Amanda Teal Design Reimagines This Portola Valley Home For A Family Of Five

By Michael McCarthy By Michael McCarthy | March 13, 2025 | Home & Real Estate, Feature,

A Portola Valley couple with three children reveals how to transform a home by marrying endless style and fun.

Designer Amanda Teal and her team established a seamless flow among all of the rooms, including a dining area that includes an antique Mahal rug from Tony Kitz Gallery, a table from O&G Studio and chairs from Interior Define.

THE PROJECT

Sometimes, the best homes lose their groove. A couple with three kids in Portola Valley loved their location and the house’s old bones, but they knew its low ceilings and choppy room-to-room flow had to go. The 3,500-square-foot home required a complete renovation and redesign.

THE TEAM

The couple selected Amanda Teal, founder of Menlo Park-based Amanda Teal Design (@amandateal), for the ambitious project. “We bring spaces to life by way of thoughtful intention derived from the individual narratives of each client,” says Teal, who works closely with clients. “Our interiors have a sophisticated informality to them, and each project speaks to an elevated yet relaxed perspective. Always evoking that quintessential Californian spirit, our body of work is rooted in classicism with a discerning eye for clean, modern lines.”

Teal says her mission is to create beauty and believes that living spaces profoundly impact all aspects of well-being. “Design is transformational. It should change the way you feel—for the better.” “This is an active family of five that is very involved in the local community,” she says. “The children are all passionate about sports and are always on the go.”

A range and a custom plaster hood serve as focal points in the kitchen, which boasts warm white colors for the tile and cabinetry.

THE STRATEGY

Ana Williamson Architects (awarchitect.com) addressed the home’s odd design, which included small rooms with steps leading to main living spaces. Her team elevated the ceiling heights, unified the home by leveling it onto a single plane and introduced thoughtful details, such as expansive glass doors in the great room that seamlessly connect the indoor and outdoor living spaces.

From there, Teal redesigned the great room, kitchen, mudroom, laundry and offices, creating smoother transitions from one space to the next.

GREAT ROOM

The area, which encompasses the kitchen, dining and living rooms, is where the family spends most of its time. “Modern living dictates that there is rarely a distinction between formal and informal areas of the home anymore,” says Teal. “So it was imperative that this area be elegant enough for entertaining but also approachable enough to function well and handle the wear and tear of daily use by an active family of five and their friends.”

The fireplace and surrounding built-ins serve as the living room’s centerpiece, creating a focal point and gathering space for the family. The built-in cabinets add warmth with rich wood grain and paneled detailing, while the lower shelves accommodate the family’s beloved record player. A cozy daybed has become a coveted spot, often sparking friendly competition among the children during family movie nights.

Standout pieces include a daybed from Lawson-Fenning (lawsonfenning.com), built-in sconces from Allied Maker (alliedmaker.com), a sofa from Patricia Edwards (patriciaedwards.com) and a fireplace mantel custom crafted with quartzite from Da Vinci Marble (davincimarble.com).

The fireplace and surrounding built-ins—perfect for books, bowls and beautiful ephemera—serve as the living room’s centerpiece. It’s a perfect gathering space.

KITCHEN

“The kitchen anchors one end of the great room, with a range and a custom plaster hood as the focal point,” explains Teal. “We decided to paint the perimeter cabinets a warm white for cohesion around the entire great room, while the oak island is a grounding warm wood finish in the kitchen space.”

Natural materials like marble countertops, handblown glass pendant lights and mixing metal finishes on the plumbing and cabinet hardware add layers of texture. Teal’s team incorporated glass pendants from Rose Uniacke (roseuniacke.com), fixtures from Kallista (kallista.com), sconces from Allied Maker and counter stools from 1st Dibs (1stdibs.com).

The kitchen features natural materials like marble countertops and handblown glass pendants from Rose Uniacke.

DINING ROOM

Teal notes that open floor plans can be tricky because they often leave dining rooms floating between two critical spaces. For the dining room, the designer wanted to give the couple a place to host formal dinners and still be casual enough for family meals.

“We decided to define that area with an antique Mahal rug from Tony Kitz Gallery (tonykitzgallery.com),” she says. “The additional warm wood finishes in the table and chairs and a chandelier with delicate bronze arms punctuate the space.” The room comes together beautifully with a table from O&G Studio (oandgstudio.com), chairs from Interior Define (interiordefine.com) and a chandelier from Urban Electric (urbanelectric.com).

MUDROOM

“For any of us who have children and dogs, we know how luxurious it is to have a mudroom!” says Teal, who designed this space to be home’s workhorse. “We pulled warm wood from other areas of the house in the bench top—it’s beautiful and more durable than a painted top. Rows of hooks provide space for backpacks, sports gear and winter jackets, while baskets keep shoes tucked away. Overhead closed storage offers a convenient place to stow items that don’t need to be on display every day.

The gorgeous foyer offers plenty of natural light and hints of the beauty found throughout the completely renovated and reimagined home.

HOW THE HOME IS LIVING

“The couple are now lifelong clients and friends,” says Teal. “We worked closely with them and Ana Williamson throughout the project. They knew every detail, large and small, going into the home. But when they finally saw the big reveal, they weren’t surprised it was beautiful, but they were surprised how much the home elevated their quality of life and well-being. That’s the biggest compliment we could ever receive. Mission accomplished.”

A new mudroom serves as a functional space for the busy family of five.