Ellen Pompeo balances a rustic base and blue accents for a playful Spanish revival living room – it's a lesson in layering with intention

If anybody has the perfect home to experiment with Spanish revival style, it's Ellen Pompeo. It is perhaps unsurprising, then, that her living room is one of the finest examples of southern European-inspired decorating we've ever seen – but the secret is in its strategic accent pieces.

Curated by celebrity-favorite designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard, the Los Feliz living room serves as the perfect Spanish revival backdrop. It exhibits arched windows and doorways, tiled flooring, a marble fireplace, and a limewashed neutral base, all epitomizing the trend. However, Pompeo's blue accents (best seen through the chairs, lamp, and artwork) offer a playful twist that breaks conventions and sets her space aside.

Incorporating blue (or any bold accent colors not traditionally associated with the Spanish revival style) involves being strategic. The key to Pompeo-inspired sucsess involves striking a perfect balance and staying true to the spirit of your home, as Kasandra Rafter, the principal designer at Canyon Creative Design, explains.

'Spanish Revival architecture holds a special place in our hearts at Canyon Creative. It’s rich in history, brimming with soul, and offers an organic character that is simply timeless. Whether we’re working on a meticulously restored home with grand domed entryways and iron-clad doors or a more relaxed California version with white plaster walls and classic red tile roofs, we always let the architecture itself guide our design choices,' Rafter says.

'When it comes to incorporating bold accents, like vibrant blue or green furniture, it’s all about balance and staying true to the spirit of the home. The key is to embrace the energy of the location and the home’s unique history.'

Together with Bullard, Pompeo found a balance. Her blue accent furnishings feel playful (and, in the case of the chairs, luxurious), but they don't overwhelm the room. Alternatively, Rafter recommends introducing vibrancy through rustic features like zellige tiles and upholstered furniture that are as classic as they are contemporary.

'Recently, we completed a project in the Hollywood Hills, a 1920s Spanish Revival that carried the weight of its classic architecture but invited us to infuse a bit of Hollywood’s colorful character. We curated a palette that respected the home’s roots while adding a modern twist, featuring Rojo Alicante marble, burnt orange zellige tiles, and deep olive-green upholstery,' she says. We also love the idea of incorporating pockets of color through artwork, such as the example below.

As Rafter explains, Spanish-style homes, much like Pompeo's, naturally serve as the perfect backdrop to this trend. However, we can still follow her lesson on a smaller scale. To get started, we love this combination of modern blue accents and rustic accessories below.

Spanish Revival homes offer endless opportunities for playful design, but it’s always about layering those bold accents with intention – drawing on the past while adding touches that feel fresh and lively today,' Rafter says. As long as we remember that balance is key, we're sure to succeed.