Clara Jung’s proudest achievement as an interior designer is the interest she’s garnered in her signature style.

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After a decade of running Banner Day Interiors, clients consistently seek out her colorful, whimsical blend of traditional and mid-century aesthetics. “In the last several years, it's been pretty amazing to get more and more homeowners excited about my brand of color and pattern, instead of having to conform to inspiration photos from other designers,” she explains. “That's a huge win.”

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Clara has earned this level of creative freedom despite having no formal design training. She attended law school and spent five years in corporate litigation before pivoting to interiors. But she’s been steadily working towards carte blanche clients ever since she made the switch—and it’s clearly paid off. “The longer you're in the game, the more appreciated you are,” she says. “You get closer to finding people who come to you because they see your very best work and want more of that.”

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Here, Clara shares some of the secrets behind her success, from her signature design move to the element that every great kitchen needs.

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My signature design move

Wallpaper. It's transformative and, for the most part, cost-effective. You don't need $30,000 original artwork—wallcoverings often do the trick. I work on many historically significant homes, but I also design early aughts tract homes where wallpaper can do wonders. It's an amazing design tool that can be used over and over. I often get asked: ‘Can you use wallpaper in multiple rooms?’ I'm like: ‘Of course.’ I don't think there should be a limit.

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The architectural style that inspires me most

I love the Victorian era. So many of our projects take place in San Francisco Victorian or Edwardian homes. I also have a handful of Italianate homes in the East Bay. Banner Day is known for having a deft hand in mixing architectural details with more contemporary furnishings, which realizes some special spaces in the end.

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My best small-space design trick

People often associate small spaces with small furniture—I think that is a fallacy. Instead, it often feels very cluttered. Small spaces need larger pieces, but fewer of them. It's more about the appropriate closed-storage pieces and the right amount of seating. You shouldn’t just stuff a studio apartment with a bunch of little things.

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I’m dying for a client to request

I would love to do a full, real library with a ton of millwork. As an English major, it's a dream that I can't realize in my own home, so it'd be lovely to do it in somebody else's.

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One thing that should always be made custom

Kitchen cabinetry. The kitchen is the heart of the home and the space where people spend the most time. Custom cabinetry pays dividends. It’s unmatched when it comes to aesthetics and functionality. It upgrades your general lifestyle. It's definitely something you should save up for if the budget allows.

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The most underrated material I love to use

Most of our clients have children, pets, or both, so we love performance fabrics. You can bring in more delicate finishes with throw pillows, but we try to stick to more hardwearing textiles for all seating upholstery. The selection out there has improved in leaps and bounds. I've seen a plethora of offerings come up in the last five years because the industry is reacting to a very high need.

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A no-fail piece that everyone needs

I'm a huge advocate for good artwork. Even really strong prints can be transformative. If my house was on fire, I would take the small art collection I've been building. They're not necessarily the most expensive pieces, but they’re the most meaningful to me. It's fun to watch my daughter look at the artwork and talk about it. I have core memories of the art my parents had, too. I think that's pretty awesome.

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The colors I’m loving right now

I’ve been using a lot of green lately. Blue seems to be the gateway drug to color for a lot of people, so I am so sick of blue. After blue, green is the easiest to be persuasive about. We're on our third or fourth green kitchen and they're all different shades. It's such a great color and there are so many ways to go about it. Another favorite hue is yellow, but it's harder to sell to people.

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Every great kitchen needs

Layers of lighting. People become heavily reliant on recessed lights, but we try to include at least four types in a kitchen. We have under-shelf lighting, sconces, pendants, and recessed lights. They all serve different purposes. People tell me, ‘We don't need the sconces.’ And I’m like, ‘You will, trust me.’ You can't just focus on the one time a day you're chopping vegetables.

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Best dilemma I’ve been asked to solve in an Expert consultation

People always want to save space, especially in the kitchen. It has come up several times that someone can't fit seating at the island. Or can’t fit an island at all. People don't realize a banquette is the ultimate space saver because you're pushing seating against one wall. I love implementing a banquette as a space-saving solution.

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The last thing I bought for my home

For my Sea Ranch home, I bought a coffee table from a local maker. It has a live edge. It's kind of brutalist, it's rustic, but it's also extremely refined. It's a good balance of what I view as the Northern California coastal aesthetic. It completes the space really well.

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The place I can’t wait to go back to

I went on a trip to Japan last fall. That was my second time there and I cannot wait to go back. It's very inspiring. The way they view interiors is very special. I don't think I even scratched the surface because I was with my family. I can’t wait to go back for more of a design-oriented trip.

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At home, you’ll most often find me

In the kitchen that opens up into a banquette area. It's often me, my husband, and our daughter cooking, eating, or playing around there. We love food. It's not uncommon that while we're cooking, she's on a little kid ladder helping us make dinner.

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What’s next

I'm wrapping up a personal project. I purchased a Sea Ranch home that hadn't been touched since it was first built in 1972. We are finishing renovations and planning a shoot for the fall. It’s exciting and feels like a pretty big deal to have my own project with no true client and complete freedom of expression.