My Houzz: Andalusian-Inspired Touches in a Modern Home in the Hills

Esha and Nimesh Ray have found a way to gracefully meld multicultural design elements in their new Andalusian-style home. As the founders of an organic food company in the San Francisco Bay Area, they had traveled to many different countries across several continents to buy ancient grains and organic products. “The challenge for us was to create a home that reflected our love of travel and the things we collected while traveling, with a clean, modern design,” says Esha. With the help of interior designer Mary Jo Fiorella, they created a contemporary interior that captures their love of travel through the use of rich color.

Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Nimesh and Esha Ray, and their sons, Rushil (age 12) and Rahil, 10
Location: Alamo, California
Size: 6,100 square feet (567 square meters); 5 bedrooms, 5½ bathrooms

The Rays took their time in finding the ideal house. “We took about three years before we found our home. We preferred new construction in a quiet neighborhood and didn’t want to go through the remodel process of an older home,” says Esha.

“We are very happy with the home, its location and, most importantly, having had Mary Jo help us,” she adds, noting that Fiorella’s design blends the couple’s cultural background, travel influences and a modern feel to make it a great home for the family.

Sofas: Tasha, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams; armchairs; Bernhardt; coffee table: DwellStudio; mirrors: Wisteria


“The homeowners were especially interested in mixing Andalusian design with contemporary lines as well as retaining their Indian roots,” says Fiorella. Esha and Nimesh were both born in Gujarat, India.

The living room was designed to allow seating for multifamily gatherings. It includes long sofas, chairs and a bench so several conversations can happen at the same time.

Floor lamp: Pottery Barn; window treatments: Leong Interiors; side tables: Made Goods and Arteriors; rug: Restoration Hardware; table lamp: Curry & Company


Stools, faux-fur throws: Restoration Hardware


The family room, on the main floor, serves as the primary entertainment space.

Sofa: Jean Luc leather, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams; orange swivel chairs: Room & Board; coffee table: Restoration Hardware; side table: Pottery Barn; rug: Brighton by Loloi


“We had a specific vision in mind for the home,” says Esha. “It had to have a central, open courtyard; a large kitchen to entertain friends and family, as we love to cook; and also have a couple extra rooms, as we have guests that often come visit and stay for a few months at a time.”


The table in the kitchen serves as an eating area for breakfast, lunch and informal snacks.

Pendant lights: Arteriors; kitchen table: Pottery Barn; chairs, stools: Restoration Hardware


Moroccan-inspired tiles were used in the backsplash. The elegant pattern adds a luxurious visual detail to a warm and inviting kitchen.

Tiles: Ann Sacks and Cepac Tile


Wolfgang Chandelier: Mr. Brown Home; rug: Restoration Hardware; floor lamps: Curry & Company


The paintings in the dining room are a perfect example of how finds from the couple’s travels were incorporated into the home. “We traveled to Bolivia extensively for our work and came to love the work of a local artist that was displayed in our hotel in La Paz,” Esha recalls. “We tracked him down and picked out a few pieces from him that we thought would be a good match for our house as well as serve as memories of our travels.”

Dining chairs: Restoration Hardware; dining table: Claudio, Noir


The sideboard in the dining room holds a Buddha statue found by the homeowners in India. “We love the peaceful look of this blessing Buddha. It brings calm and contentment in our busy and chaotic lives,” says Esha.

Mirror: Studio A; sideboard: Amelie, Horchow; dining chairs: Restoration Hardware


The main floor’s powder room is small but elegant, with a design that blends seamlessly with the rest of the rooms on that floor.

Mirror: Arteriors; light fixture: Visual Comfort & Co.; tiles: Ann Sacks


The homeowners love bold colors, so they added splashes of color in unexpected places, such as the risers on the staircase.

Tiles: Arto Brick


The Rays had a long list of must-haves for their home, and a central courtyard was number one on the list.

Outdoor furniture: Restoration Hardware


Upstairs is a rec room that the boys and their friends and cousins use for watching TV. The owners want to find art that is ideal for each room and meaningful to them in some way, so some of their walls are still waiting for the perfect piece.

Sofa, chair: Room & Board; poufs: DwellStudio; window treatments: Leong Interiors; rug: Flor; pillows: West Elm


The master bedroom has an unusually high ceiling — high enough to accommodate an E.F. Chapman Paris Flea Market 8 Light Chandelier.

Bed, headboard: Bernhardt; side tables: Restoration Hardware; chandelier: Visual Comfort & Co.; chaise: Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams; bedside lamps: Shades of Light; rug: Surya


There’s also room by the patio doors for a small sitting area.

Armchairs: Ballard Designs; rug: Surya; window treatments: Leong Interiors


The master bathroom includes two large sinks, a tub and plenty of counter space.


It also has an oversize glass shower stall with two showerheads and eye-catching blue tiles.

Tiles: Contessa Arabesque, Walker Zanger


The couple’s sons have played Little League baseball since they were very young and have developed a true passion for the sport. Each has different favorite players, which is reflected in their choices for their room murals. Twelve-year-old Rushil is a pitcher and a fan of Madison Bumgarner, who pitches for the San Francisco Giants.

Chair: West Elm; bed: Crate & Barrel; bedspread: Pottery Barn Teen; side table, pouf: CB2


Rahil, 10, has always been a fan of Pablo Sandoval, and while Sandoval isn’t currently playing for the Giants, Rahil says, “He will be a Giant forever in my mind!”

Bedding: Pottery Barn Teen; bed, side tables: Room & Board; bedside lamps: Shades of Light; chair, ottoman, orange table: West Elm


All of the bathrooms in the house were designed using earthy colors and clean lines.

Wall and floor tiles: Daltile; accent tiles: Ann Sacks


The owners share a home office; each has a desk. An additional computer station allows plenty of room to work.

Desks: Lexington; chairs: Ballard Designs; rug: Restoration Hardware


Esha and Nimesh initially met designer Mary Jo Fiorella when she did the interior of their corporate offices. “So when we decided to design our new house, we were confident that Mary Jo would understand our style and tastefully reflect it in her work,” says Esha. They are pictured here discussing plans for their landscaping, which is next on the list.

The paintings in the office were done by the same Bolivian artist who did the three paintings in the dining room.

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