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Kimi Encarnacion’s colorful vintage home in San Clemente, California, combines ocean views, secondhand furniture, and a deeply personal approach to decorating. Rather than following a coordinated showroom style, the rooms bring together years of collecting, bold color combinations, and pieces with their own histories.
A Colorful Vintage Home Built Around Staying Put
The small stucco house was still in original condition when Encarnacion and her family found it. With ocean views from the front windows and a favorite surf break just minutes away, it offered the setting they wanted for a long-term home rather than an investment.
The previous owners had moved from Chicago in 1965 and remained there for the rest of their lives. Some of their furniture and kitchen items stayed with the house, giving the new household a tangible connection to its past.
Decorating takeaway: Before replacing everything in an older home, consider which existing pieces are useful or meaningful. Retaining a few can help preserve its character.
Vintage Style Without Sacrificing Comfort
According to Encarnacion, the sofas are the exception to an otherwise vintage-filled interior. Her earlier 1950s couches suited the look, but her family found them uncomfortable. Custom-made pink and green replacements kept classic silhouettes while offering larger proportions and more comfortable seating.
The lesson is practical: a room can retain its vintage identity without making every piece old. For frequently used seating, check seat depth, back support, and overall dimensions before committing to appearance alone.
Finding Secondhand Pieces With a Story
Encarnacion began visiting thrift shops weekly in high school and collected furniture and decorative objects long before furnishing this house. Her sources have included yard sales, gifts, and a favorite shop that buys estate contents.
A brown chair in the front room came from a yard sale, although it was not originally offered for sale. It had belonged to the seller’s grandmother, who brought it from Sweden to the United States and kept it throughout her life.
When shopping secondhand, look beyond surface appeal. Check furniture for loose joints, damaged upholstery, and dimensions that may make it difficult to move through your doorways.
Collections That Keep the Rooms Evolving
Gnomes, pixies, Christmas decorations, and kitschy Asian-inspired objects are among Encarnacion’s collecting interests. A new find often prompts rearrangements throughout the house, keeping the interior in motion.
Despite that appetite for change, her selection process is deliberate: an object needs to inspire genuine enthusiasm before joining the collection. A similar approach can make eclectic decorating feel personal rather than indiscriminate. Keep everyday essentials in consistent locations so changing displays do not disrupt daily routines.
The Painted Kitchen Floor: An Update With Important Caveats
The kitchen retained its original linoleum, which had become stained and faded. Instead of replacing it, Encarnacion painted the surface as a less expensive alternative.
Her reported process involved light sanding and priming, followed by two coats of flat interior wall paint. She then sprayed diluted paint to create the pattern and finished the dry surface with three coats of water-based polyurethane. She reported redoing the kitchen floor after about 8 years of use.
Before attempting a similar project: This account describes one homeowner’s results, not a universally suitable flooring method. Older flooring and adhesives may contain asbestos and should not be sanded or otherwise disturbed without appropriate assessment. Once the material is confirmed safe, choose compatible products rated for the intended floor use and follow their preparation, ventilation, and curing instructions.
Combining Bold Colors Through Light and Intensity
Red and green form the foundation of Encarnacion’s palette, with gold, peacock blue, orange, and generous amounts of pink added over time. Her approach emphasizes how lightness and brightness interact rather than strict color-matching rules.
At the time of the original account, the front rooms had been painted white only a few months earlier. Encarnacion appreciated their airy daytime appearance and the contrast with colorful furnishings, but felt less enthusiastic about the effect at night.
Test paint samples beside your furniture in both daylight and evening lighting. A wall color that feels fresh in sunlight can look noticeably different under lamps.
A Home Designed for Everyday Life
Music is part of the atmosphere, with guitars throughout the rooms and large speakers at the front and back of the house. The family raised their boys here, fulfilling their original hope of finding a place to stay.
The enduring appeal of this colorful vintage home lies in its balance of expressive decorating and ordinary family needs. Keep what matters, prioritize comfort where it counts, and let a collection develop over time rather than trying to complete every room at once.
