This SoCal Home Is Full of Thoughtful Art and Warmth

While searching for a Southern California residence to call her own, Amber Sokolowski, founder of Soko Design, fell in love with a country home with mid-century decor and plenty of sunshine. She knew she could design the space to best suit her family’s needs.

“One of the first places I visited that inspired mid-century architecture was Palm Springs,” says the designer. “I think the desert and mid-century architecture are a great combination.”

The one-story, 2,350-square-foot home is home to Sokolowski, her husband and two young children, ages 6 and 3. While Sokolowski liked some of the space’s features, she wasn’t particularly drawn to the existing interior design.

“It was covered in wall mirrors and fluffy white rugs, which we didn’t like,” she said.

Sokolowski bought the house knowing she wanted to remove all the mirrors, replace the floors and clean out the kitchen and bathrooms while maintaining the mid-century feel and original architecture.

She also wants to highlight some of the larger structural changes. For starters, the master bathroom and walk-in closet are suboptimal, and the house doesn’t have a washing machine. However, these tasks do not require a lot of space.

By simply adding 215 square feet to the front of the house, Sokolovsky was able to customize the main room to his liking and include a laundry room.

Sokolovsky also made some changes to the outdoor space and removed the enclosed yard to create more play space for his children in the backyard. She also tried to combine indoor and outdoor living in her home by removing the sliding glass doors leading to the outdoors and replacing them with folding doors.

It was the desert-themed photograph hanging in the entryway—Sokolovsky’s first purchase for the home—that determined the home’s design and color palette.

“California has very mild weather year-round, so it’s great to be able to take advantage of that,” Sokolowski said.

“I want the audience to be surprised as soon as they walk in,” she said. “I chose the color of the sofa to complement the photo, as well as the blue accents.”

The designer also kept in mind the combination of browns, creams and greens—neutrals that she loves and can’t get enough of.

Sokolowski appreciates rooms with contrasting textures that match her personal space. “We have velvet, jacquard, leather, wood and acrylic, all on display,” she says.

It was important for the designer that her home be not only stylish, but also practical.

“We didn’t want to sacrifice the TV in the living room just for aesthetics, so I’m glad we were able to install Frame TV,” she says. This way, when not in use, the TV will blend seamlessly with the rest of your decor.

Sokolowski also bought a rope similar to the one hanging in her dining area from a fellow designer’s studio to initially hang from the bar ceiling, but after trying it out, she realized it was too big.

Instead, Sokolowski turned to artist Jim Olarte, who commissioned a custom piece (see here) that would better suit her home.

“We love how it turned out and think it’s a great example of the desert-meets-ocean vibe,” she says, claiming the rope installation is her favorite piece in the home.

Sokolovskaya especially loves him because he can be seen from many rooms and he makes her happy when she passes by him every day.

The kitchen is also home to a host of luxury amenities, including a large walk-in refrigerator, an appliance garage, instant hot water taps and a cobbler, all of which Sokolovsky considers a great treat.

Instead of using real marble on countertops, she used the material on kitchen backsplashes and hood trims. She also added a bar and pantry to provide additional storage space. This is ideal for her family as they tend to store a lot of things that can be carefully organized.

When designing the bedroom, Sokolovsky specifically designed the headboard of the bed in the master bedroom.

“I first fell in love with the ombre Phillip Jeffries wallpaper I used on the wall behind it,” she says.

She then turned to her fabric library for something to complement the wall covering and settled on a burgundy Schumacher velvet. Sokolovsky likes the idea of ​​the headboard extending behind the nightstand, as shown below.

She currently sleeps on a California King but wants to upgrade to an Eastern King and appreciates that the headboard will fit that way too.

Sokolovsky, who is of Korean and Mexican descent, included many works by artists of color and further explained the importance of art in his space.

“I love finding art from everywhere, and it’s especially rewarding when I feel a connection with the artist,” she says.

According to Sokolowski, one of the biggest challenges of the project was creating visual interest in the house, which has a lot of large walls and high ceilings.

“I wanted to create some eye-catching moments that had a wow factor without being overwhelming,” she says, noting that integrating different types of art and decor helped achieve that goal.

“There are a variety of objects at different heights that keep the eyes moving and provide visual stimulation.”

Sokolowski mainly appreciated that the finished home was very convenient for her family’s needs. She explained that they had everything they needed and that the space seemed very functional and safe and perfect for her two young children.

“Everything is so open that our children can run around the house without fear,” she said.