Even before they’d signed the deed or put down a deposit, Caitlin O’Neill and Sean Weinstock knew who they’d bring in for the interior design of their new home in San Francisco’s Glen Park neighborhood: Christina Higham of Sun Soul Style Interiors . It didn’t matter that Christina was based in Kauai, or that they’d just finished renovating their previous home. By two years into their marriage, they knew they needed a bigger place. And as for Christina taking the lead from 2,500 miles away, the couple wasn’t ruffled. The three had a comfortable working relationship: Caitlin and Christina were former colleagues, and Sean—a real estate agent—had worked closely with the designer on several client remodels. “Christina had helped design our previous home in 2020 and we got her to come see our new one before we even bought it,” says Caitlin, a public policy strategist.
“I find that a lot of potential homeowners often have a hard time seeing past things that can be easily changed, like dated finishes or poor paint choices,” reflects Christina. But Caitlin and Sean were willing to let her make big changes and for good reason. When they purchased the house, it had very ’70s vibes—wood everywhere, bright orange bathrooms, chaotic colors. “We loved that, but it was a lot. We wanted color and texture in a way that felt interesting and cool, comfortable and chill,” shares Caitlin. Christina’s job was to modernize things in a way that felt fresh, but preserved and highlighted some of the home’s original hallmarks.
