Interview with San Francisco Interior Designer Claudia Juestel of Adeeni Design Group

Austrian born, interior designer Claudia Juestel has called San Francisco home for the past 25 years. She is the founder and principal of the Adeeni Design Group, a full–service design firm specializing in residential and small commercial interiors. Adeeni is a Yoruba word meaning “royal people”, which seemed fitting as the firm believes in making your home your castle.

Working in a variety of styles, from traditional to contemporary, from rustic to elegant, it ‘s the firm’s philosophy that designers can break away from a “signature” style and that each home should reflect the homeowners’ individual lifestyles. Despite the variety of styles, a common thread runs through all of Claudia’s projects include her keen sense of color, attention to detail and aim for comfort. Her European upbringing gives her a genuine appreciation for history and a firm belief that a home should not look too “decorated”, but rather as if it has evolved over time. 

Simplified Bee: Claudia your designs are beautiful, inviting and worldly and your clients are thrilled with your work. When did you know you wanted to be an interior designer?

Claudia Juestel: Thank you Cristin.  Oddly enough it took me a long time to realize. I originally wanted to study fashion, but then decided on Fine Arts once I was at school. In addition to sculpture, printmaking and painting I also took classes in photography, illustration, graphic design and fashion, but never an interior design.  Frankly I am not sure why.  After graduation I helped a friends with designing their retail stores and homes. That is when I realized that I really enjoyed the process.  When creating art I often spent weeks and months on a painting or sculpture and some times when a new idea arose I got bored with the old one. Handing over the actual physical work of making the components that go into an interior allowed me to move on to the next idea. I found that more exciting.  At that time I also remembered that as a child I always redecorated my room and moved the furniture around at friends’ house. Also I always drew, but it was mostly drew women in fabulous clothes and shoes as well as interiors.  So a new career was born. 

{image courtesy of Adeeni Design Group and photography by Verité}

SB: Your portfolio is gorgeous and diverse in style. Was it easy for you to avoid a ‘signature’ style?

CJ: Thank you for the kind compliment.  I was not trying to avoid a signature style, as I admire quite a few designers who have a recognizable yet iconic style.  But it happened naturally as a result of me getting easily bored with doing the same thing.  I get most inspired by my clients and their personalities.  So even if they would all live in identical houses each would look very different.  I often say that “I build stage sets for people’s lives”.  If those stage sets are built on great architecture and for a collaborative client we definitely have a winner.  Plus the more I get to know a client, each time I travel to a new place, or see a great movie, or commune with nature, or get familiar with a special artist or craftsmen, on all those occasion I find inspiration that keep my design new and fresh.

SB: Do you have “go to” paint colors? If so, which ones?

CJ: I generally veer towards warm colors for homes in the Bay Area since we have such cool light. I love bringing color into an interior, but always mute down the rich colors with some brown mixed in.  I mix a lot of my own paint colors, because amongst the million shades to choose from some times it just needs to be few tones different. I love the combination of warm and cool tones. My home pairs chartreuse green, chocolate and copper with Robin’s egg blue.  When clients want a crisp white for the trim to go with the warm walls I choose “Whisper” (DEW 340) from Dunn-Edwards {shown in dining room trim and cabinets above} or “Atrium White” from Benjamin Moore for their subtle warm yellow undertone. 

{image courtesy of Adeeni Design Group and photography by Cesar Rubio}

SB: Some of your designs showcase beautiful antiques and vintage furnishings. Would you share some of your favorite resources?

CJ: love mixing humble furnishings and objects with more valuable pieces. I feel that it make an interior more approachable and down to earth. So I frequent flea markets around the country. When it comes to dealers it really depends on the budget. Candace Barnes, Therien and Epoca are great local sources for traditional pieces and Coup d’Etat, Sarlo and Robollo for later designs. 

{image courtesy of Adeeni Design Group and photography by Cesar Rubio}

SB: Who are your favorite designers?

CJ: As with most things, music, fashion, food I also have a variety of favorite designers. Of course I admire the early female designers such as Elsie de Wolfe for bringing America out of the dark Victorian ages, Dorothy Draper for her boldness, Frances Elkins for combining American styles with European classical styles, and most of all Syrie Maugham for her glamorous and light approach.  Coco Chanel would have made a great interior designer, but what would the world have been without her impact on fashion.  I love Jean Michel Frank’s choice of materials and furniture designs are simply divine. I also love Tony Duquette because he was not only a most versatile artist and designer but also because while he was very over the top he also saw beauty in the most humble things.  My favorite contemporary designers are many too.  Alberto Pinto, Muriel Brandolini and Jacques Garcia do exotic so well. Axel Vervoordt, John Saladino and Vicente Wolf create my kind of minimalism. Bunny Williams designs the most livable homes. Jean-Louis Deniot put the fresh in French.  Too many?  Well, if I don’t have a signature style I guess I can’t have just a couple of favorite designers, right? 

{image courtesy of Adeeni Design Group}

SB: Which of today’s interior design trends are here to stay and which ones will we see fade away?

CJ: really don’t pay much attention to trends. Clients spend a lot of money to have their homes designed, so the design has to stand the test of time.  A perfect example is Dodie Rosekrans’ home in San Francisco. It was designed by Michael Taylor in the ‘70s, and it still looks current.  Plus the stack of design magazines I have not yet read is taller than me.  By the time I catch on to a trend it will be over.

{image courtesy of Adeeni Design Group and photography by Cesar Rubio}

SB: What are you favorite design magazines, books or blogs?

CJ: I subscribe to almost all design magazine, hence the big stack.  My very favorite is World of Interiors.

SB: What is your favorite room in your house and why?

CJ: Perhaps my dining room. I love to cook and entertain, and although the room is tiny I have the fondest memories of amazing dinners with wonderful guests.

In addition to designing, Claudia edits the blog Adeeni Design Blog and is the architecture and design editor for SFLuxe and Reside. She covers what’s happening in the San Francisco Bay Area and interviews icons of design and arbiters of style in the series, “Tea With Claudia”. Clearly Claudia has a lot on her plate, but does it all with elegant style and a keen eye for detail.

Thank you Claudia for your time and for sharing images of your beautiful portfolio. We look forward to see what you do next!