Creative Partner - Home & Design

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Creative Partner - Home & Design Floor plan concepts for remodels, additions + new build, remodel planning, European kitchen + bath design

Creative Partner is an interior design company specializing in European style kitchen and bath design as well as floor planning for home remodels and additions. Petra Jakobskrueger has high quality standards, discerning taste, and the ambition that her customers enjoy the experience and quality of her service. She’s an expert in understanding your needs and listens closely to what you want. Petra designs your new space with you in mind and makes sure the finished project fits exactly your style and needs, combining excellent functionality with beautiful design. Petra’s immaculate attention to detail, her exquisite European style, and her straight forward approach to things are invaluable assets for any remodeling project. Creative Partner is different from other interior design companies because of Petra’s unique skill set. Born and raised in Germany, Petra also lived in Spain where she studied the Spanish language and culture. She’s traveled to many places in Europe before she moved to California in 2000 where she started her own business ‘Creative Partner’.

10/15/2026

This pantry would be enough on its own. Tall cabinets, quartzite countertops, open shelves, and plenty of natural light.

But wait for it.

That small door in the wall opens straight into the garage. I call it the Costco door.

You pull in with a car full of groceries, open the door, and hand everything into the pantry. No trips through the house. No bags on the kitchen floor.

It’s not a finish. It’s a decision about where the pantry sits. Put it against the garage wall, and the hardest part of grocery day disappears.

Send this to someone who needs a Costco door. And follow Petra | Floor Plans + Remodel Planning for more homes planned around real life.

10/10/2026

Most kitchen windows are there to look through. This one opens all the way up.

It’s hinged at the top, so the whole pane lifts out and stays put. No frame in the middle, nothing between you and the hills.

What I love most is the counter. It runs flush to the sill, so with the window open, the kitchen and the deck become one space. Pass drinks out, talk to guests while you cook, and still keep the view.

That’s the part people miss. The window works because the plan lets it. Counter height, sill height, and where the deck sits all had to line up.

If you have a view worth opening up to, we can plan around it.

Follow Petra | Floor Plans + Remodel Planning for more remodeling tips and home design ideas.

Color inspiration can come from anywhere. For me it came from the beach today: warm sand, weathered driftwood, and that ...
09/23/2026

Color inspiration can come from anywhere. For me it came from the beach today: warm sand, weathered driftwood, and that clear turquoise where the water is shallow.

This is how I would translate it into a bathroom. Sand-toned stone on the floor, a light oak vanity, soft white walls, and the turquoise kept to one place, like the shower niche, so it stays calm and never becomes a theme.

But the layout always comes first: where the light comes in, how the vanity relates to the shower, how much open floor you actually have. Sometimes a client falls in love with one tile, or with a place like this beach, and wants to bring that feeling home. That’s a good starting point for a color palette.

Second frame: color palette translated into a calm coastal bathroom.

09/21/2026

Why I don’t spec real marble.

We just installed this beautiful vanity in a new ADU bath.

Walnut, with a fluted door front. The reeding catches light differently through the day, which is the reason to use it in a small bath; it gives you depth without adding pattern.

The top is engineered marble. White, soft grey veining, reads like the real thing. The difference is how it lives: no sealing, no etching when a soap bottle or toothpaste sits on it overnight. In a bathroom used every day, that matters more than provenance.

Warm wood, cool stone, brushed nickel. That’s the whole scheme.

Follow Petra | Floor Plans + Remodel Planning for more remodeling tips and design ideas.

09/06/2026

The heart of this remodel is the new great room.

By opening up the original floor plan, we were able to bring the kitchen, dining, and family room together into one connected space designed for both everyday living and entertaining.

The modern fireplace creates a beautiful focal point, while the open layout allows each area to have its own purpose without feeling separated.

For me, this is what thoughtful space planning is all about—not simply creating more space, but creating a home that works better as a whole.

Floor Plan & Interior Design Petra | Floor Plans + Remodel Planning
Build EDR Design Build

09/01/2026

This is a Redwood City remodel mid-construction and we moved a few walls…

That’s the part people skip. Everyone wants to talk about the tile, the paint, the cabinet color - and those get chosen eventually. But they’re the last 10% of the work. What you’re seeing here is the other 90%: where the walls actually go, how you move from the front door to the kitchen, which room gets the afternoon light, where the noise lives and where the quiet does.

Moving walls isn’t about opening everything up. It’s about deciding what the house is supposed to do for the people living in it, and then drawing that. Once the plan is right, the finishes are easy - they have something to sit on. When the plan is wrong, no finish selection in the world fixes it. You just end up with a beautiful room you don’t use.

Conceptual design and floor plan by Petra | Floor Plans + Remodel Planning
Built by EDR Design Build

remodel

A strong foundation doesn’t determine what you build. It gives you the freedom to decide. 🤍In my world of home design, w...
08/24/2026

A strong foundation doesn’t determine what you build. It gives you the freedom to decide. 🤍

In my world of home design, we know that everything starts with a solid foundation. It may not be the part you notice first, but it’s what supports everything that comes after.

And in life, I think education can be much the same.

We just celebrated our daughter Maxina graduating with her B.S. in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science, with an emphasis in Neurocomputation + AI. 🎓

Years of learning, hard work, curiosity, and growth have given her an incredible foundation. What she chooses to build on it from here is entirely hers; and that may be the most exciting part.

As a conceptual designer, I love watching something take shape from the ground up. As a mom, there is nothing quite like watching your child do the same. ❤️

Congratulations, Maxina. We couldn’t be prouder of you and I can’t wait to see what you build next.

08/18/2026

Everyone walks into this house and sees what has to go.
I walk in and start deciding which walls stay, which go, and which ones were never in the right place.
Conceptual design is the phase almost everyone skips. It’s also the only one where changes are free.
Moving a wall on paper costs nothing. Moving it during framing costs thousands. Discovering it’s in the wrong place after you move in costs 30 years — ask this house.
So before a single line gets drawn, I walk the property, I interview the family about how they actually live, and I find the plan hiding inside the footprint. Only then does anyone talk about finishes. The 1,500 sq ft we’re adding here is the easy part — deciding where it goes is the whole job. An addition tacked onto a bad plan just gives you a bigger bad plan.
What you get out of it: fewer change orders, a contractor who isn’t guessing, a budget that holds, and a house that fits the way you live instead of the way it was drawn in 1955.
Before you hire anyone, know what you’re deciding. Free Remodel Starter Guide 👉 link in bio

07/25/2026

Touring a German kitchen showroom with more than 170 kitchens on display was an incredible experience.

In comparison, a typical kitchen showroom in California may feature only five to ten displays. Here, every turn revealed a new layout, finish, storage solution, appliance configuration, or innovative design detail.

The sheer variety made it possible to experience the kitchens in person, compare materials side by side, and discover just how many possibilities exist when thoughtful design and functionality come together.

For me, it was not only inspiring, it was also a reminder of why I love bringing European ideas and German functionality into the homes I design here in California.

I can’t wait to share more of the details, ideas, and inspiration I brought home from my kitchen tour in Germany. And if you have any questions about German kitchen design or functionality, let me know in the comments.

Some projects feel like climbing the Empire State Building - one step, one decision, one detail at a time.But with the r...
07/02/2026

Some projects feel like climbing the Empire State Building - one step, one decision, one detail at a time.

But with the right vision, the right plan, and the right team, what once felt overwhelming starts to turn into something beautiful.

That’s what remodeling is really about: not just changing a home, but creating a space that feels elevated, intentional, and completely your own.

Ready to take your home to the next level?

Follow for design inspiration, remodeling tips, and a more thoughtful way to create your home.

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Los Gatos, CA

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