A Neutral Family Home Gets a Jolt of Personality with Color

There was nothing really wrong with this four-bedroom, three-bathroom family home in San Diego. Structurally, it was in great shape, considering it was built in 2019. It was roomy enough for a young family and located in a peaceful cul-de-sac. But for the owners, it need a little something extra.

Originally, they had brought in Sarah Kaplan of Blythe Interiors to create a pantry and update their dining room, but ended up asking her to give it some oomph after she showed them her vision for tying the kitchen, dining room, and family room together.

Natalia Robert

“Pre-renovation, the interior was very neutral with a lot of whites, beiges, and grays,” she says. “The dining room consisted of just a single table with two makeshift pantry cabinets and featured no art or color. The biggest issues were ultimately that the spaces needed a massive infusion of style and character that matched our client’s fun-loving personality and appreciation for modern design, rich color, and texture. They also desperately needed extra storage and a dining room that not only looked gorgeous, but that could seat more people while not taking up too much real estate.” In addition to more personality and storage space, the family also wanted to create a space that was durable for their young daughter and pets.

Natalia Robert

Sarah and her team’s plan for the kitchen, dining, and family areas was to create an open, airy, and cohesive space—a seamless open-floor plan. When it came time to choose the color palette, it started with a sweater. Yes, a piece of clothing! 

“At the consultation, the client was wearing a saffron-colored sweater, and had a few pops of that color in their home already, like the curtains in the living room,” she says. “After learning that it was one of her favorite colors, this guided the color palette as the main focal color. She showed us pictures of minimal, modern homes with neutral color palettes that included small pops of rich color and architectural lighting. After seeing her inspiration photos, we knew exactly the style direction to go.”

Natalia Robert

In the family room, a large sectional is the focus—it’s large enough for family movie nights or bigger gatherings. It’s paired with a marble coffee table and side table, plus a modern pendant for visual interest. “Small pops of rich saffron and calming sage balance beautifully with the organic materials and neutral accessories,” Sarah says. “All of these elements together helped us achieve a space that feels energized yet also calming and serene.”

Natalia Robert

The built-in pantry the clients wanted was added in the dining room, along with a custom corner banquette for even more storage (it has under-seat drawers). The color palette and pattern themes are continued in the space with custom-upholstered chairs and deep sage cabinetry.

Natalia Robert

“The kitchen didn’t need much, just a little injection of freshness and some elements to tie it into the other spaces,” Sarah explains. “A trio of updated, sleek aged brass pendants introduce a warm, modern feel. We carried the brass accents onto the cabinetry with this beautiful, brushed brass semi-circle hardware—the same hardware featured on the adjacent pantry cabinetry, establishing a sense of harmony.” Green leather and brass pulls on the lower cabinets and drawers add even more charm.

Natalia Robert

Now the three rooms are a cohesive open space with just the right amount of color, pattern, and accents. And the clients really appreciate how the space represents their personalities. “They’re thrilled! On the aesthetic side, they’re such fun-loving, creative people with great style and they love having a home that finally reflects their personalities,” Sarah says. “From a functional standpoint, it has added so much storage space, as well as a great entertaining area to host everything from casual weekday dinners with their young daughter to weekend get-togethers and larger family gatherings.”