Modern Organic Materials Elevate A Spanish-Style SoCal Abode

Should a home’s interiors reflect its exterior? It’s a question that sparks constant debate, and one that Lindye Galloway carefully considered when undertaking the renovation of a Spanish Colonial Revival-style home in Orange County’s Shady Canyon community. Built a decade ago, the expansive home showcases many of the markers of this architectural style: terra-cotta roof tiles, stucco walls, arched windows and doorways. The interiors, however, leaned a tad too old-world traditional and formal—think oversize wrought-iron chandeliers and candelabra-like sconces everywhere—for the interior designer’s clients, a young couple that is considering expanding their family. So, when coming up with a plan to modernize and streamline their living spaces, Galloway was determined to introduce what she calls a “modern organic aesthetic” while still honoring the home’s architectural framework. “We knew we wanted to incorporate the Spanish style suggested by the structure, but we also desired more of a natural, earthy feel,” explains the Luxe Next In Design 99 honoree. “We felt we could ease into a modern Spanish Santa Barbara look—I just don’t think the interiors would have felt true to the architecture if we didn’t bring in at least some notes of what existed on the façade.”

Her clients had fallen for the approachable yet sophisticated vibe that defines Galloway’s Instagram grid. The goal, at its essence, was to weave that feeling into their new home. In addition to lightening up the house’s heavier traditional elements, the interior needed to function more effectively for how the owners live. Their home, happily, had “those good bones,” recalls the designer, and only required minor structural changes. Galloway overhauled the primary suite’s layout, found space for a breakfast nook and tucked in some surprising elements. In the living room, for instance, one of the two arched cabinets opens to reveal a hidden bar. She also put a lot of thought into revamping the interior architecture, specifying textured, visually distinctive wall treatments that feature plaster, reeded detailing and natural stone. Modern light fixtures, meanwhile, top off the residence’s different spaces and illuminate curvaceous furnishings throughout. 

“When it comes to integrating traditional Spanish style with modern organic design, I believe you can marry the two in a strong way,” Galloway declares. That union began at the front door. The entryway’s star-and-cross limestone tile is a staple of Mediterranean aesthetics. But in the gray-and-white colorway the designer specified, the effect reads graphic and modern. “We felt like we needed to break up the home’s hardwood floor to curtail its expansiveness,” she explains of her tile choice. Other subtler tweaks also ensure that larger rooms feel cozy rather than cavernous. The kitchen’s beams were placed unevenly on purpose—“a unique touch,” notes Galloway—and a domed niche brings intimacy to a breakfast nook, where banquette seating wraps around one half of a circular table to echo the architecture’s curves. “This was unused space, so we created an arched cove as an intentional focal point,” the designer explains. Her attentiveness extends to the furniture, where rounded contours and soft shapes predominate. The unexpected placement of contemporary sconces also underlines this home’s affability. 

But the finishes are what really elevates this abode in the eyes of general contractor Kane Cassidy: “They’re a fantastic combination of natural and modern materials with layer upon layer of detail.” Achieving these elements wasn’t without effort. He points to the tambour wood walls in the family room and the primary bath as one example of the intricate feat his team tackled. It’s these details, from the stairway’s leather-wrapped handrails to the meticulous lines of tiles in the primary bathroom to the living room’s impactful raked plaster walls that give the home its depth. Cassidy also points out the beams that canopy the living room, family room, primary bedroom and the kitchen, adding even more warmth and texture. “It’s basically like putting flooring on the ceiling,” he quips.

At the end of the day, the project was “about a home that looks intentional and well curated while also being inviting,” Galloway concludes. “Taking something that felt rather formal and traditional and giving it a modern twist—it was such a fun challenge.”