How a highly productive collaboration among a trio of creative Angelenas—and a good dose of Barragán—turned a dark and beleaguered midcentury house into a family home for the ages. The resulting design acquired its own flow, full of colorful narrative, spirited counterpoint, and anecdote. Now, in place of dark, disconnected spaces, outdoor rooms echo luminous indoor ones, and experimental filmmaker Laura Purdy and her family’s eclectic collections of art and personal artifacts share space with flashes of pattern and interior planes of saffron and pink stucco. Photo 1 of 5 in How to Decorate With Yellow (Without the Smiley-Face Connotations) by Heather Corcoran from A Fresh Dose of Color Livens Up This Midcentury Los Angeles Home

How to Decorate With Yellow (Without the Smiley-Face Connotations)

1 of 5

A paint color called American Cheese (from Benjamin Moore) might seem particularly daunting, but when combined with other vibrant choices (like Benjamin Moore's Blushing Bride) it feels right at home in this sunny renovation in Los Angeles's Los Feliz neighborhood.

How a highly productive collaboration among a trio of creative Angelenas—and a good dose of Barragán—turned a dark and beleaguered midcentury house into a family home for the ages. The resulting design acquired its own flow, full of colorful narrative, spirited counterpoint, and anecdote. Now, in place of dark, disconnected spaces, outdoor rooms echo luminous indoor ones, and experimental filmmaker Laura Purdy and her family’s eclectic collections of art and personal artifacts share space with flashes of pattern and interior planes of saffron and pink stucco.