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Kimi Encarnacion’s San Clemente home combines vintage furnishings, expressive color and personal collections in a relaxed California setting. With ocean views from the front windows and a favorite surf break nearby, the house reflects both its coastal location and the character of the people who live there.
The stucco house was still in its original condition when Kimi and her family found it. Its previous owners had moved from Chicago in 1965 and lived there for the rest of their lives. The home also came with some of their furniture and kitchen items, giving the space a connection to its earlier history. Kimi saw it as a place to settle in for the long term, rather than as an investment project.
A San Clemente home shaped by vintage finds
Most of the home’s furnishings are vintage, with the sofas as a notable exception. After older 1950s couches proved uncomfortable for the family, Kimi had pink and green sofas made to suit their needs. Their classic-inspired look keeps them in step with the home’s style, while their larger size makes them more practical for everyday use.
Many of the pieces have been collected over years of visits to thrift shops, yard sales and secondhand stores. One standout is a brown, Plycraft-style chair that Kimi spotted at a yard sale. It was not initially for sale, but she made an offer. The chair had belonged to the seller’s grandmother, who brought it from Sweden to the United States. Stories like this show how secondhand furniture can add history as well as function to a room.
For anyone building a vintage collection, a useful approach is to look for pieces that genuinely suit your taste and can work in your home. Checking condition, dimensions and intended use before buying can help make a special find a practical one.
Kimi’s collections include kitschy Oriental-inspired decor, gnomes, pixies and Christmas decorations. She regularly rearranges existing pieces and brings in new objects selectively. Because one change can affect the look and balance of nearby rooms, it can help to consider how a new item will relate to the colors, furniture and objects already in place.
The kitchen’s original linoleum floor had become faded and stained. Instead of replacing it, Kimi refreshed the surface with paint. She lightly sanded and primed the floor, applied two coats of flat interior wall paint, then used watered-down paint in a spray bottle to create a mottled finish. Once dry, she sealed it with three coats of water-based polyurethane. The floor held up to use for about eight years before she painted it again.
This is a budget-conscious option for some floors, but preparation and sealing matter. Before starting, check that the existing flooring is suitable for painting, follow product instructions and allow each layer to dry fully. A small test area can help confirm the finish before covering the whole floor.
Color is central to the home’s look. Kimi enjoys combining shades by considering their lightness and brightness rather than following strict color rules. Red and green remain favorites, joined by gold, peacock blue, orange and pink. White walls in the front rooms provide a lighter backdrop that makes the furnishings and accessories stand out in daylight. Since painted walls are relatively easy to change, trying a color in one area can be a helpful way to see how it looks at different times of day.
A home made for everyday living
Rather than choosing one favorite room, Kimi describes the whole house as a place the family enjoys. Music is part of daily life, with guitars in several rooms and speakers set up at both the front and back of the home. The family has raised their sons there, making the house familiar across generations as well as full of collected objects.
This San Clemente home shows how vintage furniture, meaningful finds and confident color choices can create a cohesive space without relying on a single decorating formula. The most practical takeaway is to make room for pieces that fit your life: consider comfort, use and the way each item feels alongside the rest of your home.
