A 750-Square-Foot 1940s Bungalow Comes Alive, Thanks to Colorful Jewel Tones

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The jewel tones are carried into the living area. The blush chairs mirror the blush front door.

Name: Teri O’Connor, family and friends
Location: Burbank, California
Type of home: 1940s Bungalow
Size: 750 square feet
Do you rent or own your home? Owned

Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: This home has been in my family since the ’60s. My favorite aunt lived there and I had many happy childhood memories visiting Aunt Dixie. Dixie was a character who drove a pink T-bird, had bright red hair, and loved Hollywood gossip. When she passed, the home was turned into a rental property.

Last summer it became vacant and I decided it was time to refurbish the little bungalow for myself and family. I live down the street, so I thought it would make a great guest house. I have a daughter that lives in the UK and a son-in-law from France, so I have a lot of family and friends who are now coming to visit with their own place to stay near me. We rent it out as a vacation rental when we don’t use it. I took the plunge and painted the exterior a lavender tinged blue and added a blush color for the front door.

The Santa Monica Mountains painting inspired the color palette

The interior palette was inspired by a painting my daughter created when she was in middle school. The home is full of estate sale art and furnishings. An homage to the California lifestyle is a large photograph I took of my son in Malibu when he was a teenager.

The vintage cabinetry was solid and in good shape. They just need some love.

I decided to keep the original kitchen cabinets and painted them a warm cottage white and added new hardware. I also kept the 1940s bathroom pretty much intact. The yard is large for the area so we play bocci ball and my husband likes to practice his golf chipping. The yard is also home to two 100-year-old orange trees, remnants of when Burbank was full of orange groves everywhere. The oranges are almost ripe and they’re delicious.

The 1940’s bathroom is pretty much the same

Describe your home’s style in 5 words or less: Vintage, colorful, bright, comfortable, eclectic.

The second bedroom is comfy and colorful

What is your favorite room and why? I love the outdoor covered patio. I had a vintage wicker couch and chairs that I painted a dark blue to match the house and bought new comfortable pads. It’s very cool in summer and with the outdoor heater, warm in winter. Since the house is small, it’s like having an added room.

What’s the last thing you bought (or found!) for your home? I found the full set of s-Chairs in my moms garage! I had to rummage around but finally found all four.

Any advice for creating a home you love? Choose things that you love and that call your name and then create a space around those things. My daughter’s painting and my photograph of my son inspired the decor and design and were the foundation of everything in the house.

A second bench for the landing space and a photograph of my son in Malibu in the entree.

This submission’s responses were edited for length and clarity.