Design a Better Life
Bay Area
Whether you're welcoming a child, beginning a new chapter, or creating a place to learn, your space can help you thrive.
I believe good design supports healthier bodies, calmer minds, stronger relationships, and more joyful lives.
I transform homes and adaptable living spaces to support life's transitions — from welcoming a baby and raising children to beginning a new chapter.
I also transform learning environments — from homes and daycares to schools and libraries — creating spaces where children can explore, focus, and flourish.
A PhD in Architecture. Research in Japan on small spaces and transformability. Collaboration with Rem Koolhaas. I have designed furniture, homes, schools, libraries, and adaptable living environments.
Everything I do is guided by one question: How can design help us live better?
Refined simplicity. Spaces that breathe — where every choice is intentional and nothing is superfluous.
Purposeful use of what is already there. Every element earns its place through function and beauty.
Harmony between space and self. Choices that are conscious of material, longevity, and life.
"Your home, transformed for a longer, better life."




Light, circulation, visual rest, and spatial flow all affect how you sleep, focus, and feel. This is the foundation of every diagnosis.
Calm, sensoriality, beauty, and joy are not luxuries. They are the conditions that make a home worth living in.
Good design starts by listening—to the space, and to you.
"Dr. Marta helped me re-envision the use of my home's quirky compact footprint to give it a more calm and airy feel that has really improved the way we live in my home. She worked with me to identify and amplify the things I loved about it, while giving me concrete, workable ways to improve it. Best of all, she developed and implemented a plan to move my toddler out of my room and into my older child's bedroom without crowding anyone! The room actually feels more spacious and easier to keep organized. The joy I feel when I walk in the door is priceless."
— Lisa Newstrom, Fremont CA
"I was impressed with the way that Marta instantly connected with the vibe of the house as soon as she entered. We needed advice on kitchen redesign. Before the consultation, we simply thought the issue was making more efficient use of our small space. Marta opened up the possibilities of integrating the kitchen with the overall flow of the house, not only making better use of the space but also creating a sense of continuity. Highly recommended!"
— Mary Gomes, Berkeley
"Marta transformed my home in a single design visit! She found a simple, elegant, and affordable way to turn my unfinished basement into a home office and guest room, and gave me practical ideas for every other space, from my toddler's room to the living room and bedrooms. After that visit, I realized Marta is really a space coach. I decided to treat myself and continue working with her over the next few months."
— Isabel Carreras Baquer, Berkeley
"Dr. Marta is warm, lively, and knowledgeable. Her expertise and philosophical approach comes through in her suggestions. She helped our home feel more put together, relaxing, and fit our vision. Totally recommend her services!"
— Gisela Garcia, Oakland
"Marta Rodriguez's expertise of maximizing small spaces is without compare. She understood our project, she was genuine — but more than anything, she brought a passion that not a single other architect had. At one point I said 'Is she moving in with us?' She thinks different."
— Jay Marroquin, Homeowner, Photographer
"Even as a carpenter with my own solutions, I appreciate how Marta thinks differently. She sees all angles and brings a creativity that surprised me. From the folding door that almost magically transformed a one-bedroom into two, to the organic stairs in the little cottage, her Japanese-influenced approach feels perfectly in tune with the spirit of the Bay Area."
— Jan Sturmann, Carpenter, Berkeley
A global perspective
Transformable Shelves began as a response to a simple question: what if storage could give something back?
Seven modules, each different. Slide, rotate, reconfigure. Storage, display, seating, room divider, bench, even stairs. The same piece, infinite arrangements.
Inspired by the Japanese Tokonoma — a space of intentional display and quiet beauty. Designed to move with you as life changes.
Designed for your home and your life.
Contact
Perhaps you're about to buy a home and want to see what it could become before you sign.
Maybe life has shifted — a new person, a new chapter, a new version of yourself — and your space hasn't caught up yet.
Or it could simply be that something isn't working, and you want to live better because of it.
I work with you to understand your space and shape solutions that fit your life.
+1 530 507 8896Photography: Bokey Grant, Tony Endievari, Cierto, h03, Saint Remy, Maynard