the shelf baskets with cooking oils and have fresh fruit at the ready.
Francis keeps the textured look from the living room going in the bedroom, such as with the shimmery quilt on the bed and the patterned rug on top of the wood flooring. The patterned pillows, which are made from fabric purchased on a family trip to Mexico, continue the patterns and blue found throughout the rental.
The nightstands and their accessories reflect the people sleeping next to them. “I’m not big on matchy-matchy,” she says. This allowed her to create two nightstand vignettes that have a similar tone but aren’t identical. She has a lamp and a painting from Venice, Italy, on her side. Her fiance doesn’t read at night so he didn’t need a lamp. Instead, he got a plant and decor.
A long bench sits at the foot of the bed. Francis used a fur table runner to cover the wood surface and give it a more cozy feel. She topped it with books and a jewelry box.
Bedding: Pottery Barn
The nightstands and their accessories reflect the people sleeping next to them. “I’m not big on matchy-matchy,” she says. This allowed her to create two nightstand vignettes that have a similar tone but aren’t identical. She has a lamp and a painting from Venice, Italy, on her side. Her fiance doesn’t read at night so he didn’t need a lamp. Instead, he got a plant and decor.
A long bench sits at the foot of the bed. Francis used a fur table runner to cover the wood surface and give it a more cozy feel. She topped it with books and a jewelry box.
Bedding: Pottery Barn
The bathroom, though small, had just enough room for Francis to add a few personal touches, such as the Kurt Ard art.
“I also like to have something living in the bathroom,” she says. An orchid from Rocket Farms in Half Moon Bay, California, sits on top of the toilet.
“I also like to have something living in the bathroom,” she says. An orchid from Rocket Farms in Half Moon Bay, California, sits on top of the toilet.
Even though this isn’t her forever home, she will continue to treat it as her space, changing and redecorating with the seasons.
“My home is my sanctuary,” she says. “It’s also my place of work, so it’s especially important to me that I enjoy being there. In the end, it’s worth putting the time and money into our home, rental or not, to make it a comfortable place to relax and be able to express my creativity.”
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
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“My home is my sanctuary,” she says. “It’s also my place of work, so it’s especially important to me that I enjoy being there. In the end, it’s worth putting the time and money into our home, rental or not, to make it a comfortable place to relax and be able to express my creativity.”
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
Browse more homes by style: Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
Who lives here: Julianne Francis and Patrick Foley
Location: Menlo Park, California
Size: 950 square feet (88 square meters); one bedroom, one bathroom
Year built: 1948
Previously, Francis had lived in a San Francisco house she shared with other young women. She used the move here as an opportunity to get rid of items and start fresh in her own space.
About a year ago, her living arrangement changed again when her fiance, Patrick Foley, moved in. She had to pare back and shift things around a little to make room for him, but he didn’t bring too much into the space, she says.