This Vintage-Inspired and Glam Pink Home Is Even Better Than the Barbie Dreamhouse

A couple of the Sunset editors were talking about the Barbie Dreamhouse the other day. And we had a hot take: Although it’s an iconic home (with a slide, pool, and a color palette that childhood dreams were made of), it’s not the most attractive-looking space from an interior design or architecture standpoint. Sure, it has some touches of mid-century modern style and an extremely cohesive color palette, but we think not very many people would want to live there IRL. On top of that, it doesn’t really look homey or comfy. And all of that’s okay, because the house is for a doll and make-believe moments. What’s a human who wants to live out their Barbie fantasies to do?

Christopher Lee Foto

You can look no further than this Redlands, California, home for inspiration. The house was built in 1957 and is home to a husband and wife and their two children. Before its makeover, it was dark, dated, non-functional, and didn’t show off the family’s spunky personality, says interior designer Raelena Vasquez, founder of Swank Design .

Raelena was tasked with updating the entry , family room, and dining room, breathing new life and energy into the spaces. The vision? A happy, fun, and slightly edgy design that could still be kid-friendly .

Christopher Lee Foto

“I worked off of her vibrant personality,” says Raelena of the owner and the inspiration for the design. “She told me nothing was too crazy for her. ‘If it’s cool, unique, and interesting I’m all about it,’ she said. They love color and vintage mixed with modern elements.”

Christopher Lee Foto

In the entry, they smoothed the paneled walls and added wallpaper to brighten and add a touch of sophistication. “The crane wallpaper starts off the touches of pink before we get fully immersed into the saturation of color in the living and dining room design,” Raelena says.

Christopher Lee Foto

To give the home a high-design feel, Raelena went with the highest gloss sheen you could do in California—the paint is Sherwin Williams SW63111 Memorable Rose . “I wanted the space to feel as open and large as possible so I had the painters paint the base and crown same color as walls to fell elongated,” she says. “The ceiling originally was a teal color that matched the walls. It gave a dark closed-in vibe. So I had our painters paint the ceiling white to let the walls be the star of the show and keep the room bright.”

Christopher Lee Foto

To give the dark space even more life, Raelena and team installed fun, modern, and glamorous lighting. They also created a custom window seat for the kids to have their own space where they can do homework or play games.

Christopher Lee Foto

The pink theme follows in the dining room. “It was made to be an extension of the living room and we added to a bar area where we were able to show off her collection of vintage girl figurines and they could entertain in this wonderful new space,” Raelena says.

Christopher Lee Foto

The space is the right mix of vintage, modern, and chic. With a daring color scheme like pink, it could veer into kitsch territory, but it really doesn’t here. “I felt to achieve the feeling I wanted, I had to ground the space,” Raelena explains. “I did this by bringing in the navy. I also wanted the space to flow and feel spacious so I used rounded shapes on the furniture pieces to keep the flow throughout. Lastly, I used an eclectic approach on the accents to accentuate the space with sophisticated pieces mixed with fun vintage items .”

It’s no surprise that the owners are in love with the new, bright design. “It’s just so cheerful, yet still a chic, vibrant, and livable home,” Raelena adds. “My clients love when their guests come over and can’t help but smile—she says it’s how the home makes people feel: happy and full of life!”