Design Experts Caitlin Flemming and Julie Goebel Share Their Bay Area Best
© 2025 STEPHANIE RUSSO
Marin-based interior designer Caitlin Flemming and her mother, Julie Goebel, founder of Travelers Conservation Foundation, just released their third book, The Essentials: The Art of Interior Design — and it’s like a master class for your home. The book teaches design basics, with fellow designers such as Nate Berkus and Bunny Williams talking shop about everything from achieving better lighting to picking paint colors. “Our first two books were strictly about the homes and the people,” says Flemming. “We received a lot of feedback from readers wanting to get hands-on knowledge to use for their own homes.” Flemming and Goebel, who often travel together in search of design inspiration, also made it a mission to feature projects from around the world in their books, with England being a particular favorite. “I just love the way design works there,” says Goebel. “It’s beautiful in an uncontrived way.” Catch the duo's book signing at their favorite local shop, Tancredi & Morgen, Saturday, Nov. 8 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. And read on for their dream day and insider design from the Bay Area down to Carmel.
AM
01
Start the day with:
A latte for me and an Americano for my mom from Equator Coffee in Larkspur.
02
Essential design stores:
Both Elsie Green in Concord (Elsie is probably in every single project that I do!) and French Market in Marin. They only source antiques from France. We buy tons of accessories from them. We buy furniture from them. We'll send them fabric to put on vintage chairs, and they'll upholster them for us.
For fabric and custom upholstery:
We shop at Well Made Home in the Marin Country Mart. They have a plethora of lines that we source from Alice Sergeant, Lisa Fine, Peter Dunham, those sorts. We also go to the Design Center. And we get textiles from Leah O'Connell in San Anselmo. That’s interior design but also vintage furniture.
Antiquing around Monterey:
In Carmel, we go to Robertson Antiques. I actually went to college with the son of the owner. And also Pickings Antiques in Pacific Grove, Vintage Finds, and Cannery Row Antique Mall.
PM
For the perfect accessories:
I would say Leah O'Connell has great accessories. There's a new shop that's a year old in Marin called Maison Marin. Also, Emily Joubert is a great option. She has multiple shops. Another good one is Whearley and Co. in Redwood City.
Holiday housewarming gift:
We buy multiple boxes of caramels from Maison Marin. Not only is it delicious, but she does the most incredible job wrapping in this beautiful marble paper.
Favorite eats:
In Marin, we love Cucina in San Anselmo and Guesthouse in Kentfield. Oh, at the pizza at Picco. Then in San Francisco, I would say Pizzeta 211 and My Father's Kitchen. Now I'm going to crave My Father's Kitchen. We always get the Mary's Chicken and the fresh spring rolls.
Where to Take an Out-of-Town Friend:
Go for a hike through the Redwoods; Marin is all about outdoors. Grab a coffee at Equator then hike the Baltimore Canyon Preserve. In the city, it would be a visit to one of the museums, depending on the exhibits; the Legion of Honor is one of our favorites. We wrote a lot of our book in their cafe. It’s so beautiful.
Design inspiration—and garden finds:
We really love the Filoli House and Gardens in Woodside. It's so worth a visit. They have incredible things for the garden. Look at the historic Filoli home, get inspired, then have lunch there, and buy some plants for your own garden.
What Makes a House Feel Like a Home:
It’s the warmth. It doesn’t matter the size of the house. It’s the warmth to the way someone decorates. You just want to stay. There's books to read and a fire going. It just feels welcoming.
Introduction by Tanvi Chheda
PLAN YOUR DREAM
DESIGN DAY
- Elsie Green
Concord, CA - French Market
Mill Valley, CA - Well Made Home
Larkspur, CA - Leah O'Connell
San Anselmo, CA - Robertson Antiques
Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA - Pickings Antiques
Pacific Grove, CA - Vintage Finds
Pacific Grove, CA - Cannery Row Antique Mall
Monterey, CA - Maison Marin
Ross, CA - Emily Joubert
San Francisco, CA - Whearley and Co.
Redwood City, CA - Filoli House and Gardens
Woodside, CA
