A Modern Take on a Historic Gem: Our Spanish Revival Home Furnishing Project
When our clients traded their mid-century modern home for a historic designated Spanish Revival house in the heart of Sunset Cliffs, they knew instantly that their existing furniture wouldn’t translate. The architecture was so special and historic, and needed furnishings that felt aligned. They wanted this home to feel like them—but also wanted to honor the incredible architecture that makes a Spanish Revival home so beloved.
That’s where we came in.
This furnishing project was a dream: a gorgeous historic backdrop, clients with great taste, and a treasure trove of meaningful family heirlooms—original artwork in our client’s personal collection and ceramics lovingly thrown and glazed by her mother. Our job was to weave together their modern aesthetic, their history, and the home’s architecture to create layered spaces that feel inviting, personal, and deeply connected to the story of the house.
Today, we’re revealing the full home and walking you room by room through the transformation. Along the way, you’ll find shoppable links to key pieces and at the end, our tried-and-true designer tips for sourcing vintage—because the magic of this project is all in the layers of age and patina. You simply cannot recreate spaces like these with all-new furniture.
This home is proof that character is created through layers: personal pieces, imperfect vintage finds, and thoughtfully curated new furnishings. That’s how a house becomes a home.
The Entryway: A Warm Welcome Rooted in Simplicity
The entry to this historic home is flooded with natural light thanks to a breathtaking large window original to the house. With such strong architectural details already in place, we intentionally kept the furnishings minimal and calming.
A simple upholstered bench provides a practical landing spot for putting on shoes. Above it, a clean-lined mirror catches the afternoon light and offers that final moment of self-check before heading out the door. A small marble accent table brings in natural texture that will patina beautifully over time—we love a little imperfection.
One of the most meaningful touches: a stunning piece of original art by our client’s uncle. Paired with a bespoke plant and an earthy wool rug, the space feels warm, open, and uncluttered. It sets the tone for the entire home: personal, intentional, and deeply connected to the past.
Get the Look: Spanish Revival Entry Way
The Living Room: Conversational, Sun-Drenched, and Filled With Soul
The living room is truly the heart of this home. Large windows and doors on every wall invite light to pour in from sunrise to sunset, and a sculptural plaster fireplace anchors the space with old-world charm.
We approached this room with one priority: conversation. The layout centers around an airy arrangement of upholstered seating designed for long talks with friends, slow weekend mornings, and cozy evenings by the fire.
Family heirlooms became the design’s grounding force. We hung a pair art from our client’s collection on the back wall, flanking the arched picture window. Ceramics created by our client’s mother fill the built-in niches—each piece a reminder of her legacy.
To bounce even more light around the room, we added a large floor mirror. The oversized glass-top coffee table brings an unexpected layered texture with its sculptural base and provides a place to style even more personal treasures.
The palette here is airy and grounded: creams, olive greens, and rust tones—colors that feel timeless and perfectly aligned with the home’s architecture.
Get the Look: Spanish Revival Living Room
The Dining Room: Where Vintage Meets Modern Entertaining
If there was one space designed for gatherings, this is it. Our client’s love to host, so we created an inviting space for all of their friends and family. The vintage rug—rich, warm, and beautifully worn—became the foundation for everything. We sourced an expansive dining table with clean, modern lines and paired it with chairs featuring striking geometric backs—a detail that matters when you view the back of the chairs more often than the front.
The room’s large plaster fireplace creates a dramatic centerpiece, so we anchored each end of the space with complementary consoles. One console offers closed storage for entertaining essentials, while the other has open shelving with organic texture for displaying vintage accents.
We intentionally mixed wood tones here to create a collected, timeworn feel. Nothing here feels “set” or overly matched. That’s the secret to making a new furnishing project look instantly lived-in.
Original art ties into the deep reds of the rug—including a personal family treasure we love: a photograph of our client’s grandmother’s hands kneading dough. While not pictured, it’s one of the details that makes this room feel like home.
We finished the space with a large limestone planter housing a sculptural plant, adding movement and texture to the corner of the room, and thoughtful details and accents throughout.
Get the Look: Spanish Revival Dining Room
The Family Room: Comfort Without Compromise
This room is where real life happens. For a family who loves movie nights, we knew comfort had to come first. We sourced a giant, incredibly deep sectional that practically begs you to curl up for a nap. Layered with soft pillows and cozy throws, the seating instantly becomes the most inviting spot in the home.
Because the room connects to two different courtyards via French doors, traffic flow was key. We added leather ottomans for flexible extra seating that can easily move around the room as needed.
Flanking yet another amazing plaster fireplace (this home is blessed), we placed matching media consoles with oversized linen lamps—because ambient lighting is everything in a family space.
We finished the room with a small black-and-white photograph from our client’s collection, paired with a custom plant to bring warmth and life to the corner.
Get the Look: Spanish Revival Family Room
The Primary Bedroom: Ocean Views & Organic Layers
Few bedrooms boast a view like this one. French doors open to an ocean panorama, and an asymmetrical curved fireplace brings romance and softness to the space.
We selected an upholstered bed for comfort, paired with nightstands offering concealed storage. Over the bed hangs a custom bent-wood art piece by Katie Gong—its movement reminiscent of the waves visible through the doors.
A small seating area near the fireplace provides a spot to read, unwind, or simply enjoy the view. A bench at the foot of the bed completes the layout.
One of our favorite details is the small styling moment in the curved arch entryway to the bedroom: low shelves, a mirror, three of her mother’s ceramics, vintage books, and a tabletop plant. It’s unexpected, contained, and soulful.
As for bedding—the layered striped look is what makes it feel collected and lived-in. We always begin with the softest sheets as a base, then add a linen duvet and finish with a contrasting stripe throw blanket for depth.
Get the Look: Spanish Revival Bedroom
The Office: Simple, Functional, and Designed With Intention
This small office is a perfect example of how a few well-chosen pieces can make a room feel intentional. A clean-lined desk and comfortable desk chair set the foundation. A pair of poufs provides subtle extra seating. The space is grounded with a locally sourced vintage rug and finished with a full-height bespoke plant—because every workspace needs life, movement, and a touch of green.
And yes, it also has a view of the ocean. Dreamy.
Get the Look: Spanish Revival Office
Designer Tips: How to Shop Vintage Like a Pro
Vintage pieces are the soul of this home—and of so many of our projects. If you want to layer enriching, character-filled items into your space, here are our best insider tips:
1. Take Your Time
Vintage shopping is not a one-day errand. It’s a treasure hunt. Keep searching, stay patient, and trust that the right piece will eventually appear. And if you find something you love but don’t have a spot for yet—get it! It won’t be there later.
2. Embrace Imperfection
Cracks, fading and patina make vintage pieces special. These histories bring authenticity and texture to your home in a way that new pieces simply cannot.
3. Do Your Research
Understanding the era, material, origin, and condition of a piece helps you evaluate price and authenticity. When in doubt—google similar items, browse comps, and learn what makes a piece valuable.
4. My Favorite Sources
Etsy (I’ve gotten some surprisingly great pieces here!)
Local shops! Especially Olive Ateliers (LA) and Common Goods (San Diego)—my personal go-tos for in-person treasure hunting.
Historic Spanish Revival Design: A Collected, Layered Approach
Designing this Spanish Revival home was such a reminder of why we love furnishing projects so much—there’s nothing quite like blending meaningful heirlooms, vintage finds, and modern pieces to create a space that feels personal, soulful, and truly lived-in. Every room in this home tells a story, both of the architecture and of the people who live here, and that balance is what makes a house feel timeless.
If you'd like to see even more from this home, you can view the full gallery in our portfolio. And if you’re dreaming of creating a warm, collected home of your own but want a designer’s eye to guide the process, we’d love to help. You can inquire to work with us below—we can't wait to hear about your project.