Sonja Skvarla Design Studio

Spaces MadeTo Return To

Sonja Skvarla Design Studio creates interiors shaped by the way people live, gather, and experience a place.

Our work focuses on experience-driven commercial spaces, bringing together human behavior, brand identity, and business operations to create places that function as well as they feel.

Based in Northern California, we partner with business owners, and builders to create restaurants, wellness spaces, other places designed to welcome people.

Design for HowWe Live & Gather

Whether opening a new business or reimagining an existing one, we begin with the people who experience it. We bring design and strategic thinking together to create environments that feel personal, work intuitively, and earn a place in your guests’ everyday lives.

We design boutique commercial spaces that welcome people in and give them a reason to stay. For restaurants, bars, hospitality, wellness, and other gathering places, our work connects the character of your business with the experience of being there. We guide concept development, space planning, materials, and furnishings, coordinating with the broader project team to carry the design through realization.

How WeSee Things

Good design begins with paying attention to how people move, gather, connect and experience a place. We look beyond what a space needs to do to understand how it can feel, noticing the patterns, possibilities and small details that might otherwise go unseen.

Then we give form to what we see. Through space, material, light, and detail, we shape places for people and the businesses behind them. A beautiful room is only the beginning. We design for better experiences, smoother operations, and lasting success.

From VisionTo Experience

Your space is one of the biggest investments you'll make in your business. Getting it right means understanding more than how it looks. Our process considers how your business operates, what your customers experience, and what you need the space to accomplish.

Before design begins, the 90 minute Grounding Session brings an experienced perspective to your business and the space it occupies. We'll talk about what's working, identify opportunities for growth, and explore what that might involve. You'll come away with practical insights, a clearer understanding of your options, and an early sense of the scope required to move forward in a way that makes sense for your business.

Over several weeks, we examine your business from every angle, whether developing a new concept or evaluating an existing one. We assess how your brand, operations, and space shape the guest experience. In a collaborative work session, we build a plan around your priorities and resources, identifying improvements you can make now and larger initiatives requiring further design, planning, or investment.

With a clear direction established, we develop the details needed to put the plan into action. For construction, that means drawings, specifications, and coordination before work begins. For an operating business, we may develop procedures, tools, and training materials in stages, putting each improvement to work as the next takes shape. The documentation and pace are tailored to what your business needs.

This is where your vision is truly felt by your guests. For construction projects, we lead your team and trades through installation and opening. For operating businesses, we work alongside you to introduce new practices, train staff, and make adjustments. As improvements take hold, you'll see the difference in how your business operates and, more importantly, in the experience your guests have every time they visit.

The Story ofSonja Skvarla

Long before Sonja thought about design, she noticed the feeling of a place. Memories of her grandmother’s closet and sleepovers on a glassed-in porch stayed with her, not simply for how they looked, but for the experiences they held. That early awareness became a lasting curiosity about how our surroundings shape us.

That curiosity followed her through years in hospitality and business leadership. From managing restaurants and developing service experiences to leading companies and building business systems, Sonja gained firsthand insight into how people, operations, and environments shape business success.

Today, Sonja brings that experience to Sonja Skvarla Design Studio, a strategic design practice focused on places businesses create for people. With an MBA and a background in operations and leadership, she approaches projects with equal attention to how a space feels, functions, and serves the business behind it.

Let's BeginWith a Hello

Tell us about the place you have in mind and what you hope it can become. Whether you are planning a home or exploring a new direction for your business, we would love to hear what matters to you and start a conversation about the right next step together.

+1 (707) 310-8665 @sonja.skvarla hello@sonjaskvarla.com

Designing PlacesFor a Life Well LivedDesigningPlaces ForA Life WellLived

Spaces MadeTo Return To

Design for HowWe Live & Gather

Residential Design

Commercial Design

Experience Design and Advisory

How WeSee Things

From VisionTo Experience

Step 01Grounding Session

Step 02Foundation Direction

Step 03Development & Documentation

Step 04Realization

The Story ofSonja Skvarla

Let's BeginWith a Hello