A home inspired by the Mediterranean under the Californian sun

Under the Southern California sun in Orange County, a 1940s home has had its interiors reinvented to become an expression of the Californian dream of two doctors and their children.

 

A sophisticated, playful atmosphere

For Esther Lundstrom, founder and director of Lundstrom Interiors, it wasn’t too hard to transform this home into a place that, following her clients’ instructions, is welcoming and sophisticated, as well as playful and colorful. The large arched windows overlooking the garden and swimming pool, the high ceilings, the double-height volumes, and the natural light that floods the rooms already existed and formed an excellent canvas for the designer to set to with a palette of bold colors, and a selection of unique, elegant materials and furnishings.

A Mediterranean mood fills the spaces, which differ according to their function through the use of different colors and finishes. The designer had obvious fun defining the different spaces, often in relation to one another, with different colors, materials, and furnishings. Where the color palette was more neutral, the designer created visual accents by calibrating different materials and textures. The interiors therefore make use of various types of leather, velvet, and fabrics, combined with concrete, white plaster, and colored walls.

 

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Bright colors on a neutral background

The interior design is characterized by a sense of coherence and uniformity. Despite the multiplicity of colors and materials used to give each room a different personality, the effect runs through all the rooms. Lundstrom opted for neutral colors for larger furniture items and most of the surfaces, reserving color accents for smaller objects and smaller sections of the walls.

Right at the entrance, guests are introduced to all the shades and materials used in the house: amber, black, coffee, white, and sienna, and concrete and metal. The same palette is found in the great room at the center of the house, where wooden beams dialogue with rust- and caramel-colored furnishings and decor. The living room, on the other hand, is dominated by a large, colorful artwork set against the background of a gray wall, giving the space a happy and informal atmosphere. In the master bedroom, a navy blue wall combines with the warm tones of wood to create a calm, relaxing space, ideal for a bedroom.

The same compositional principles are found outside. The patio, for example, is marked by very neutral colors – white, grey, coffee – that harmonize with the garden and lush greenery.

The residence is an oasis of calm and fun, an intimate and private space in which to enjoy the Californian sun against a Mediterranean-flavored backdrop.

 

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