Finding a designer who shares your vision isn’t always easy.

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One Bay Area homeowner found this out the hard way when planning an extensive renovation on her new Spanish-style house. She had shared inspiration photos—most of them from Jake Arnold’s Instagram—with other local interior designers she hired, but their proposals never felt quite right. When she discovered that Jake himself offered design consultations through The Expert, everything changed. She realized that there’s nothing like going straight to the source. “I took the plunge and never looked back,” she says.

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Two years and more than 12 virtual consultations later, the home she shares with her husband and three-month-old is even better than she could have imagined. “I basically wanted to copy and paste one of Jake's designs on my home,” the client says. “But what I love about Jake is that he doesn’t just replicate his designs—he really makes it yours.”

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The elements the client loves about Jake’s signature style—mixed, organic textures, warm, inviting colors, and special vintage finds—translated perfectly in her bright California home. Using her own contractors for the renovation and The Expert’s Sales team to oversee all decor and furnishing customizations, from trade-only furniture to custom drapery, this client brought her vision to life.

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Making the Most of Materials

The client had plenty of inspiration references, but Jake helped her personalize them for her own home. For instance, she knew she wanted her bathroom to make a statement with Arabescato marble, but was torn about the best way to use it. “I really didn't know how to go about it without it looking cheesy or redundant,” she says.

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Jake suggested wrapping the marble around the vanity mirrors and installing it halfway up the wall, behind the freestanding tub. “It’s very cool and curated,” she says. Brass sconces with linen lampshades and an undulating fabric pendant light over the tub added an ideal material contrast, which the client says created a “soft look with a big impact.”

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Capturing the Right Balance

The young family wanted their space to feel curated and personal, yet lived in and comfortable. “The browns and earthy tones that Jake uses are my favorite—it’s such a vibe,” she says. “But I also wanted to keep the space light and bright.” Jake originally suggested darker, patterned drapes, but the client asked for a lighter option. With the help of The Expert’s team of professionals, she got custom neutral drapery that added warmth and texture to the entire house, while keeping things airy.

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Comfort was also key throughout the home, but it was important that the design still look elevated. In the family room, a large, deep linen sectional is easy to “fall into,” the client says, while a vintage-inspired mohair sofa in the living room offers a comfortable, yet slightly more tailored seating option. In both rooms, Jake suggested open box fireplaces to give a cozy feel.

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Sourcing the Perfect Pieces

Using Jake's recommendations from the consultations, The Expert’s team ordered virtually every piece of furniture recommended for the home, tapping their broad network of trade-only resources to give the client an all-encompassing experience. “It really was one of the easiest, smoothest processes ever,” the client says.

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The bedroom was inspired by a photo she saved from Jake’s Instagram, which featured a green daybed. “I was really looking for something of that nature,” she says. But Jake insisted: “We're going to curate something specifically for you so that we don't just copycat things.” The resulting seating area, with its mossy velvet sofa, nubby-textured armchairs, and rough-hewn coffee table evoked the client’s reference photo, but felt unique to her home.

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The couple also knew they wanted plenty of seating for entertaining family in their dining room, and with Jake’s help, they landed on a space that has a perfect mix of textures: Wicker-wrapped chairs and a vintage pendant light give the space a coastal feel, while more brutalist Rose Tarlow sconces add an interesting contrast.

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Keeping an Eye for Detail

Throughout the home, small moments work together to have a greater impact—like the bathroom vanity’s cafe curtain. “It seems like such an insignificant detail, but it really is so beautiful,” the client says. “I have an eye for things that are beautiful, but I don’t always know how to recreate them.” Jake helped translate her mood boards into reality, while taking the initial inspiration to the next level.

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With The Expert’s care and vision, the client’s dream home became reality. “I really have to pinch myself,” she says. “It’s literally exactly what I wanted.”

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Want the Jake Arnold look? Book a 1-1 consultation to get personalized design advice or shop his Showroom.

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