About Us
Synthesis Interiors & Color is a full-service interior design and color consulting firm with a focus on green principles, practices and materials. We take a holistic approach to our work, engaging clients in a joyful, collaborative process that balances form, function, and sustainability. We see our role as change-makers and leaders in the community, supporting choices made in light of their social and environmental impact.
RACHELLE PADGETT
Designer/ Principal
Like many designers, my story starts at a tender age. My childhood bedroom was splashed with rainbows and the ceiling painted a brilliant blue full of cottony clouds. I got an unusual thrill from rearranging furniture, and concurred with my mom’s frustration that the kitchen could make so much more sense, if only we had a pull-out pantry and a few more feet of counter space. Some of my fondest memories are of weekends spent sneaking into half-constructed homes and taking trips to the hardware store with my dad; I, happily engaged in the paint aisle, while he puttered around the power tools.
My parents, an engineer and science teacher, also instilled in me a deep respect for the natural world. Fulfilled by long hikes, this love of the outdoors mingles with a passion for food that makes me right at home in the Bay Area. It is only logical that these two obsessions, hiking and eating, are where I draw much of my design inspiration: from the elegant curve of a eucalyptus leaf to the sunset-hued flesh of a ripe peach.
It is with tremendous gratitude that I find myself here. What can I inspire in you?
Services Provided
Bathroom Remodeling, Kitchen Remodeling, Tile Installation, Tile Layout, Tile Design, Color Consulting, Finish Specification, Fabric Specification, Furniture Selection, Art Selection, Accessories Selection, Space Planning, Project Management, Collaboration with contractors
Areas Served
Albany, Berkeley, El Cerrito, El Sobrante, Emeryville, Lafayette, Moraga, Oakland, Orinda, Richmond, Kensington, Walnut Creek, San Rafael, San Anselmo, Corte Madera, Mill Valley, Sausalito, Fairfax, San Francisco
Awards
Certified Green Building Professional 2015 Best of Houzz Service Award Our work has been featured in the Oakland Tribune and Contra Costa Times.
Credentials
2 Houzz Awards
5 Houzz Badges
2 Affiliations
Write a Review
17 Reviews for Synthesis Interiors & Color
Pat
Relationship
Client
Rachelle worked with us to upgrade tub surround and flooring in a master bathroom. She has extraordinary skill in coordinating design elements, something I struggled with, literally delaying the tile project for years until bringing this pro in. Rachelle selected a gorgeous raku-fired marine blue surround tile, and paired it with a "motion" bronze 12x24 floor tile set on diagonal. The colors and feel are spectacular, so reminiscent of the ocean we dearly love!
January 11, 2017
valfromcal
Relationship
Client
Rachelle first helped us with our living room redecorating project (selecting fireplace tile, new furniture, and colors). She is so easy and fun to work with, serving as a sounding board for my own vision and providing great suggestions and direction. Working with her was such a pleasure, so when I undertook a larger home remodeling project, I contacted her again to help select wall colors, kitchen cabinet colors, and many other small design details. I am so pleased with how everything turned out and Rachelle played a big part in that. Thanks Rachelle!
March 23, 2016
Comment from Synthesis Interiors & Color:
Thank you so much, Val! A pleasure to work with you both, especially on that fireplace! Take care!
Ecohome Improvement
Relationship
Colleague
We have worked with Rachelle for years on many different design projects and we are happy to refer our clients to her. Rachelle has a great sense of color and space and intuitively picks up on the needs and wishes of her clients without imposing her own style onto them. Clients have commented on her 'respectful listening" attitude as well as her sense of humor and warmth.
Rachelle is able to take ideas and existing spaces and bring them together harmoniously. I would recommend her to anyone looking for a color consultant or designer.
Nina
Ecohome Improvement
August 20, 2015
Jill Cordner Interior Design
Relationship
Colleague
I've collaborated with Rachelle from Synthesis on several interior design projects and she is extremely creative, responsible and passionate about design. I also really admire her knowledge of and commitment to green building. Highly recommended.
August 16, 2015
Comment from Synthesis Interiors & Color:
Thank you, Jill! I hope to work together again soon.
davidhansonconstruction
Relationship
Colleague
After years of waiting for the right project to work on together we finally found an excellent project located half way between us in San Mateo. The project was two high end bathrooms in the same residence. Both were very unique, used the space well and had many different options that were a trick to keep straight between client and myself the contractor. Rachelle handled it beautifully and never took her eye off of the details. By far the easiest and most responsive designer I've worked with.
August 12, 2015Last modified:August 18, 2015
Comment from Synthesis Interiors & Color:
It was a pleasure to work with you, David! I look forward to collaborating again soon.
Cameron C. Habel Construction, Inc.
Relationship
Colleague
I worked alongside Rachelle on a large project that took the better part of a year to complete. Our client was a single parent that had very limited time to make decisions and selections for the finishes of her home. Rachelle selected all the paint colors, lighting and plumbing fixtures, tile, and cabinetry. She was great to work with. She communicated clearly and gave us all the information in a well organized manner.
I recommend you consider Synthesis Interiors and color for your home.
July 20, 2015
Comment from Synthesis Interiors & Color:
Thanks so much, Cameron! It was a pleasure to work with you, as well.
Ina Pockrass
Relationship
Client
Rachelle understands how color harmonizes a home -- when done right. She helped me choose all of the elements for a kitchen remodel and the result is gorgeous: natural quartz countertops, perfect no VOC paint, an accent light that makes the room POP! She's efficient, responsive, creative, and VERY cost-effective: she suggested refinishing the kitchen floor with eco-friendly methods instead of replacing it and the result is amazing. I will definitely seek her out again!
June 23, 2015
Comment from Synthesis Interiors & Color:
Thanks so much, Ina! That floor is a remarkable transformation!
Scott Beaver
Relationship
Client
Rachelle worked with me to set up my first apartment in the city. I started with a rather out-of-repair Edwardian flat and little vision of how to transform it into an ideal bachelor pad. Rachelle guided me through the process of choosing paint colors, furniture shopping, and designing a layout, resulting in a highly functional setup that has impressed pretty much every guest to come over. It brings joy to my life to have such a peaceful spot of my own just outside the hustle and bustle of downtown SF.
Rachelle is extremely knowledgeable, accommodating, and positive. And she found some deals that completed my project well below budget.
I highly recommend Synthesis.
December 1, 2014
Orion Parrott
Relationship
Client
Rachelle helped me with an extensive remodel of a duplex apartment. We had a wonderful time working together and she really made the project come alive. I was going for a very modern look, keeping things minimal but also wanted it to feel warm and inviting. Rachelle spent oodles of time with me and showed me the ropes of picking out colors that could complement each other and not distract. I learned so much by working with her. She also had lots of advice for me on managing the team as I was trying to be the general contractor. What a learning experience that was. I didn't take all of her advice but I wish I had, since it turned out her concerns were right with some of the choices I made in setting up contracts and schedules.
I couldn't have done the project without her as she was also a moral support and encouragement to me when unexpected issues came up that threatened my peace of mind. She had been through it before and was able to remind me that things would be ok and we'd get through it. In the end the apartment looked amazing, and the transformation went way beyond what I would have imagined on my own.
Talk to Rachelle and see what she can do for your project, big or small. I learned it's never too early to engage her interior design services, especially if you're doing any structural changes first. By letting your interior designer consider the end product from the beginning, you can integrate design and finish features better, avoid rework, and improve final aesthetics and usability.
Thank you Rachelle!!
November 25, 2014
rbrams
Relationship
Client
Rachelle was a wonderful asset helping us make design decisions for a remodel of our downstairs kitchen, half-bath & living/dining space. Our place is very small - about 320 usable sq ft for the common living areas downstairs - and Rachelle was great in helping us to pick out colors and materials that came together to make a calm, beautiful, eco space. Sometimes she helped us make decisions between things we had already sussed out on our own, and sometimes she presented new ideas that we wouldn't have thought of on our own. Plus, working with Rachelle was really enjoyable. She helped us relax and enjoy the process and helped us have confidence in our choices (some of which were a bit unusual, like using seconds tile on the bathroom floor and kitchen backsplash). She is also really understanding of working on a budget - we used her mostly as a sounding board, but I'm sure she'd be great managing a project as well. After talking with 2 other designers, I appreciated that she's not a "fussy" designer who doesn't get that real life happens inside the space that you're creating (we have 2 small kids, and she totally understood that that meant we needed durable materials and that there would need to be toy storage always). We love the space she helped us create and we loved working with Rachelle. Once we're ready to do our upstairs, I know we'll be calling her for advice!
November 24, 2014
Comment from Synthesis Interiors & Color:
Thanks, Rebecca! Always great to see you and work together!
bartmasser
Relationship
Client
I have known and worked with Rachelle for the last three years. She has helped me remodel a bathroom and study in my house that came out fabulous. She recently help me do a complete remodeling job for a studio condo.
Rachelle was working with me every step of the way to make the right choices for this condo project. She help me choose new carpets, kitchen countertops, light fixtures, hardware, new vanity and top, new flooring and sinks for the kitchen and bathroom, added new kitchen cabinets for more storage, and all new paint colors for the unit. Her suggestions and recommendations were invaluable to me and I am just thrilled with the way the unit turned out. Rachelle has a great eye for color, design, and seeing how the whole project will look in the end.
Rachelle is very professional and is great to work with. She is a very good listener, patient, and conscientious. She has a great sense of color and style and is willing to work within your budget. She is very responsive to your phone calls and emails.
I would not hesitate using Rachelle Padgett at Synthesis Interiors and Color for my next home decorating project.
November 23, 2014
Comment from Synthesis Interiors & Color:
Thanks so much, Steve! I hope your parents are enjoying their condo!
princedana
Relationship
Client
I am extremely happy with the results of my consultation with Rachelle, and just as happy with the process she used to get the project underway and completed. She sent me to Houzz before our first meeting to get me thinking about tile styles, colors, patterns, etc. on her first visit, she observed my space carefully, asked perceptive questions, and discussed time frame and budget. Once we agreed on a direction, she recommended vendors who might have the tiles we need and we visited them together to talk through the options. She has terrific design sense, great technical know how, and knowledge of most environmentally responsible options. She was a delight to work with!
November 22, 2014
Comment from Synthesis Interiors & Color:
Thanks so much! It was a joy working with you, too!
17 Ideabooks
9 Comments
Commented: Love the sink! Where is it from?Hi Hilla,
Unfortunately, the client had already selected the sink and I don’t have a record of it. You should be able to find something similar by searching for a stainless steel sink with integral ...
May 22, 2018
Commented: Floor color?Marmoleum 3030 Blue!
September 8, 2015
Commented: More kitchen photos/layoutHi, unfortunately I only have the three photos in this folder, and I don't have plans. The cabinets were designed and built by the brother of the owner, and I came in on this project only to select fi...
July 22, 2015
Commented: Tiny Galley Kitchen RemodelWould it be possible for you to share come pictures of the current kitchen?
March 23, 2015 in Design Dilemma
Commented: Architect or designer or both?Many architects enjoy working as part of a team with an interior designer or kitchen design specialist. This allows them to focus on the big picture and collaborate on the smaller details. From my exp...
March 23, 2015 in Design Dilemma
Commented: What blinds/curtains can you use for 3'x6' arched windows?You can hang a curtain rod and curtain at the top of the straight section. This allows light in from the top, and keeps the integrity of the architecture. Similarly, you can do an inside mount roman o...
March 23, 2015 in Design Dilemma
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