A Los Feliz Gem: Inside Interior Designer Mariah O’Brien’s Spanish Revival

Tucked away in Los Feliz, a hip, neighborhood enclave in Los Angeles, sits an historic Spanish Revival owned by interior designer Mariah O’Brien. Growing up in the Laurel Canyon area of Los Angeles gave O’Brien the sense of history and quality about the neighborhood so, when the opportunity to own a home in nearby in Los Feliz came about, it was the perfect time to put her design skills to use.

O'Brien is a fan of Dunn-Edwards Paints and, as a former abstract expressionist painter, she is a master of color, as well as white hues. Using this gift, she is unafraid of color, adventurous in design and always in search of the next inspiration.

Japan, a favorite travel destination of O'Brien's, inspires a harmonious melding of nature within architecture, as well as a fine line of restraint in some of the design work. Morocco, another favorite destination, encourages her love for blue. The inspiration for the bold use of Dunn-Edwards color DE5838 Summer Lake was inspired by a trip to Morocco prior to moving into her home. “I traveled to Morocco just before I moved into this house, and I fell in love with the colors of that country,” O’Brien said. “I decided I would paint the living room blue and chose Dunn-Edwards’ Summer Lake. It draws you in.”

In a recent interview with Curbed magazine, she further explained her love of Spanish style. “I love modern architecture and I’ve worked on many contemporary projects, but for my own life, this house is perfect. The Spanish style lends itself to an eclectic decor with big, vintage pieces that wouldn’t be at home in a post-and-beam house,” O’Brien said. “Here, I can combine things like a Noguchi coffee table and a Moroccan hutch and it works, where it might not in some stark modern spaces.”

Moving throughout the home, both inside and out, a series of Dunn-Edwards colors are infused within the eclectic, well-curated space. With a sense of clear intention to the design vision, as well as a joy and love
of design, O’Brien’s personalized vision of home is achieved. To learn more about O'Brien, visit Learn more about Mariah O'brien

Dunn-Edwards Colors

• Living Room: DE5838 Summer Lake
• Dining Room/Hallway/Sitting Room/Kitchen: DEW381 Droplets
• Kitchen Cabinets: DET513 California Sagebrush
• Exterior (front and back): DEW386 Precious Pearls
• Exterior (front entrance): DEW386 Precious Pearls. DEA183 Dark Shadows (ceiling)

All images with permission and courtesy of Marcia Prentice