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A Textural, Family Friendly Reno

Marin County, designer (and IDCO Studio client!) Katie Monkhouse of Katie Monkhouse Interior Design is known for creating effortlessly beautiful spaces that are both polished and practical, and this family home is certainly no exception. As San Francisco natives, Katie’s clients wanted to be able to maintain their city lifestyle while raising their two kids, and it’s safe to say that they’re now certainly enjoying the best of both worlds. Featuring a spacious kitchen, swoon-worthy children’s bedrooms, a sunny living room, and much more, this space captured my attention immediately.

Design: Katie Monhouse Interior Design | Photography: Photos: Stephanie Russo

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Downtown End Table

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Manzanita Vanity

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Swirl Wallpaper

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Bartlett Bar Stool

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James Accent Chair

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Edmund Pendant

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modern wood chandelier

Modern Wooden Chandelier

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Brass Chandelier

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Arlo Lumbar

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DC Dining Chair

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Constantine Bench

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Toli Coffee Table

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Textural family living room by Katie Monkhouse

The Neutral Living Room


An array of neutral hues shine in this welcoming living room, which manages to be both cozy and airy at the same time. Katie skillfully mixes various textures and patterns in the space, artfully combining a checkered rug with playful pillows and drapery. The dazzling fireplace is certainly the pièce de résistance in this space; Katie says it’s actually original to the 1940s home but got a bit of a facelift during the project in the form of a new marble front, but the original plasterwork is still in place. This home has me singing the praises of all-white walls. Benjamin Moore Simply White shines throughout the majority of the house and complements the mantel perfectly. And, since no living room is complete without art, a beautiful abstract work adds visual interest to the wall above the sofa while playing off of the room’s existing hues.

The Cool Casual Kitchen

Sage green is having a major moment right now, and it couldn’t look more wonderful in this kitchen, where it is combined with equally popular terrazzo. The material is definitely trending at the moment, but the reason Katie’s clients loved it is due to the fact that their home features original terrazzo front steps—how cool is that? Katie sourced this terrazzo from Concrete Collaborative in LA. She says that the rest of the color palette came from hues present throughout the neighborhood, including gray-greens, sand tones, blush pink, and earthy terracotta.

Bead board walls bring texture into this minimalistic space, and a built-in dining nook with seating for the whole family and then some is ideal for entertaining. The kitchen cabinets and nickel gap walls are painted in Farrow & Ball Pigeon. Dining chairs and table. Appliances are neatly tucked away behind cabinets—Katie even incorporated some arch-shaped doors into the space, which add yet another contemporary touch. When it came to sourcing backsplash material, Katie went local, purchasing the white tile from Heath Ceramics in the Sausalito. My grandmother shopped at Heath since they opened their doors in 1948, instantly serving nostalgia as I look through this project.

Cool blue modern kitchen in neutral family home by Katie Monkhouse

Stylish Sleep Spaces for the Whole Family

The primary bedroom is rooted in earth tones: a mix of deep greens, beiges, warm tans, and wood, making for the perfect end of day retreat. The luxe headboard runs the length of one of the walls of this room, sharing space with a chic patterned wall covering. Katie selected this headboard design for practical reasons—it camouflages a slope in the wall behind the bed. Inside the primary bathroom, a spacious wooden vanity has plenty of room for beauty products galore. 

Upstairs, Katie designed stunning children’s bedrooms that will stand the test of time. In a young girl’s bedroom, Farrow & Ball Dead Salmon coats three of the four walls. Textural touches, including an oversized throw blanket and a boucle desk chair, add an inviting touch to the space, which by no means appears too kid-like and will grow with its owner. The boy’s room is meant to epitomize California casual, Katie says. She selected the Nordic Knots rug due to its ability to grow with the couple’s son as he gets older.

Luxe Laundry Room

I always love a stylish laundry room, and this one definitely doesn’t disappoint. This space is the first room visitors see as they enter the home through the garage, so it had to make a stellar first impression. Katie hung Schumacher wallpaper and once again brought a bit of terrazzo into the space in the form of checkerboard tile floors. 

Textural family living room by Katie Monkhouse

Favorite books and trinkets pop on a Croft House coffee table.

A working fireplace livens up a corner nook.

The patterned June & Blue rug makes an instant statement.

Cool blue modern kitchen in neutral family home by Katie Monkhouse

The kitchen cabinets and nickel gap walls are painted in Farrow & Ball Pigeon. Dining chairs and table.

Cool blue modern kitchen in neutral family home by Katie Monkhouse

Cool blue modern kitchen in neutral family home by Katie Monkhouse

Neutral family bedroom, moss green textural bedroom design

Neutral family bedroom, moss green textural bedroom design

Neutral family bedroom, moss green textural bedroom design

A very grown up girl’s room with sophisticated, textural bed.

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