Design house: A laid-back, Mediterranean-style home on Manhattan Beach, California

The homeowner, a mother or two, went from working in finance, to legal marketing, then had a 'fun few years' with Lululemon Athletica, and most recently, a stay at home mom for the past five years.

We talk to Lauren Meichtry about the design project.

'I have always had a creative side and design has been a big part of my life for as long as I can remember. From making my own clothes in high school to completely redecorating my college dorm room, I have always felt the need to make things my own,' says Lauren Meichtry, founder of Elsie Home (opens in new tab).

'When my daughter was born, I started a baby clothing business. Once my son was born though, I decided to devote all of my time and energy to raising my kids.

When my husband's grandmother was moving into assisted living, my father-in-law gifted me Grandma Elsie's vintage sewing machine. This gift truly shifted my life. I felt compelled to carry on her creative legacy through this machine. It's with this machine I started this business and the rest is history.'

THE PROPERTY

'We moved from a coastal-style home in Palos Verdes to this Meditteranean-style home in Manhattan Beach. The style was a real departure for me from a design standpoint. I knew I wanted to remove a lot of the weight and darkness in the home while also being careful not to strip its character. I chose to focus more on refining the home rather than completely redesigning it.

It took about nine months to complete, from start to finish. We were fortunate in that the house was vacant while we were in escrow, and the previous owner allowed us access to plan ahead with our contractor. With that, we were able to move in and immediately begin making modifications.

See:Design house: A colourful home filled with character, designed by Vani Sayeed Studios

LIVING ROOM

My favorite room is our front entry living room. The archways with built in shelves and cabinets frame the limestone fireplace so beautifully. Our contractor tried to convince us to rip the mantle out and I just felt strongly that its bold details gave the room a unique character.

HALL

KITCHEN

BREAKFAST ROOM

FAMILY ROOM

See:Design house: Modern home overlooking the San Francisco Bay, designed by Nest Design Co.

LANDING

BEDROOM

Something I learned from Julia Marcum of Chris Loves Julia (opens in new tab) is not to wait to take on projects, even if that means repainting some cabinets temporarily until you have the budget for the complete renovation. We knew we couldn't take on every project we had in mind from the start, so we prioritised the spaces where we would spend a majority of our time.

I also feel strongly about not following every trend you see on Instagram or Pinterest. You want your home to be timeless and a space you feel most at home. It doesn't matter what other people think as long as you love the final look.'

Photography/ Public 311 Design (opens in new tab)