When I was younger, I tried to make my house look more “sophisticated” by decorating with lots of neutrals. But the older I get, the more color I crave.
I love how L.A. designer Alison Kandler decorates with color and vintage finds to create undeniably happy rooms in what she calls her “farmhouse in the city.”
Take a look!
Designer Alison Kandler’s Farmhouse in the City
Kandler worked with architect Joan Swartz to give her Los Angeles home an eclectic vintage farmhouse look, starting with the Dutch door in the entry.
The result is so playful and pretty that I couldn’t stop smiling when I saw these rooms.
She says she thinks windows make wonderful “headboards.” This one is framed with vintage shutters.
She built a workspace for her husband into the hallway outside their bedroom,
as well as a deep windowseat with storage underneath:
How pretty is this bathroom? I mean, seriously.
The house has 5 bedrooms and 4 baths.
Alison says, “Most of my work is inspired by traditional architecture and interior design from the 1920’s and 1930’s.”
She lives in the 5,000 square-foot home with her husband Brian and their daughter, whose room features scalloped shingles on the wall and an awning over the headboard.
She says she wanted it to feel “like a living dollhouse.”
The colorful tile in the bathroom is unexpected and playful, as is the clawfoot tub that she painted baby blue:
I’m all about work spaces, so I love seeing how other people set theirs up.
Alison incorporated hers right into the family room, with a craft station for her daughter, too:
The floor in the laundry room has colorful encaustic tile,
and the skirt under the sink was made from a vintage tablecloth:
She says, “I’m really into pantries and laundry rooms, and making them pleasant destinations.”
The pantry is behind this cheery yellow screen door:
The green cabinets look similar to the Benjamin Moore paint color Green Gables.
I didn’t realize it at first, but she has two farmhouse sinks next to each other in the kitchen, which she opted for instead of one big one. Interesting way to create a divided-sink effect.
The dark red Lacanche range is a showstopper. I can see why she calls it “the hearth of the room:”
Many thanks to Alison Kandler for sharing her home with us!
Visit the designer’s website to see more photos by Sheila Cooper and Kathryn Russell.
Becky Harris wrote an article about it on Houzz with more information about it, too!
I love this. How lucky for the family to come home to everyday.
What a lovely home! Love all of the bright colors, the flooring and those teal cabinets! Swoon. So happy!
LOVE it! I did see this on Houzz, so I’ll reiterate my thoughts here. Reminds me of the kind of home with happy colors and vintage charm that Mary Engebreit featured in her (now defunct) magazine. Lots of fun colors and patterns, but not overwhelming. The owner/designer obviously had a lot of space to fill (5000 square feet!!!) and apparently had fun doing it. Love the architecture, too. Saw the photos of the exterior on Alison’s page – wow! And it’s nice that the family can be together and she can still work on her projects by supplying the TV with headphones. Brilliant! Thanks, Julia, for taking the time to find fun, inspiring, envy-feeding, and interesting houses to share with your readers. You’re often the first blog I turn to in the mornings, so you help set the tone for my day. I appreciate your making it a positive one.
Yes! I hadn’t though of that, but now that you mention it, it’s very Mary! These are the kinds of rooms I always loved seeing in her magazine. Thanks, Carolyn! 🙂
I also immediately thought of Mary Engelbreit while looking at this house. I still have all of my old Home Companion magazines saved to show to our granddaughter. This does look like a fun house to have for a home. Wonder if as we age we crave more color like we enjoy stronger flavors in food? I find myself looking at the paint color selections in stores all the time now…maybe there is painting in our future. 😉
I wish I had saved my old issues! I’d love to be able to look back at them now. I like your theory about craving more color and flavor as we get older. I know I do! 🙂
I have been purging like mad over the last year in getting our house ready to go on the market after being here 26 years. I had saved many of my copies of “Home Companion,” but since we’re moving to a much smaller space, I couldn’t keep them. I did clip and save some of my favorite features, though. I thought about selling the complete issues on eBay, but didn’t go to the trouble, but you can usually find many there. I also think it’s interesting that in staging for real estate the advice is all about bland neutrals, very spare decorating, and no personality. It’s the HGTV-ing of real estate. My creative side rebels. As this story shows, personality done with a designer’s eye can be very appealing.
In the quilt cupboard there is a canvas of a lady…..is it antique or local artist? I would love to know more about the artist.
Wish I knew! Sorry. Maybe she’ll stop by and fill us in.
How darling! Especially the bedrooms! Love it! She certainly has a flare for design:)
LOVE this house, and the other 2 on her website. Fantastic. Love the wallpaper, tile floors, the colorful kitchen (!), the beautiful portraits scattered around, that amazing stove – everything. I’m also very fond of 20s and 30s decorating styles. My Hoosier in the kitchen is one of my favorite pieces of furniture. Thank you for a very enjoyable few minutes perusing this one – I needed it!
Love your blog. You do a great job and it always has a happy feel; not to snobby or braggy, if that is a word. It just feels like you are sharing something you love.
That has to be one of the nicest compliments I’ve gotten. Thanks, Marm! 🙂
I love this house! The wallpaper in the bedroom is so pretty!
Lovely and inspiring.
Had to add another thought. In addition to loving the floors, I completely applaud the brave and beautiful way she used wallpaper. And the SKILL of the paper hanger in that bathroom where the pink paper covers the walls and ceiling with all those angles. However did she do that?!
This is a beautiful house! I always look forward to reading your blog, looking at beautiful houses, even the strange and funny ones, brightens my day too:)
I could just feast my eyes on this house all day. When my husband and I went house hunting a few years back, I went grudgingly to see a house that looked in the listing photos like my dream home on the outside, but the pictures of the interior looked a bit over-the-top colorful. But when we walked in all I felt was happiness. Unfortunately they had accepted an offer before we made ours, but we found another one that we love. I just need to be a bit more adventurous! This is great inspiration.
Love this house – especially those bathrooms! Such fun floors and great uses of color. Don’t get me started on how awesome that family room is – I would love built-ins like that where you could do your thing and still be with the family. Perfect!
I know, right? I love that family room.
Love this!
So pretty and cheerful!
What a happy house! I adore all of the cute cottage touches 🙂
OH MY…I think this is my favorite house ever….and I’ve seen a LOT of houses!
You know I love color and I love this house. I saw it on houzz, too.
Hi Julia I couldn’t utter another word …except Ditto.. So much gorgeousness to take in. I need to go back and admire some more. Thank you for sharing beauty. Regards Esther from Sydney, Oh by the way Hooked On Houses is my happy place. PS in case I don’t get a chance have a Wonderful Mothers Day.
Thanks, Esther! Happy Mother’s Day to you, too! 🙂
I feel I’ve seen my top 5 houses that I just adore & then another one pops up that I fall in love with……this house is absolutely on my list….. It is wonderful in the mix of colors & special touches of character in each room that just make me want to keep looking at everything over & over again…. (Be still my heart)….
I totally know what you mean. This is another “favorite house” of mine now, too!
Love, Love, Love this home!
I saw the article in Houzz about this gorgeous place. Doesn’t the kitchen remind you a bit of Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne’s kitchen, which you featured a while back, Julia? To answer your question, yes, your blog uplifts my day; particularly when I’m feeling a bit down in the dumps. Thank you for your efforts! 🙂
It does have a similar vibe to their kitchen, now that you mention it with the colors and the vintage finds.
Thanks for your kind words, Alie! And in case I haven’t mentioned it lately, I really do appreciate readers like you who stop by every day and join the conversation. 🙂
I thought of Mary Engebreit also. I love this home. I love the reference to Indy. Thank you Julia for your wonderful site. I work from home and I always check your site before I start work. Your site is a quick little escape before I start my work day. Thank you!
Such a great home, saw it on Houzz as well. While I love the kitchen, that pantry is superb and I want that stove, there is too much open shelving in it for me. I could tough it out though if I had to. LOL
Beautiful! I would move there in a second!
And – wow! – we have the exact same “vintage shutters” around the windows in our family room that she has in the bedroom – same color too!
I never saw them anywhere else and love them.
They were in the house when we moved in so I have no idea where they came from.
Yes, Julia! Your blog is a very happy and fun place and always brings me a smile, be sure of that. And not only that, I think I learn a lot here!
I love this house, and I love finding another kitchen with double sinks as mine. I arrived to that solution because farmhoseuse sinks are not very common here so I couldn’t find a large one and I “need” a divided-sink effect to wash my dishes. Now I’m very happy with them.
I enjoy your blog a lot, it’s unique and very interesting.
A big hug! Besos!
Silvina
Hi Silvina! I forgot that you did the same kind of thing in your kitchen with the sinks. Such a clever solution! If anyone missed my post about yours, they can see the photos here: https://hookedonhouses.net/2013/02/06/a-mix-of-new-and-vintage-silvinas-kitchen-in-argentina/. It’s one of my favorites!
Thanks for your kind words. Always nice to hear from you! 🙂
I’m always glad when I see homes filled with colors..I’ve never been a neutrals person.
See? WALLpaper. It is just precious in that bedroom. An apt design can make a room. Plain white walls are boring. Wallpaper gives a space that warm, “homey” feeling. I sense a comeback- wallpaper and closed kitchens. Paper can really run into some big dollars, and I cringe when I see renovators scrape off some vintage paper that just go so well in a room to replace it with stark white paint. Same with wood – hmmm I may be on to something!
Good point, Kristin! A beautiful pattern on the walls really can transform a room.
I enjoy your passion for houses,Julia. There’s always something new, and often different,featured on your blog. I love color and personality which this house has in spades! This would be my dream home! Warm,happy colors and loads of charm! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks, Irma — I appreciate that! 🙂
Thank you Julia! This is just wonderful!!!
I love the colors. Nice post. Thanks Julia.
This is my favorite home EVER! I have to emulate it.Not serious yet functional and so happy.I am starting today in my daughters room we just moved and she is so sad about leaving her home.She will LOVE living in her very own doll house.Thank you for breathing life into my decorating!
Just love this! I love color in my home too . It just makes me happy.
This is just wonderful .This house look more “sophisticated”. I love the colors. This would be my dream home! Thanks for awesome sharing.