About The Modern Vic
At The Modern Vic, we hold firm to the belief in the potential for remarkable transformation, appreciation for architectural heritage, and the passion for giving clients the support they need to realize their own beautiful spaces.
We give clients the ability to gracefully incorporate their own design voice into their spaces while honoring the design elements of the house.
We believe trust and transparency are crucial to executing a project successfully because your home is not only your domain - it’s also your most important investment.
The Modern Vic is committed to doing whatever it takes to make your project go smoothly so that at the end of our work together, you’ll have a home you love to share with family and friends.
We create beautiful spaces, where every detail of the design is thoughtfully curated to tell the story of the home and the people who live in it.
Sarah Stern-Benoit
Founder & Principal Designer
Sarah Stern-Benoit is the founder and principal designer of The Modern Vic, a San Francisco-based, boutique residential interior design studio.
Sarah’s design ethos honors the histories of the homes she reimagines, while celebrating the personal stories of those who live there.
Sarah’s enduring passion for interior design was shaped by a childhood spent in and around historic and lovingly restored Bay Area fixer-uppers. Her lifelong love of travel also shaped an appreciation for homes that evolve over time to reflect the stories, collections, and lives of the people within them.
Her philosophy is rooted in the belief that homes can be transformed without losing sight of what makes them special. Whether it’s a historic house or a more contemporary space, Sarah approaches each project with respect for what already exists. Rather than working against a home’s established architecture, Sarah seeks out opportunities to preserve, while thoughtfully adapting a home to the realities of modern life.
Drawing on inspiration from her time living and studying abroad in Europe, Sarah is drawn to interiors that feel collected, rather than prescribed. Guided by the belief that the most compelling homes are not built around a particular style, but around the people who inhabit them, she draws on her clients’ lifetime of experiences, meaningful objects, family history, and personal collections to help shape spaces that feel deeply personal.
At The Modern Vic, design is a collaborative process. Sarah works closely with clients to understand how they live, what they value, and what they want their homes to become, uncovering a refined vision of what feels true to them.
Before founding The Modern Vic in 2021, Sarah spent more than two decades working in politics and communications. Her background continues to influence her work today, bringing a proactive approach to communication, organization, client service, and project management that helps clients move through complex projects with clarity and confidence.
Sarah approaches each project with transparency, flexibility, and a calm, solutions-based mindset, helping clients navigate the practical and emotional elements of transforming a home. She leads a professional team that provides a white-glove experience so every client enjoys the care and close attention to detail that comes from working with a truly invested design studio.
In her personal time, Sarah loves to hike trails in the Bay Area and Tuolumne County, where she spends time relaxing with her family. She continues to travel the globe in search of design inspiration, great food, and jaw-dropping art.
Maggie Vizcarra
Designer
Maggie's affinity for design is rooted in the romance and responsibility of home as a place of self-expression and sanctuary. Her approach to design focuses on the marriage of art and systems, form and function, with an endless curiosity about design across cultures and histories. She is a champion of local artisans, trades and craftspeople, and an expert choreographer of renovations from concept to execution. Maggie's background in multidisciplinary, collaborative design and project operations shows up in all stages of TMV projects, ensuring the creation of beautiful spaces and an exceptional experience for all.
Design Assistant
Rosalind Lee
Rosalind is a recent graduate with degrees in architecture and history and brings a thoughtful blend of design knowledge and historical insight into our projects. With a passion for spaces that tell a story, Rosalind approaches design with a balance of creativity, functionality, and respect for context. Her fresh perspective, strong design principles, and collaborative spirit enhance every project, and she helps shape spaces that are both timeless and personal.