While touring an open house with longtime clients in Los Angeles’s historic Hancock Park neighborhood, designer Jake Arnold knew they had stumbled upon a gem. Though it was in need of updating, the Tudor-style home with quirky details charmed the group.

Arnold brought in furniture that matched the aesthetic of his clients. Instead of going with antiques to perfectly match the home’s architecture, midcentury and contemporary pieces were purchased to make the interiors feel up-to-date, but not too formal. He also worked in statement lighting fixtures by Apparatus and Rewire LA to “juxtapose between the more traditional aspects of the house.”

“We wanted it to go in a sophisticated direction, especially in the main spaces, but also still have the relaxed, California sensibility where everything is really usable,” Arnold explains. The clients are relatively color-averse, preferring whites and neutrals. Under those directives, Arnold says, “I really think about textures and colors that have a richness to them yet still feel very livable.” Without the proper mix, the rooms could read flat and sterile.