15 Minutes with Jeff Schlarb
Author:Lindsey ShookExuberant is the perfect word for describing Bay Area-based designer Jeff Schlarb—whose work is a direct extension of his lively, magnetic personality. His studio’s colorful confections are fun, fearless and full of unexpected twists. We caught up with Schlarb to uncover what drives his success and what lies ahead.
With over 20 years in the industry, you have successfully managed an interior design firm parallel to a staging business. Why did you choose to do both? I’ve been in the design business for 24 years, and it’s truly my life. At the core of everything we do is a simple philosophy: Take care of people, and the rest takes care of itself. That pertains to our clients, of course, but just as importantly to the teammates and collaborators who help bring the work to life. We continue to run both businesses because we have strong leaders for each, the clients are fantastic and the work is deeply fulfilling. While there isn’t a lot of crossover, both disciplines do share a common artistic foundation, and the balance between it all continues to work beautifully.
How does living in San Francisco influence your aesthetic? The mix of San Francisco’s layered architectural history throughout downtown, paired with the international influence of friends and cultures from around the world, has a profound influence on my aesthetic. The city’s constant innovation—economically, culturally and creatively—means that new is always happening (much like in design itself ), yet it also never loses sight of its past. As a design studio, we take a long-arc view of what’s emerging, prioritizing work that is current, substantive and enduring. Our goal is design that feels relevant today and is still compelling years from now. That balance between historic beauty and an ever-evolving world is what defines San Francisco and I’m fully in, forever!
In a sea of neutral interiors, your vibrant perspective stands out. Do clients hire you for this or do you convince them to make more bold choices? We’ve learned that pushing someone toward a decision they’re uncomfortable with never results in a home that truly feels like theirs. When clients first meet us, we talk about the big-picture vision of what they are looking for. Sometimes that means neutral, tonal and restrained, and honestly, we’ve been doing more of that in the past couple of years than ever before. Keep an eye out—you’ll see plenty of it in our upcoming published work too! Even with a quieter palette, the spaces remain detailed, artistic and deeply personal. And when clients want to be bold, they already see that energy in our work. Some people simply crave vibrancy, and they know they’re in good hands with our studio wherever they’re ready to go.
You recently launched a furniture collection. What has been the biggest takeaway from creating your own line? The biggest lesson has been having the courage and discipline to curate. We’ve designed and customized pieces for years, but distilling those ideas into a cohesive line required slowing down and being selective. As we’ve very slowly rolled it all out, we’ve learned to identify the strongest pieces and then design complementary ones that share a clear through line. There is a famous quote I take to heart, “Slowly is the fastest way to get where you want to be.” It’s about getting the curation, production and quality right so we can remain proud of the work every single day.
