Studio Michael Hilal

It’s been less than four years since Michael Hilal pivoted from tech business development to taste making, yet he’s already earned acclaim for crafting highly original, serene spaces rendered in muted natural tones. For a newbie, he’s a virtuoso at juxtaposing “vibes” to generate ambiences that feel very much of today, while giving “California design,” with its focus on the flow between inside and out, a whole new allure. The clients for this Hillsborough, California, house, a tony young couple (he’s in finance, she’s in tech) with grade-school children, wanted a living room that was “grand and dramatic, but loungy and immersed in nature,” says Hilal. He obliged, composing a highly structured space with stately elements, like the oversize burl doors — a technical triumph — and lots of inviting organic forms, such as a curvaceous sofa, a pair of Halabala chairs sourced on 1stDibs and two asymmetric walnut stools of his own design. It’s a room where the couple can entertain to impress and their children and their friends can feel free to frolic.