Deluxe California home

Marc and Melissa Palazzo bought their two-storey home in southern California 8 years ago. 'We loved the house but it was compartmentalized and disjointed,' says Melissa. 'Our vision was for an open-plan space, as light as possible, with a strong connection between inside and out.'


The couple, who run interior design business Pal & Smith, worked with architect Henry Buckingham to extend the house, creating a new dining room and a double-height family room, with a mezzanine 'mini loft apartment' for the children, as well as extra skylights and glass doors opening onto the
garden.

Now the simple white kitchen leads seamlessly into a long living area. 'I compare our living area to a train carriage, divided into three zones,' says Melissa. There is the sitting area, where two of their own sofas sit under an antique chandelier from Marc's father, a study zone, and an intimate nook by the fireplace.

Upstairs rooms are cool and airy with ceiling fans juxtaposed with antique chandeliers, walls of diaphanous white curtains concealing wardrobes and skylights to let the sunshine in.