Nadia Geller Designs (NGD), an award-winning interior design firm offering services across the real estate community, has completed the interior and exterior design installation at River Trail Village, a 203,000 square-foot multifamily student housing community on the 160-acre campus of Napa Valley College. Work on the school’s first residential community, comprised of three individually curated buildings, began in February 2023 and was completed in the fall of 2024 to welcome students and staff to a new school year. River Trail Village is located at 100 Magnolia Drive and offers various furnished and unfurnished housing options including student residential halls and apartment-style units for students and families, ranging in size from studio to four-bedrooms.
Napa Valley College, the home of the Napa Valley Vintners Teaching Winery, is surrounded by rolling hills and leafy vineyards. The region’s natural landscape helped to inform the design details of River Trail Village. NGD’s work on the residences’ shared community room and spaces (which include multiple courtyards, lobbies, shared kitchens, lounge and study rooms) mixes modern amenities with the motifs and color palette of the location’s natural surroundings.
Each of the four-story buildings’ interiors are bathed in a signature color – blue, purple and green – serving as a backdrop for the design elements. Inside, large playful illustrations complement the colorful artwork, including framed pieces featuring animals, trees and birds. Of note, each building features a signature mural, creating an energetic and unique atmosphere for residents.
“The River Trail Village project has been life-changing for the community of Napa Valley and Napa Valley College. The project came together through the collaborative efforts of our passionate administrators, faculty, staff, and students. At every stage, we had students’ participation and feedback, ensuring that their voice, perspectives, and needs were honored,” said Robin Darcangelo, Senior Dean of Student Affairs at Napa Valley College.
Image Courtesy of: Nadia Geller Designs
River Trail Village’s multiple courtyards provide places for relaxation and recreation. NGD’s approach to the exterior seating and shade was to have the pieces double as functional art. Large freeform cast stone pebbles serve as benches around the property, and triangular a-frame daybeds provide shade and a cozy outdoor relaxation or study space. Nearby there are 3-D printed pieces such as yellow dining chairs, as well as three, 20-foot-long fire engine red benches proclaiming the name of the project – River Trail Village. The shapes of the furniture are juxtaposed in a modern setting, creating a unique California sculpture garden.
“Napa Valley College gave us a rare opportunity to help design their first ever housing community for students and staff,” said Nadia Geller, president of Nadia Geller Designs. “Working with no precedent, it was exciting to research and bring in details and elements that fit the distinct culture and locale of Napa.”
Students have ample areas to do schoolwork in one of several corner study lounges located on each floor. Seating options include private study areas outfitted with modular furniture that can be reconfigured for different group sizes by combining tables. There are also custom-made desks lining the floor-to-ceiling windows that are buffered for privacy and soundproofing, resembling angular peaks of a mountain range.
NGD partnered with HPI Architecture and the school’s facilities’ team on the selection and “white glove” installation of furniture, fixtures and equipment (FF&E) throughout.
About Nadia Geller Designs
Founded in 2005, Nadia Geller Designs (NGD) is an award-winning interior design firm offering services across the real estate community catering to multifamily developments, the hospitality industry, corporate workspaces, and discerning homeowners. The creative firm is home to a talented team of designers, project managers and skilled craftspeople with a collective experience of over 150 years in the industry. NGD has a deep portfolio of work with completed projects in 40 states encompassing 10 million square feet of interior and exterior design work. Responsible for all aspects of design projects, the firm handles receiving, delivery, assembly and white glove furniture, fixtures & equipment (FF&E) installation from its 10,000 square foot headquarters in Southern California. The firm was named one of Interior Design Magazine’s Rising Giants of 2024. NGD’s client roster includes Cityview, The Martin Group, and The Kor Group. Visit nadiageller.com for more information.
Feature Image Courtesy of: Nadia Geller Designs
