Houzz Tour: Elegant and Eclectic Femininity

For a great deal of homeowners, it’s easy to get lost in the constraints of retail. Starting off, you have the ideal vision of how your house should seem, but if you start shopping nothing looks quite right. For Amanda Malson and Jolene Ballard of Domicile Interior Design, this ever-present issue has a remarkably simple solution. While performing the inside for Ballard’s apartment, they customized the furniture to get the look they desired. When they could not find what they’re searching for on the store floor, they scour flea markets and Craigslist. Their finds are almost always reupholstered, refinished, or repainted.

Malson and Ballard have a look that can only be described as diverse. Both were hotel designers in a Los Angeles-based hospitality company, and decided to open Domicile Interior Layout after becoming friends. With their impeccable design and bright customizations, they were able to transform Ballard’s Orange County apartment by a cookie-cutter’90s abode to a special and fashionable mixture of classic, modern and timeless designs.

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Ballard’s workplace is an exercise in contemporary femininity. The pair chose a neutral palette marked with bold accessories, and brought in plenty of gold accents to add heat. The neutral palette will permanently remain in design, and it’s simple background for mixing and matching furniture and accessories.

The brilliant ochre desk chair is one of their favorite pieces. Located on Craigslist, they had it reupholstered in a daring golden velvet. The desk is really an IKEA dining table — a place of simplicity in the middle of eye-catching decor — and the magic blue linen stool has been found at a flea market and reupholstered in fabric from Scalamandre.

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Shimmering knickknacks and tchotchkes adding personal flair to the diversely decorated apartment. The dining table-turned-desk does not have drawers, so boxes from IKEA and trays from the flea market behave as elegant storage solutions.

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A clever little fighter (another enjoyable flea market find) accents a sparkling gold menu, highlighting the feminine warmth of the space. While Malson and Ballard pride themselves on having the ability to interpret their design into any proper look for the customers, this residence is a true representation of their own style. “Being your own designer allows you to have the liberty to express your personal design style and tastes,” states Malson.

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A jaw-dropping bit of classic wall artwork discovered on Craigslist immediately commands attention in the office. The delicate brass structure captures the light — only so — and casts soft shadows on the wall. The unique tasseled table lamps have been restored classic finds. The console has been discovered at a flea market, also Malson and Ballard topped it using Ballard’s own milk glass collection.

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The living area is Ballard and Malson’s favorite room in the apartment. “It’s sort of timeless modern meets traditional modern,” states Malson. The decor was inspired by some of Ballard’s mid-century furniture, so that they opted for easy, structured furniture, reupholstered in organic linen fabrics. The ottoman was discovered on Craigslist. They put a cute tray on top and voila! A new coffee table.

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Custom coral-colored curtains let warm light filter into the cozy space. “This distance certainly leans towards a more feminine approach,” states Malson. “The usage of soft neutrals combined with turquoise and pinks in the artwork all work with all the soft and muted colors. It has a wonderful feel.”

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Mid-century chairs found on Craigslist were refinished and reupholstered to match the soft lotion of the sofa. A sisal rug grounds that the living room with an organic texture and works superbly with all the room’s vibrant and bold accessories.

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The table lamps were another miracle Craigslist find, and also the side tables were picked up in the flea market and refinished with glass tops and gold paint. “The vast majority of our furniture is custom made to your space — based on several inspiration pictures,” states Malson. “The remaining things are blessed finds that we just enhanced to fit together with our design.”

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A framed Latvian textile adds a slightly austere touch to the dining area. A contemporary CB2 dining table is flanked by seats from Craigslist, reupholstered in cloth by Maharam.

Gold Designs are available all throughout the area — by the end on the light fixture, to the accessories on the desk, to the stripes in the rug. The subtle gold splashes both match and warm the icy blue upholstery on the seats.

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While the house has been done in a really clear palette — neutral backdrop with bold pops of colour — that the master bedroom is the one exception. “We wanted the area to feel intimate,” states Malson. “So we decided to go with a dark navy blue for several of the walls and ceiling. It made the space cozy, as a bedroom should be.” Considering that the walls are such a statement on their own, they opted for simpler bedroom textiles with subtle details. A custom made linen headboard with nailheads offsets crisp white bedding and white pillows with custom lace accents.

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Mirrors from Home Goods reflect light from classic table lamps round the area, helping the space to feel cozy, instead of stifling. Clean, refinished side tables seem clean and crisp contrary to the navy wall.

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Vignettes throughout the house make it clear just how much Malson and Ballard listen to the little things. Each detail helps tie the room together in an entirely natural way. By way of instance, the framed antique lace next to the bed echoes the lace pillows on the bedspread, adding something authentic and meaningful to the space.

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The apartment is chock filled with sweet details which produce the difference between a house and a house. A zebra striped copy of I Married Adventure by Osa Johnson is one of those personal touches. Although its a well-known design prop, the author is a native of Malson’s Kansas hometown, and she carefully collects photos of the book used in design shoots.

More thoughts:
The’Three Cs’ of Feminine Seat Flair
Simply Luxury: Girly Modern Style
Collections: Create Art With the Things You Love

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