**Four One Nine**
Síol Studios
San Francisco, California

Tell us about some of your experiences that have shaped your work and brought you to this point in your careers at Síol.

Jessica: I have a teaching background, and that kind of person-to-person interaction overlaps with a lot of what we do. I came to interior design as a second career and learned through hands-on experience, which I am grateful for. I find that my experiences as a teacher and as a Peace Corps volunteer have been directly applicable to our work, especially running a team.

Robo: A lot of my early design experience came from liking to fix things, specifically cars, and making a building is kind of the ultimate ‘fix it.’
Kevin: I have an interest in philosophy, especially holism, and weave it into how I think about design. I’m also interested in the connection to nature, which I think goes for all of us, as well as the mind-body connection.

How did this partnership form and what was your vision then, and now?

Kevin: We were interested in integrated design, and we also had problems with how architecture was practiced, generally in a not holistic way. We thought it was detrimental to design when you don’t have a coherent narrative.

Jessica: Kevin and I came together around a shared philosophy of what good design could do for people. It was very conceptual and rooted in our experiences working at firms that didn’t approach projects from a holistic point of view. Shortly after we started the firm, Robo joined the team, and his practical and meticulous approach to design stabilized that and helped us grow.

Describe your firm’s relation to the Gaelic word Síol and how that connects to authenticity, potentiality, and balance via your design process.

Kevin: For us, authenticity is about transparency, both with our clients and with ourselves and our team.

Jessica: We see the concept of Síol as emblematic of growth and the idea of connecting to something essential, the core element of a project that is born from the site and the clients’ aspirations. When we think of our projects as seeds, we want to look at it and nurture it into what it’s supposed to be.

Expand on your integrative approach and how it’s multidisciplinary. Why is this so important in your designs?

Jessica: Our integrative approach, meaning we think of every element of a project as a part of a cohesive whole, creates projects that just have a different feel to them. There is something holding them together, allowing them to read as one. You can feel that when you walk in.
Kevin: It’s the dialogue between architecture, interior design, and landscape, that allows us to create connectivity between all of the different parts of a project.

Robo: All of the disciplines are working toward the same goals, together— that’s what allows each project to work well as a whole.

**18th Street**
Síol Studios
San Francisco, California

Tell us more about some of your architecture, interiors, and landscape projects. Which have been standouts over the years?

Jessica: The 18th Street loft was a great experience. That was a project where in the process of listening to the client’s needs, we figured out that we needed to totally flip the plan. It was completely unexpected for the client, but it really worked.

Genesee, a home in L.A., was the first project where we really went fully interdisciplinary. From landscape, to architecture, to interiors, to objects that are used daily, even toothbrushes—we set up the home in its entirety. That level of care is something that our clients, who have really busy lives, find really helpful.

I had a conversation with the client for Genesee last week, and she was just so happy. The house is the best version of an exterior skin that she’s got, and it was great to see her so happy there.

Your process with clients sounds collaborative. What makes an ideal client?

Robo: We’ve had pretty good experiences with clients who really wanted to work with us and sought us out. The experience of an architect who just pushes through what they want doesn’t seem to exist anymore. At the same time, we’ve been blessed with the good fortune to work with clients who want to work with us and want to hear our thoughts and our experience and participate in our process.

Tell us more about some of your residential projects, and current projects underway. What is exciting your team now?

Jessica: We have a few projects in less urban places: Montecito, Bolinas, Point Reyes. They’re a lot more connected to nature than other projects we’ve had.

Kevin: We’re finally getting to express ourselves outside of a twenty-foot-wide lot. We can explore more than ever before.

**Valley Street**
Síol Studios
San Francisco, California

**Rhode Island Residence**
Síol Studios
San Francisco, California

You provide a concierge service – can you explain that offering?

Kevin: As designers and architects, we are best poised to take care of the space after it’s done. It’s much easier for us to make certain decisions post-occupancy. We are in service to our clients.
Jessica: We also have a Rolodex of really trusted people, from consultants to subcontractors, that we can call on. Homes need maintenance, and we can help make that happen.

What advice would you give homeowners seeking your services?

Kevin: When purchasing a new home, I see too many clients wanting to immediately remodel or demolish. I encourage clients to hold off on that and really get to know the space and the place—the smell of jasmine that comes in when the wind blows a certain way, the way the sun enters in the afternoon, the structure—before making any decisions. You just purchased a new home; spend time in it. Take time to understand the site. The subtle nature of it can’t be understood until you’ve lived in it for a while.

Jessica: That resonates with something the Genesee client said; that it’s taken her time to feel like the house really properly supports her and has evolved with her to do so. The house is never quite done. You continue to change. Your kids change. You get older. That continuous change includes allowing things to not be perfect or even great for a little bit. It’s cyclical.

**Genesee**
Síol Studios
Los Angeles, California

What is the firms’ ultimate goal today and for years to come?

Robo: We’re trying to create experience. We are creating beautiful design, but the beautiful design is all in the pursuit of experience. One of our regular words is ‘sacred space.’ We’re trying to create that for people. We want to interpret and actualize the idea of ‘home.’ We want to actualize the place as sanctuary.

Kevin: The idea of the single design contract is really important. It has an efficiency. We’re project-driven, but at the end of the day, there’s a potential long-term relationship that develops as we work with you to help your space evolve alongside you.

Jessica: I want to emphasize the amount of care and thoughtfulness that we give each of our clients and our projects.

Robo: We really care that it works for you. It’s important to us, that the project meet the needs of the client and that it supports their spiritual experience.

Nurture The Whole - Síol

This material is based upon information which we consider reliable, but cannot represent that it is accurate or complete, and it should not be relied upon as such. This offering is subject to errors, omissions and changes including price or withdrawal without notice.