Patterns at Play at a Scotts Valley Home

When Stacey Costello and her husband, Brian, made a decision to update from their little bungalow, they found a easy tract home that has been an ideal canvas for adapting to their lifestyle. “It was size at first sight,” says Stacey. “The inside was like a mansion for us. It was a simple tract home, but we knew we can do everything to make it our own.”

They worked together to redesign and personalize almost every aspect of their house since then — such as all the surfaces, the light, the flooring and the facade. Now their house is a unique and gorgeous addition to their neighborhood and a real manifestation of the loved ones.

in a Glance
Who lives here: Stacey and Brian Costello, son Patrick and dogs Ruby and Coco
Location: Scotts Valley, California
Size: 2,400 square feet; 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, office

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“I stuck to three to four colors to keep it calm and easy,” Stacey says. “I mainly use greens, whites, creams and chocolates.” She loves how the neutral tones and white walls set the scene due to her decor, furniture and art.

Nearly all paint throughout the house is custom-mixed Benjamin Moore.

Leather seat: Crate & Barrel

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Stacey is a interior designer, so her home frequently ends up being a style lab to test potential ideas for her customers — she consistently has more custom throw pillows than necessary. She rearranges them frequently and plays different color combinations, designs and fabrics.

The coffee table is a family heirloom dining room table that has been cut with her grandfather.

Sofas: Restoration Hardware; ceiling light: classic mercury glass

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The kitchen “was such a labour of love. I simply love being in here,” she says. The couple changed every detail in this area: flooring, cabinets, lighting, appliances and window treatments. The color of the backsplash tile has been custom created by Sonoma Tilemakers.

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This is where her family gathers and hangs out often. “I am big on eating every meal along with a family,” she says.

Though she loves her cabinets, Stacey plans to eventually repaint them white.

Light fixture: Urban Electric

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A daring purple wall color and an artful display of styled Manolo Blahnik shoe prints make for a stunning statement from the downstairs powder room. Stacey also made the shower curtains with two picture materials.

Paint color: Bonne Nuit, Benjamin Moore

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The formal living area doubles as a dining room and entertaining area, and will be home to Stacey’s selection of serving pieces and collectibles. She had this hutch custom built for the distance.

Stacey refinished and handpainted the dining table, including custom slip covers for the seats. For a better transition to the living room seating area, she uses a backless seat as seating.

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Stacey instantly fell in love with this collection of classic French patio seats in a store in Mill Valley, California. After arriving home, she could not quit considering the set, so she called the store in hopes of purchasing it, only to find out it was marketed.

As luck would have it, it was her husband who purchased the seats and was planning to give them as a present. “Brian knew I’d call the store asking for them, and made sure that the employee didn’t inform me he’d bought them,” Stacey says.

Floor light: Saffron and Genevieve

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Stacey loves the accumulated, layered look. She is inspired by a Really feminine and somewhat French aesthetic, and by designers like Mary McDonald, Jan Showers, Charlotte Moss and Susan Kasler.

This faux fireplace in the living area was passed to Stacey from her grandma. It was added here specifically to exhibit the mirror.

Coffee table: Craigslist

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The living room sofa is a custom upholstered piece by Lee Industries, decorated with throw pillows designed by Stacey.

In the formal living area and the family area, classic shutters found at a store in Los Gatos, California, add architectural interest.

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Custom rug lining on the staircase gives the household dogs more grip on the flooring.

This seat on the staircase is a reupholstered family heirloom. Stacey’s father built the shelving unit, and it is currently home to a selection of antiques.

Art: Cary Nowell

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Stacey altered the upstairs landing to a workspace for her style company. The office area is covered with personal sources of inspiration and unique artwork.

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This dresser on the staircase landing was Stacey’s first classic purchase. She purchased it for $99 when she was 16, and it’s moved with her to each new home.

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Stacey’s workspace leads to one of the bedrooms, which functions as an additional work area for the arts and crafts.

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“My son, Patrick, wanted his room for a ‘gentleman’s room,” Stacey says. Keeping this in mind, she made with darker brown and grey colors, aiming for a more complicated but still young aesthetic.

Shannon Malone

Stacey picked a dark blue hue for Patrick’s upstairs bath, giving the space a more masculine feel. She made custom-made curtains, additional accumulated decor and changed out the mirror.

Paint: Newburyport Blue, Benjamin Moore

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Stacey chose neutral colors and a unisex decor for the master bedroom. The mattress is made of walnut with a custom made and a custom-designed canopy. She had the small tufted seat made for their dogs to enjoy.

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The couple gutted the master bath, raising the bathtub size and the shower area. They installed custom cabinets and tile, and also an integrated medication cupboard disguised as a wall mounted mirror.

Tile: Sonoma Tilemakers; stool: Wisteria

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Stacey brought her decorating technique for her garden, too. “I layered all the plants and decor to provide it more privacy,” she says.

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Brian wanted the outside of their house to have an appearance that was similar to that which he watched growing up on the East Coast. The couple additional shingled siding, larger columns, a custom made door and an overhang above the door.

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The Costellos’ two dogs, Ruby and Coco (here with Stacey) are a big part of the family members and provide a warm welcome to all their visitors.

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