Tour an Eclectic 96-Year-Old Bungalow Boasting a Bold Blue Kitchen

When Barbie Palomino, a Los Angeles–based interior designer, and her husband, Jason, decided to revamp their home before the arrival of their daughter, Sloane, the couple wanted to maximize their storage options without compromising their playful aesthetic. The result is a beautiful family home that feels equal parts stylishly curated and comfortably lived-in, thanks in part to the Homepolish designer's keen eye for vintage finds.

To gain insight into how the space came together, we asked the sought-after designer, who describes her style as eclectic, to share how she approached decorating her family's 96-year-old California bungalow. "I love modern pieces and using neutral colors as a foundation, but I need to mix in vintage, antique, and colorful pieces until it feels like me," she explained. Built in 1922, the home is just one of a few bungalows left on a block dominated by McMansion-style homes, and the exterior's charm is tangible in Palomino's interior design choices.

Keep scrolling to virtually step inside Palomino's family home, including the bold blue kitchen of our dreams (we're obsessed).

When it came to renovating, the couple didn't have to make too many major changes to the space this time around. "Jason actually tore down the first wall that separated the living room from the dining room before I met him," said Palomino. "He also added recessed lighting in the living and dining rooms, and since the original hardwood floors were sadly beyond repair, he installed a practical and inexpensive laminate wood-look flooring," she added. 

The first thing the couple bought for the house was a "custom sectional that I wanted to spend all weekend on," the interior designer told MyDomaine. The sofa also acts as a neutral base that pairs well with the couple's personal treasures, notably the masks hanging above the sofa. "We started collecting masks on our travels," explained Palomino of the objects that lend a personalized touch to their living space.

While her husband had purchased furniture for the bungalow before Palomino moved in, the couple decided to incorporate many new pieces into the home to make it feel like "theirs." However, "I let him keep his dining table partly because it weighs a literal ton," she laughed playfully.

"We entertain a fair bit (or, we used to, before having Sloane), and everyone always congregated in the closed-off kitchen," explained Palomino. "By knocking out the wall, we not only made it flow so we had one large space to hang out in, but now Jason can interact with Sloane and me while he cooks, and family time is all the time."

Deciding on the color scheme was easy once Palomino found the dining chairs of her dreams. "I loved the chartreuse color of the new dining seating and wanted those colors—blue, yellow, and green—to dominate," the interior designer explained. "Hence the bluish-green cabinets and brass hardware that came next," she said. "I'm really feeling a complementary color scheme in my projects right now," she added.

One of Palomino's greatest finds was discovering that "the runner in [her] old condo was the perfect length for the kitchen," she told MyDomaine. Not only that, but the colors perfectly complement the bold blue hue the couple chose for the custom Semihandmade cabinetry as well as the brass hardware.

The biggest challenge of this project for the couple was sticking to their strict budget, confessed Palomino. "We didn't want to improve the house over its potential value," she explained. "And my eyes are bigger than my wallet," she added. "I really wanted to replace the fireplace tile and the laminate, but it just didn't make fiscal sense to replace stuff that was still 'new.'"

Palomino's favorite thing about the space, hands down, is "all the natural light," the designer told MyDomaine. Here, the couple's dreamy, dark bedroom is lit up by the rays, making the moody space warm and inviting.

The garage-turned–home office is outfitted with a modern velvet sofa and a jute rug that lend effortlessly cool vibes to the bright, airy space. Sheepskin rugs tossed over midcentury-modern office chairs add a touch of coziness to the inspiring workspace.

The home office is flooded with tons of natural light during the day, making it the perfect creative haven for Palomino. A framed bulletin board positioned above the sofa allows the interior designer to curate her latest inspirations in one convenient place.

One of Palomino's main goals was to maximize storage and create the ideal space for her growing family before the baby arrived without compromising the family's eclectic style. In the nursery, colorful wallpaper and cheeky accents play up the family's preferred aesthetic.

What's next on the couple's to-do list? According to Palomino, they're looking forward to completing the landscaping in the spring, weather permitting. "The front will be really darn cute when it stops raining and we can garden again," she told MyDomaine.