Nilson Tales Guimarães
Lily Riesenfeld’s home in Larkspur, California, is a 1921 black shingled house with mahogany doors and trim. The house sits among redwood trees, with hiking trails meeting the backyard. Riesenfeld chose the location because of its proximity to Mount Tamalpais, with San Francisco Bay inlets to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west.
A Home Rooted in Place
Riesenfeld grew up in Berkeley, California. When she was eight years old, her family bought a ranch in Healdsburg, a short drive from their home. Over the years, the family planted several hundred trees, built a ranch home, restored a redwood barn from the 1850s, and planted one hundred acres of French varietal grapes. The ranch was developed so that animals, the vineyard, and natural habitats could coexist.
Along with the ranch in Healdsburg, where they spent most summers, the family also visited various family homes in Maine for two weeks every summer. The furniture on the porch, as well as the porch itself, in the home belonging to her great-grandparents, was painted in a celadon green that the family called “Gamby green,” after her great-grandmother. Gamby loved the shade so much that she had a set of Wedgwood china made in that color. Many of the choices Riesenfeld has made in her home were inspired by her grandmother’s home in Maine, the family home in Berkeley, and the ranch in Healdsburg.
Building a Life at the Intersection of Wellness and Purpose
In her early adult years, Riesenfeld began her work with a focus on personal wellness and launched her first business, The Lily Pad, in Malibu. After meeting her husband and moving back to the San Francisco Bay area, she cofounded The Pad Studios, a Pilates and yoga studio. She began developing purpose-driven events to help communities connect, launching a brand called the Kinship Experience. As those experiences evolved, she began moving her work to the intersection of human health and global health. She then launched a summit called Futurewell.
Today, Riesenfeld is an advocate for regenerative agriculture and works to advance healthy, equitable food systems. She is fundraising for a regeneratively built Center for Food and Agriculture, which will offer a permanent farmers’ market by the Marin Civic Center. “The building we have plans to erect will be drawing down more carbon and energy than it uses,” she said.
A Home Designed in Harmony
Riesenfeld designed her Larkspur home with guidance from Caitlin Flemming. “Caitlin was a huge inspiration and the reason my home came together in the most synchronistic way possible,” she said.
The colors within the home coexist in a calm harmony. Earth tones of deep greens, wheat, and a light shade of blue are mixed with a diversity of complementary patterns. These color choices can be found in the outdoors around her—the golden hills, the redwood trees, and the light blues and grays of the water.
Walls in both the entry and the dining room are covered in a large-scale William Morris pattern. Curtains and pillows use smaller prints combined with a touch of wood-toned plaid in many rooms. Two petite vintage French chairs are covered in a hand-printed leaf pattern. Even the plates are a combination of patterns of vintage transferware in varying shades of green, along with pieces from her great-grandmother’s green Wedgwood.
The kitchen serves as a central gathering place, where homemade tortillas sit wrapped in a linen towel by the stove and slow-simmering pinto beans are ready for anyone who is hungry. It is a place to be nourished, and Riesenfeld is ready to welcome those in need of its healing power.
10 Reflections on Home
1. What drew you to where you live? “It was definitely Mount Tamalpais and the hiking here. We didn’t even look at Berkeley, even though our families live there. We also thought it would be good to be a bridge away from our parents.”
2. How do the surroundings of where you live inform your aesthetic in your home? “The colors of the nature where I live definitely inform my aesthetic.”
3. What is your idea of home? “A place for people to gather and to feel comfortable—a place you instantly feel at ease.”
4. What is your favorite season where you live? Why? “I would have to say late summer. Suddenly, the light changes, and there is a golden cast to everything.”
5. Is there anything you collect? “Anyone can see that I have a soft spot for wicker baskets and hats. I also love anything for the kitchen, especially interesting pottery.”
6. How do you spend your weekends? “We spend our weekends hiking, cooking, and going to our children’s sporting events. When we can get away in the winter, I love going to our cabin in Sugar Bowl, which is very close to Tahoe, that was built in the 1930s to look like a Swiss village.”
7. What can’t you live without? “Probably a latte in the morning. Of course, my children and husband, too! Also, my morning hike every day is what keeps me sane.”
8. What elements turn your house into a home? “I think it feels like my home because it has a strong element of nostalgia. I also love adding layers of textures and textiles. This home is the opposite of stark.”
9. How does your home fuel your creativity? “I love styling meals and bringing people together at the table. Every Sunday, my mother-in-law comes to dinner, and I always make an effort to dress up and make a nice meal.”
10. Are there people or businesses close to home that you rely on to fuel your creativity? “I have learned so much from Alice Waters, after having the pleasure of doing a few curated events alongside her. Alice’s specific direction taught me how to make an experience about food, and how to perfectly execute the presentation. For the purpose side of my work, I am inspired by local creatives such as Paul Hawken, Jack Kornfield, Dr. Daniel Siegel, and my dearest friend, Jennifer Siebel Newsom.”
