After living in the trendy Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles, a young Hollywood couple—she a talent agent, he a TV news producer—wanted to resettle in a more family-friendly area to raise their two preschool-age daughters. They found their bliss in an unexpected place: a frozen-in-time 1960s house that had been untouched for 58 years, located in a quaint part of Studio City.

At 3,000 square feet, with a backyard big enough for a pool, the house was the right scale for the growing family, but its time-capsule features—dark corridors, closed-off kitchen, mother-in-law apartment—required a revamp. For that, the couple turned to interior designer Jaqui Seerman, who honed her trade at the blue-chip firms of Martyn Lawrence Bullard, Madeline Stuart, and Waldo Fernandez before striking out on her own ten years ago.

Working with Kingsley-Stephenson Architecture, Seerman opted for a light remodel, focusing on updating the house’s communal areas, converting the guest apartment into a bright office, and increasing natural light throughout. “Our clients also wanted to preserve some of the original charm, so we kept the entry’s slate floor, the flagstone fireplace, and distinctive door hardware,” she adds.

Large picture windows, boxed skylights, and sliding glass doors now carry plenty of sunlight to the interior spaces, which amplify the light in shades of white. On top of the added sense of openness and luminosity, salon-style art and nature-inspired patterns are really make the home sing.

“We strive to keep things lighthearted, and our clients embraced the idea of color-drenched spaces filled with patterns and shapes that complement the period of the house without being overly literal,” says Seerman. “This allowed us to create an environment that feels both current and midcentury, with 1930s furniture silhouettes, European pieces, new artisanal creations, and playfully contemporary art.”

In the dining room, Kit Kemp’s Mythical Land wallpaper panels for Andrew Martin and a silk-shaded octagonal pendant light call to mind Bullard’s brand of sumptuous exoticism, translated by Seerman into a lighter vernacular.  The Josef Frank fabric covering a large daybed brings a delightful burst of flowers into the living room, while Antoinette Poisson’s floral Jaïpur wallpaper adds a cheerful surprise in the laundry room.

Still, it’s the art that really tugs at the heart. The homeowners worked with local art advisor Cris McCall, curating a collection that “radiates joy, creativity, and empowerment,” says Seerman. The focal piece of the living room’s gallery wall is an embroidered work by Greek-Swiss artist Iliodora Margellos; surrounding it is an array of colorful pieces, including a painting of a woman in a blue dress (discovered at the Rose Bowl flea market) and a pastel drawing of the homeowner’s father (sketched by Eva Prager in 1952) that adds a layer of personal history. “A particularly special touch was the discovery of a photograph of the original owners on their wedding day, taken in front of the house, that we framed and included,” adds Seerman.

In the office, a cluster of works pays homage to the husband’s roots: there’s a framed Paul Robeson concert bill featuring pianist Ellen Ballon, a famous relative; a cheeky tourism poster promoting Nova Scotia, where he grew up; a photograph of Lake Louise in Alberta, Canada; and a magazine cover signed by Rita Moreno.

“Our goal is simple: to create enduring designs that evolve into cherished legacies,” says Seerman. “After establishing a simplified foundation, I drew inspiration from my clients’ individuality to create an environment that felt deeply personal to them.” As a result, the now-four-bedroom, four-bath house is imbued with just the right amount of boldness and personality to nourish a young family’s spirits for years to come.