While the majority of the Silicon Valley population is hustling and bustling in order to create the latest and greatest technology, Linda Sullivan spends her time sharing her invaluable expertise in the arena of interior design. The Bay Area native, and Principal at Sullivan Design Studios in Menlo Park, brings over twenty seven-years of expertise to the design world, working with internationally and regionally acclaimed architecture firms including Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, IA Interior Architects and Studio O+A. Most notably, Sullivan is responsible for the renovation of the historic Palace Hotel in San Francisco, in addition to contributing to the headquarters of both Levi’s and Williams-Sonoma.

 

Sullivan has created such a respected name for herself over the years, she is often refererred to as the “client whisperer” based on her extensive tactical knowledge and ability to interpret and translate her clientele’s needs. It is Sullivan’s astute strength in this capacity, on top of having stellar style when it comes to cool, calm and aesthetically pleasing design.

 

One of Sullivan’s recent projects, Peaceful Hillview in Portola Valley. 

 

Here, Sullivan shares her Silicon Valley favorite design spots to shop: 

 

Menlo Hardwoods, Menlo Park 

 

Menlo Hardwoods in downtown Menlo Park is a beautiful showroom with a myriad of sustainable hardwoods that make spectacular one-of-a kind dining or occasional tables. The owners are warm, friendly and if they don’t have exactly what we are looking for, they will gladly make it.

 

Cisco Home, Palo Alto

 

Located in the upscale Town & Country shopping center directly across from Stanford University, Cisco Home’s larger store is in San Francisco, but because of the proximity to most of our clients in the area, this is one of our go-to showrooms for comfortable luxury. They offer eco-friendly alternative options for our more sustainable projects, and the salespeople are incredibly knowledgable. The showroom looks like a place you’d want to hang out at all day, grab a remote and sink comfortably into one of their luxurious sofas or chairs.

 

Ladera Garden and Gifts, Portola Valley

 

This is one of those places you feel you’ve struck gold once you have discovered it tucked away off of Alpine Road in rural Portola Valley. They have just about every plant you can imagine, and the friendly owners do a fantastic job of sourcing one-of-a kind beautiful containers. This is a great resource when we are putting the final touches on a home or getting it ready for photography.

 

Ruby Living, Menlo Park

    

Ruby Living is how you would like your entire home to look like. Their sister store in the San Francisco offers similar items, but we like that this showroom is walking distance from our office, and most importantly close to our client’s homes. They carry beautiful sofas, coffee tables, chairs, light fixtures, art, mirrors and accessories. If we don’t have time to make it to the city, this is one of our first go-to places to take our clients.

 

The Shoppe at Menloville, Menlo Park  

 

The Shoppe at Menloville reminds me of something one would find in a rural countryside residential setting. They carry plants, gifts, candles, mirrors, and handmade jewelry. It was recently remodeled, and the owner Lisa Lovazzano is friendly and passionate about her store, especially her custom made succulent arrangements for indoor and outdoor containers and walls, which are simply stunning.