Amanda and Mike’s Playful Mix of Modern & Antique

Name: Mike, Amanda, and Declan (5 years old)
Location: Los Angeles, California
Size: 1,700 square feet
Years lived in: Owned 9 years

Amanda, an elementary school teacher, is a master of planning. She pulled off a modern remodel of this Mar Vista house thanks to lots of dream boards and spreadsheets. And she created a sophisticated home that’s also fun and functional for five-year-old Declan. But beyond choosing the right building materials was an even bigger design challenge for Mike and Amanda: How to seamlessly blend the beautiful antiques they inherited from Amanda’s grandmother with the couple’s more casual, contemporary style.

The most colorful room in the home is Declan’s organized playroom, where a bold blue wall color meets a nautical theme and smart DIY organization. His graphic bedroom features a playful mountain mural that Amanda painted.

In the rest of the home, a serene color palette serves as a neutral backdrop for fun, affordable contemporary furniture and the antique family heirlooms peppered throughout. How did Amanda and Mike pull off this style mix for everyone who lives in the home? Amanda shares their secret: “We buy things that speak to us, and usually try to surround our most-loved pieces with things that make them shine more.”

Our Style: Eclectic. Lots of family antiques mixed with anything that strikes our fancy.

Inspiration: Anything and everything. We love mixing old with new.

Favorite Element: The mixture of styles. I don’t like for everything to make sense. We buy things that speak to us, and usually try to surround our most-loved pieces with things that make them shine more.

Biggest Challenge: Making the space look fresh and young while working with my grandmother’s antiques. We love the depth and maturity they bring, but sometimes we want a more modern look.

What Friends Say: That there is a lot to look at!

Biggest Embarrassment: Our poor, poor couch. The cats have had their way with it.

Proudest DIY: The playroom. From the seating to the paint job to the hacked IKEA kitchen, it was a labor of love.

Biggest Indulgence: Our master shower. When the time came to remodel, we really wanted the shower to be a spot to relax and unwind.

Best Advice: Look EVERYWHERE. I am a huge fan of antiques and vintage, but we also love pieces from every era and every price range. I shop everywhere from the Long Beach Flea to West Elm. Pick things that make you happy when you look at them.

Dream Sources: Oh man, I would love to bid freely on 1stdibs! I also wouldn’t mind having the freedom to spend my way through HD Buttercup.

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