before & after: an unbelievable cali remodel full of natural light

we “can’t even” with these “before” photos.

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text by ALYSSA CLOUGH
photography by JASMINE STAR

before

after

You’d never know that this breezy, open home located in Newport Beach, CA, was once a sad, shockingly outdated space—all thanks to Lindye Galloway, an Orange County-based interior designer. And her photographer friend Jasmine Star, of course, who purchased the drab house with her husband, JD. You know a remodel is good when the designer herself can’t even choose her favorite room (it’s currently a four-way tie between the living room, kitchen, cocktail lounge, and patterned tile bathroom). The end aesthetic is simple—modern with a touch of mid-century and LOTS of natural light. Read on to learn more about how Galloway pulled off this (almost) unbelievable transformation.

suspend media console, CB2

WHAT WERE THE HOMEOWNERS’ GOALS FOR THIS REMODEL? They wanted an open floor plan, something light, bright and peaceful. They also wanted a couple moments of “wow” (aka the patterned tile bathroom!) and a style that was both trendy and lasting.

victor leather mirror, CB2

HOW DID YOU DECIDE ON THE OVERALL COLOR PALETTE? This house has so many windows with a lot of natural light. We wanted to accentuate that quality with white and light walls but have a few moments of mood with a splash of navy.

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF THIS DESIGN PROJECT? My favorite part was the transformation of this house! I mean, look at those “before” photos! Crazy, right? This was one of those extremely satisfying projects where you literally change a house and give it a new life.

before

after

before

after

WHAT WERE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES YOU RAN INTO WITH THIS PROJECT? This house presented some challenges (as you can see in those wild before photos!). Parts of the layout didn’t flow well, some walls chopped up the entertaining potential, it had a smaller kitchen with multiple floor types throughout the house and a whole room that wasn’t even permitted. We fixed these problems by blowing out some walls, adding

open shelving

to the kitchen while raising the ceiling, bringing a whole lot of style and of course getting everything permitted and up to code.

wainscott 30″ bar stool, CB2

before

after

THERE ARE SO MANY WINDOWS! AND NATURAL LIGHT! DID THIS INSPIRE ANY OF THE DESIGN? That was the best part – so much natural light! All that light definitely inspired the design. White walls are on trend and using a mix of whites + light greys kept things bright and airy and made the rooms feel even larger. We also wanted to utilize the natural rays to create some really serene areas, like the master bedroom and living room.

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after

WHAT INSPIRED THE DARKER BLUE WALLS IN THE COCKTAIL LOUNGE AND FAMILY ROOM? We wanted to add a little color pop to a couple areas! This family room was the perfect spot for it. It’s a good size room with brand new 12′ bi-fold doors that allow a lot of that light we love and an indoor-outdoor feel. So that room could handle the darker color without closing in the room or making it appear smaller.

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after

And the other perfect spot was the cocktail lounge that leads into the family room but also creates the perfect moody space for whiskey to be served. With navy as the background, brass, walnut, and leather elements were an obvious touch!

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after

DO YOU HAVE ANY TIPS TO PULLING OFF DARKER WALLS? If you’re looking to add that navy touch, think about using it in a room with a lot of windows like we did here! And if that isn’t an option, consider painting just one wall of a room as a feature wall. And seriously… add brass because it’s the perfect combo to navy.

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after

CAN YOU TALK A BIT ON ALL OF THE METALLIC ACCENTS WE SEE THROUGHOUT THE HOME? Metallics are on point right now in design! It’s the perfect addition and adds a pop without being an overwhelming color. The best way to incorporate a metallic color, like we did with brass, is through accessories, lighting, or small accents. It makes for just the right touch!

before

after

CAN YOU TALK A BIT ON ALL OF THE METALLIC ACCENTS WE SEE THROUGHOUT THE HOME? Metallics are on point right now in design! It’s the perfect addition and adds a pop without being an overwhelming color. The best way to incorporate a metallic color, like we did with brass, is through accessories, lighting, or small accents. It makes for just the right touch!WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MEMORY OF THIS DESIGN PROCESS?My fave memory has to be working with these amazing, stylish clients that were open to pouring creativity in every corner of this house! And I’ll never forget the transformation!

Alyssa Clough

Writer/Editor

Alyssa is a Brooklyn-based maximalist and vintage addict who is always on the hunt for something—a new piece of collage art, more plant babies, yet another ceramic vessel, you get the picture. Obsessions include bold accent walls, living a sustainable, eco-friendly lifestyle, and supporting female artists and makers. Find her on Instagram ignoring her phone’s screen time alerts.