MarilynKelvin: Designer Review: San Francisco Designer Katie Martinez

If you’re looking for a designer who has mastered the art of comfort, elegance and sophistication, San Francisco designer Katie Martinez is the gal for you.

The up and coming designer has clients ranging from commercial to residential, including a winery in St. Helena, a 150 year old brownstone in Greenwich Village, and family homes all over the Bay area.

The Greenwich Village remodel caught our eye in particular. Here are some of our favorite style choices we took away from her designs on this particular project:

Make Changes That Make Sense – For YOU

In a world that seems obsessed with knocking down walls to open up spaces, we love that she added a master bedroom and bathroom to the main floor and moved the staircase to divide the addition from the kitchen and living room.

If a space is feeling too cramped, by all means knock a wall down. However, if you’re lacking functionality in your home and have the space don’t be afraid to create rooms or make changes to create a space that works best for you.

Katie Martinez Design Greenwich Village Apartment

Mix Elements

Katie has a talent for skillfully using a mix of elements that most would not think of. Don’t be afraid to mix various types and colors of woods, various metals, and patterns and textiles. Strive for a balance that creates a comfortable space without overloading it.

Katie Martinez Design Greenwich Village Apartment

Create Bright Spaces

Look at any of Katie’s designs and you’ll see bright and airy spaces. She brings out the space of each room by leaving the walls white. Instead of darkening a space, she opts for white cabinets, white marble throughout and white curtains. By doing this in the Greenwich Village brownstone, she created a blank canvas for the other design decisions to shine, such as her mixture of elements and pops of color found in her thoughtful accessories.

Katie Martinez Design Greenwich Village Apartment

Informal Touches

The favorite thing we took away from Katie’s design is the informal details interspersed throughout. These include details such as a whimsical potted plant on a desk corner, a causal vibrant throw across the foot of the bed, and a simple piece of artwork leaned against the wall on the fireplace mantle (versus hanging it there).

Katie Martinez Design Greenwich Village Apartment

Flooring Choices

Leave it to us to notice the flooring choice she used. And we just love it!

Katie used dark, black stained wood flooring. It perfectly balances all of the white walls and decor she used in her design. You can achieve a similar look with the seemingly never-ending options found in the many laminate flooring color options.