My Houzz: Saturated Colors Help a 1920s Fixer-Upper Flourish

Maggie Bohlman turned to the brightest ends of the color spectrum to update her 1927 Spanish-style fixer-upper. Eye-popping blue, green, yellow and pink replaced beige and brown, covering nearly every wall and floor. Summers at New Jersey's Jersey Shore and time spent as a teenager in some of New York City's neon-filled clubs, including Danceteria, inspired the spirited overhaul. "These things all in a way helped shape my love for bright colors," she says.

Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Maggie Bohlman, son Charlie, Spanish Water Dog Bernie Williams, Jr., and cat Halibut
Location: Eagle Rock neighborhood of Los Angeles
Size: 1,830 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms

Peacock-blue walls and magenta accents enliven the family room. The handmade marquee sign is by Ventura artist Scott Coppersmith. Bohlman's former neighbor, an art teacher, helped her narrow down her wall colors. "We brought her a color swatch book and went room by room," Bohlman says. "The space and light really helped make the choices clear."

Wall paint: Peacock Blue, Glidden; suzani pillows: Found Object, Joss and Main; sofa: Crate & Barrel


Custom reclaimed wood shelves with magenta tops span the room; they display Mexican pieces found on Olvera Street in downtown L.A.

Shelves: Scott Coppersmith


This was the state of the living room when Bohlman and son Charlie first moved in. "I'm slowly adding back some Spanish revival touches to the home that it seems were lost during a 1957 remodel," Bohlman says.





AFTER: After ripping out the carpet, Bohlman discovered red oak floors, which she refinished. She also added a slight arch to the door frame. A deep purple rug now dominates the space, and Eva Zeisel sconces cast a soft glow. Bohlman found the Room & Board Jasper sofa for $200 on Craigslist and had it slipcovered. Vintage family photos hang above a piano painted in the same soft aqua color as the walls.

A pair of designer lounge chairs was Bohlman's first "grown-up" purchase; she had them reupholstered in a green retro fabric. She scored the apothecary chest at a salvage yard in Berkeley, California.

Wall paint: Windswept, Dunn-Edwards; embroidered bench: Pallavi Bench, Joss and Main


A print of John F. Kennedy that Bohlman spotted online inspired a collection of memorabilia.


Against the advice of all her friends, Bohlman purchased and installed this owl-patterned Catalina Estrada wallpaper. It's now the star of the show in the petite dining room.

Bubbles Globe Pendant: Lumens; wallpaper: Bloom Papers


Bohlman stores family heirloom dishes in a corner hutch that she found at a salvage yard. Family friend Deborah Wian White's photography and silhouettes of Bohlman's son, dog and cat adorn the walls.

Wall paint: Windswept, Dunn-Edwards


A vintage floral chandelier, subway signs and bright yellow walls energizes an eating area.

Wall paint: Egg Yolk 13A6, True Value; table: Laguna, James Devlin Studio; signs: Going Underground

When to use yellow in the dining room


Apple-green walls and floral-pattern bedding amp up the main bedroom. "It's bright, fun and comfy, and the garden is right there — my dog snuggles with me and my son on the bed," Bohlman says. She took the photograph hanging over her bed during a trip to Thailand.

After fawning over her friend's Marianna Kennedy lamp for years, Bohlman finally splurged on a magenta one of her own, which is now on the nightstand.

Wall paint: Granny Smith Apple, Glidden; suzani blanket: Black Fig Designs; pillow: CasaOtomi


A vibrant fuchsia wall mural by Viktoria Begg, also from Bloom Papers, and a matching pink console add to the playfulness of the room.


The bed in the guest room has a coverlet stitched with a grid of the city of Los Angeles from Haptic Lab.

Wall paint: Granny Smith Apple, Glidden; bookcase: Sapien, Design Within Reach


A chalkboard paint border decorates Charlie's room, which also has geography-theme pieces, like a map-covered toy chest, and handmade letters.

Chest: Drift Studio, Fab; letters: EcoHaus Project, Etsy; bookcase: Expedit, Ikea

Decorate your child's room with chalkboard paint


The house came with what Bohlman describes as "awful 1950s aluminum windows." She worked with Brett Taylor at Taylor Brothers to find a more appropriate version that would honor the home's original Spanish style.


AFTER: The new windows enhance the front facade and provide better insulation. Bohlman also replaced the exterior light fixtures and added potted olive and fig trees.


"When we got here, the yard had no trees, a half cinder block wall for no apparent reason on the patio, an old metal shed and exposed chain link fence," says Bohlman. "It was kinda depressing." She planted privet and bougainvillea, and honeysuckle and black bamboo in planters, to conceal an unsightly fence.

She then installed a 130-inch outdoor screen and a projector to watch movies, like The Thin Man and Breakfast at Tiffany's.

Contractor: Edwin Vides; shade sails: Amazon; chairs: Woodard Sculptura in powder-coated orange; planters: Potted in Atwater Village; succulents: Home Depot


"My home is my castle," says Bohlman, shown here with Charlie. "It may not be as big or as swanky as other people's homes, but it's mine, and I've made it a place for our little family to grow, flourish, laugh and be inspired."

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