The Lowland Place
A Warm, Moody Spanish-Style Apartment in Orange, California
Photography by David J Sparks
A warm, moody living and dining space inside a Spanish-style apartment in Orange, California featuring a vintage 1970s striped sofa, marble pedestal dining table, graphite swivel chair, burl wood coffee table, and layered organic modern styling with warm wood tones, original art, and classic Spanish architecture.
The Lowland Place began with a client who knew exactly how he wanted his new place to feel, but had no interest in getting buried in the endless micro-decisions that can drag a project out forever. He wanted something warm, moody, elevated, and collected. A little vintage. A little mid-century. A little western. Beyond that, he trusted me completely to shape the vision and run with it.
Set inside a recently renovated Spanish-style apartment in Orange, California, the space already had incredible bones to work with. Soft arches, warm light, and classic Spanish architecture gave us the perfect foundation for a layered, masculine interior that still feels relaxed and livable.
The first piece we sourced was the sofa. A striped vintage 1970s piece I found locally online that had so much personality I immediately made him go pick it up before someone else could. That sofa became the heartbeat of the entire apartment. From there, we layered deep tobacco tones, burl wood, aged brass, sculptural shapes, original art, and rich textures to create a home that feels collected over time rather than overly designed.
Vintage pieces were intentionally mixed with cleaner modern elements to keep the apartment feeling fresh and grounded.
One of the biggest design challenges was the layout itself. The kitchen is completely separate from the main living area, so we wanted the living room to feel like the place you naturally gravitate toward unless you’re actively cooking. The oversized burl wood coffee table, graphite swivel chair, layered lighting, and conversational layout were all selected with that in mind. This apartment was designed for vinyl nights, football Sundays, casual dinners, and long conversations that accidentally stretch for hours.
We also had to make the apartment work hard functionally without compromising the atmosphere. There wasn’t a natural dining space, so we created one with a marble pedestal table that gives the room presence without overcrowding it. A console table quietly doubles as a work-from-home setup while still blending seamlessly into the living room, proving that functional spaces don’t have to feel corporate or disconnected from the rest of the home.
Warm modern dining area inside a Spanish-style apartment in Orange, California featuring a cowhide rug defining the space, velvet dining chairs, a marble pedestal table, vintage-inspired record player console, original artwork, an organic shaped mirror, layered greenery, and collected moody interiors with mid-century and western influences.
One of my favorite parts of this project was how quickly and cohesively it came together. Without endless revisions or constantly reopening decisions, we were able to source, install, style, and photograph the apartment in record time while maintaining a very strong point of view throughout.
The final result feels warm, textural, masculine, and deeply personal. A collected California apartment with just enough moodiness to keep things interesting.
If you’re looking for an Orange County interior designer who can help create a home that feels layered, personal, and effortlessly lived in, Nested Interior Design offers full-service interior design throughout Southern California and beyond. Inquire here to start creating a space that feels like your own version of home.