Tour Katie Mack's Candy-Colored Home in Los Angeles

Ready for a master class in maximalism? Follow along as designer and creator Katie Mack — whose love of all things post-modern and playful has made her a social-media sensation — welcomes us to her home and shows us how it’s done.

Keep in mind: Price and stock could change after publish date, and we may make money from these affiliate links.

May 23, 2023

By: Lauren Oster

Show: HGTV Handmade

Related To:

Shop This Look

Photo By: Marcus Meisler

Through the Looking Glass

If you conflate maximalism with clutter and confinement, Katie Mack — the designer, social-media tastemaker, vintage treasure hunter and all-around force of nature behind Candy-Colored Home — would love to have you over to her place in L.A.

“Maximalism to me does not equate with clutter,” she says. “A lot of times I think people think, like, ‘Oh, you just have a cluttered home.’ “No maximalism for me is my love of things, my love of thrifting, and wanting to display all of my treasures but to do it in an elevated way.” Her proof of concept? The midcentury beauty her family calls home is just over 900 square feet of livable space, and every last one of them is a breath of fresh air. She’d be delighted to show you how it came together — and how it’s constantly evolving.

WATCH THE VIDEO: Tour a Candy Colored Home in Los Angeles

Committing to Personal Taste

"When I saw this house online for the first time I was so excited. It was built in 1953, it’s midcentury-style, which I do really love, and it just had such great bones! I love the energy of the space, I love this tall slanted ceiling and this big open room and I just — I knew it was my house," Katie says.

Though she delights in changing up her spaces as patterns and pieces catch her eye, a big decision has stuck around on the largest wall of her living room. “This is actually a mural by Photowall; it’s called ‘Cosmic Abstraction,’” she says. “It’s one of the first major changes that I made in my home that really expressed my personality and felt like me, and four-plus years later I’m still not sick of it — so I think that’s a huge testament to it. That, I think, is one of the most eye-catching pieces in this room [and] definitely one of the things that people comment on the most when they first come in the door.”

SHOP THE LOOK: Shop Interior Designer Katie Zamprioli's Candy-Colored Home

Shop This Look

Atlas Long by Jonathan Adler, LED Neon Sign

Perfect Perch

The (literal) tulip table is a spot-on match for the portrait above it. “This beautiful piece is by Meredith Steele; I love her art,” Katie says.

WATCH THE VIDEO: Tour a Candy Colored Home in Los Angeles

Color Correction

When Katie and her family first moved in, the home was white and minimalist. “It had a kind of Japandi decor to it,” she recalls. That inspired her initial decorating decisions, “and then I realized, ‘this isn’t me, this does not feel like me, I love color, I need color!’ — and I just went crazy with the color explosion,” she says.

WATCH THE VIDEO: Tour a Candy Colored Home in Los Angeles

Breakfast for Dinner

“This egg is actually a lazy Susan and you can also practice your DJ skills on it,” Katie says. “How fun is that? This table I got from Badlands Vintage; it’s inlaid bone and brass.”

WATCH THE VIDEO: Tour a Candy Colored Home in Los Angeles

Eyes on the Prize

Bringing home the vintage piece of your dreams is all about persistence. Case in point? “This super fun squiggle side table [that] I scored on Facebook Marketplace for $125,” Katie says. Like many of her favorite pieces, it demanded devotion. “I actually kind of had to stalk the [seller] because he wasn’t responding, and I was so obsessed with it, and I knew I was going to have to fight off a bunch of other people for it — which I did!” she recalls. “But I persisted. I wrote him for three days straight. Finally he wrote me back and I went and picked this up in Malibu — and it was definitely worth it.”

WATCH THE VIDEO: Scoring Thrift Store Finds

Gleeful Geometry

Katie’s Kardiel sofa is as practical as it is pretty: its upholstered back folds down to create a genuinely cozy guest bed. “These super fun, chonky chairs I got from Kardiel as well,” she says. These are the Mouse chairs; I just loved how whimsical and fun they were, and I think that peach and mustard are two of my favorite colors together.” For finishing touches, she collaborated with a favorite Etsy maker. “I custom designed these circle ball pillows by Willow + Moon Home with a leopard fabric ... it’s a neutral! And it just really complements the space.”

WATCH THE VIDEO: Tour a Candy Colored Home in Los Angeles

Shop This Look

Omer 88" Fabric Sofa Sleeper, Enamored

Mouse 33-Inch Fabric Chair, Cheerful

Leopard Ball Pillow

Cleverness and Canvases

If you’re not in the market for a new television that disguises itself as art, might we suggest the cost-effective alternative at work on Katie’s mantel? “Over here I’ve got this massive Lee Reynolds vintage piece [I bought] off of Facebook Marketplace: It also disguises my ugly black box,” she says. “That’s how I cover my TV, I definitely recommend that solution — it’s a really affordable, easy one, especially if you’re thrifting it.”

The canvas above Katie’s sofa is a standout in her collection. “It’s such a special piece. It’s by Sharlene Kayne, and she creates these collages using little tiny pieces of paper that she collects from all over the world. She took [Rene Magritte’s painting] The Son of Man and created The Daughter of Woman — I love how she modernized it, and the colors are perfect for in here. It’s one of my favorite pieces in my home.”

SHOP THE LOOK: Shop Interior Designer Katie Zamprioli's Candy-Colored Home

Shop This Look

Mouse 33-Inch Fabric Chair, Cheerful

Lip Service

If you’re looking to dip a toe into fanciful decor and aren’t quite ready for a major piece of furniture, get started with a conversation piece like Katie’s planter. “One of the most talked-about pieces in my home [is] this large, quirky face planter — everyone loves it. I got this from 45 Three Modern Vintage Home; such a fun piece, I love the scale of it. I paired it with this really cool foot planter that’s reminiscent of John Dickinson, and I got that from NFS.”

WATCH THE VIDEO: Tour a Candy Colored Home in Los Angeles

Breaking the Rules

One of Katie’s boldest design moves is one many people — her husband included — consider a major no-no. “I got this [big circular shelf] for $50 on Facebook Marketplace, so that was a really great score,” she recalls. “I blocked the window, which some people say is a weird design choice, but I love the way the light filters through. It was just a big square before and I think it’s much more interesting this way.”

“I fought off a ton of other people that wanted it. It’s vintage ‘80s, potentially early ‘90s, and I just absolutely love it. It goes with my postmodern theme and displays some of my favorite treasures.”

WATCH THE VIDEO: Scoring Thrift Store Finds

Strange Time

When it comes to thrift scores, it’s hard to beat Katie’s quirky timepiece. “I got this for $10 from a thrift store in Florida,” she crows. It’s a Richard Birkett clock. I love the Memphis style, it’s so quirky and weird. When I went to go buy [the clock], it was so funny. The guy at the cash register was like, ‘You want that?’”

Buying secondhand is all about trusting your instincts, she says. “Don’t worry about what’s trendy and what’s popular, worry about what you love and what draws you to the piece. If you’re really drawn to it just go for it.”

WATCH THE VIDEO: Scoring Thrift Store Finds

Watch This Space

“I’m an interior designer and I’m a content creator, and both of those things really influence the way my space looks," Katie says. "As a content creator I’m constantly changing spaces in my home — keeping it fresh and exciting — and I have a passion for thrifting, so I’m always getting new pieces and changing pieces out."

That said, this canvas might be here for the long haul. “I thrifted this for $25 in a thrift store in Tehachapi, [California,] and I discovered that it was by Paul Blaine Henrie and his pieces go for thousands online. I feel so lucky to have an original oil painting of his that I scored for 25 bucks in a thrift shop!”

WATCH THE VIDEO: Tour a Candy Colored Home in Los Angeles

Thesis Statement

Katie’s graceful lamp stands at the heart of her home’s design, literally and figuratively. “This vintage Nova of California double arc lamp is actually my favorite vintage find in my whole home,” she says. “[I]t inspired me to change up my entire room and really sparked my love of postmodern pieces.”

Whether you’re surveying online sales or pounding the pavement for vintage and thrifted finds, Katie says, commitment is key. “You need to go several times a week." Avoid joining the weekend rush and plan your visits strategically: "Find out when your local stores restock and that’s the best day to go.” Is it a lot? Yes. Will your finds reward your work? Also yes.

WATCH THE VIDEO: Scoring Thrift Store Finds

Shop This Look

Deco Ottoman | Leopard

Business and Beauty

The star of Katie’s office space is a Dear Keaton burlwood desk. The ombre shelves above it — a Katie DIY, naturally — "hold some of my most favorite treasures: either pieces that I’ve thrifted, or pottery that’s really special to me,” she says. “One of my very best friends, Robin Watts, makes pottery ... there are several of his pieces on these shelves and throughout my home."

SHOP THE LOOK: Shop Interior Designer Katie Zamprioli's Candy-Colored Home

Shop This Look

Pasha Burlwood Desk

Shelf Respect

Arrangements like the ones in Katie’s desk area keep your eyes busy; they also employ clear visual logic. “I have lots of shelving with lots of little decor items — it’s mixing a lot of styles, patterns and colors — but you can do it in a cohesive way so that it makes sense,” she explains. “It’s visually interesting if you stay within the same color families [and] you’re not getting circus-y with it. A lot of times people think that [maximalism is] juvenile or circus or just cluttered, and that’s not what I do.”

WATCH THE VIDEO: Tour a Candy Colored Home in Los Angeles

Peachy Keen

“This is my colorful, whimsical, vintage ‘50s kitchen with mint and peach,” Katie says. “It was all black and white before, and I love the way that [the makeover] lightened and brightened it.”

There’s no mistaking the star of this space. “Of course the pièce de résistance is the Smeg refrigerator; this is obviously the focal point of the kitchen,” she says. “I love the mint, I love the retro design, and it also just works really well for our family and we love it — so this is my favorite piece in the kitchen for sure.”

SHOP THE LOOK: Shop Interior Designer Katie Zamprioli's Candy-Colored Home

Shop This Look

Smeg '50s Style Retro FAB 38 Refrigerator With Freezer

Recipe for Flexibility

Katie’s taste for aesthetic adaptation extends to her appliances, because of course it does. “My oven is by Kucht, and I love these because you can actually change out the front panel. I had it green before, when my kitchen was black and white, and then I decided to change the panel to white,” she explains. “They have several different door color options available, which is super convenient for someone like me who loves to change the color in their home often.” High-absorbency daisy-print and checkered hand towels serve as practical accessories.

WATCH THE VIDEO: Tour a Candy Colored Home in Los Angeles

Shop This Look

Smeg Retro Drip Coffee Maker

Vintage Venus de Milo Salt & Pepper Shakers

A First Sip of Thrifting

Cocktail hour might be the perfect time to get started with secondhand purchases. “I thrifted a lot of this colorful glassware,” Katie says. “Glassware is such an easy, wonderful thing to thrift — I definitely recommend it.”

WATCH THE VIDEO: Scoring Thrift Store Finds

Everybody in the Kitchen

Planning for plants is a partnership: Their location should please you, but it must please them. “I have lots of plants in my kitchen,” Katie notes. “This space gets the best lighting in my whole home, and honestly, they’re the happiest here — so this is where the majority of my plants live. I love these little bay windows here; they host the majority of my succulents.” She orders their marvelous chaos by arranging her plants in vessels with tones and heights that complement one another.

WATCH THE VIDEO: Tour a Candy Colored Home in Los Angeles

Breakfast Essentials

“This wallpaper is by Sur la Mur — fruit salad belongs in your kitchen, [it’s] really fun and colorful!” Katie says. The three-tiered shelving unit against the peach wall is a dead simple DIY: “I thrifted it for like 10 bucks and it was just wood, so I spray painted [it] this lavender to be really fun.”

WATCH THE VIDEO: Tour a Candy Colored Home in Los Angeles

Not Today, Gray

To no one’s surprise, Katie was unable to remain neutral in the face of her bathroom as she found it. “It was just a white box with a little cylindrical shower and gray, hideous tile," she says. "I hand-painted all of the tile and put in a tub and wallpapered and painted and now it’s a really colorful, fun space.” If Katie’s efforts inspire you to DIY, an allover stencil like the one she used on the floor will be your MVP.

SHOP THE LOOK: Shop Interior Designer Katie Zamprioli's Candy-Colored Home

Shop This Look

Fluffy Banana Rug

Blush Faces Shower Curtain

NewMade LA Toilet Paper Holder

Memento Mural

The art in Katie’s bathroom is both a travel memento and the product of diligent research. “This piece here is by Laura Berger — she is such a talented artist. I first discovered her in Palm Springs at the Ace Hotel; she did a mural there, and I fell in love with her work, so I looked her up and I was able to get this limited-edition print from her a few years ago. It’s still one of my absolute favorites,” she says. If you love something, in other words, hunt it down.

WATCH THE VIDEO: Tour a Candy Colored Home in Los Angeles

Hand Towels

These handmade, wall-mounted digits by Nancy Funk Ceramics, in turn, are apt examples of how turning to artisans instead of settling for standard accessories can give any space one-of-a-kind appeal. Katie also swapped her switch plates for brass versions that make her bathroom feel that much more luxe.

WATCH THE VIDEO: Tour a Candy Colored Home in Los Angeles

To Thine Own Self Be True

Though Katie has a devoted social-media following, her audience isn’t shy about making its less-than-enthusiastic feelings known — as was the case with this high-concept towel perch Grace Bennet created for her by customizing an Ikea stool. “This is one of my most polarizing pieces on Instagram for sure. Everyone’s either in love with this stool or thinks that it is hideous and says it looks like barnacles left in the bottom of an ocean forever,” she says with a laugh. “And I don’t mind because I like weird, ugly things!”

WATCH THE VIDEO: Tour a Candy Colored Home in Los Angeles

Aiming High

Katie’s latest power move in her 8-year-old son Sebastian’s room is a multifunctional piece that puts its height to work. “This loft bed we recently got from Novogratz,” she says. “We put it together — it was super-easy to do — and it has the desk already built in, so he does his homework down here with his little chair and has his loft bed for nighttime. We’re really saving space here as well: This is a really tiny room, so the way that we made that work was by going vertically.”

WATCH THE VIDEO: Tour a Candy Colored Home in Los Angeles

Shop This Look

Novogratz Maxwell Metal Full Loft Bed

Artistic Collaboration

“[Sebastian’s room is] very whimsical, very colorful, very fun — I wanted it to be inspiring to him and invigorating,” Katie says. “He actually helped pick out the wall murals. This blue wavy one is by Belarte Studio. I’ve made him into a big Keith Haring fan like me, too, and that neon is by Yellowpop [from] their collaboration with Keith Haring.”

SHOP THE LOOK: Shop Interior Designer Katie Zamprioli's Candy-Colored Home

Shop This Look

YP x Keith Haring Twisted Man LED Neon Sign

Lizard on a Locker

The most atmospheric light source at Katie’s place might just be the Zoo Med reptile lamp that illuminates the household’s scaliest member. “Here we have Felix! This is our bearded dragon,” Katie says. “He’s shedding right now, so he’s a little low energy — but he’s real cute and we love him.” The yellow Mustard Made locker beneath his terrarium is an excellent storage space for kid stuff and lizard stuff.

WATCH THE VIDEO: Tour a Candy Colored Home in Los Angeles

Shop This Look

The Lowdown in Mustard

Checkered Present

This graphic feature wall suits her space perfectly because, well, she riffed on her own space to create it. “The wallpaper [is from] a capsule collection that I recently did with Bobbi Beck, and it’s based off all the pieces in my living room that are really popular,” she explains. “I did four different types in different colorways, and that’s one that is paired with the checkered ombre rug in the living room.”

WATCH THE VIDEO: Tour a Candy Colored Home in Los Angeles

Trading Up

The bedside snake lamp on this bentwood end table is by Stray Dog Designs. It was fabulous when Katie first encountered it, but she knew it could be even better, so she and swapped out its metallic gold shade for this one.

WATCH THE VIDEO: Tour a Candy Colored Home in Los Angeles

Plush Palette

All-new upholstery is the perfect frame for striped and circular cushions from Kip & Co and a mustard ball pillow from one of her favorite Etsy sellers. “My bed I just got from Joybird and I love it — it brings me so much joy, this peach color, and I love that it mimics pillows behind on the headboard,” she says. A gallery wall of vintage and indie art adds even more visual texture.

SHOP THE LOOK: Shop Interior Designer Katie Zamprioli's Candy-Colored Home

Shop This Look

Round Velvet Box Cushion

Retro Tableau

Katie leans into both an era and a very specific locale in this portion of her bedroom. “So this is my little ‘80s Miami corner,” she says. “I’m not mad at it, though — I love that!”

Her sources are some of Los Angeles’ best-loved secondhand and vintage vendors. “I got this pink ceramic fish from Pepe’s Thrift Shop, [and] I got this really cool ribbed, oversized vase from Easton Haus. He’s an amazing Instagram online vintage dealer. I got these really fun, postmodern lamps from Harem Modern, and this [vanity] I got from Fig & Oak. It looks like burlwood, which is what I love about it.”

WATCH THE VIDEO: Scoring Thrift Store Finds

You Do Hue

Whether your taste dovetails with Katie’s or you favor more austere arrangements, there’s one move she exhorts everyone to make. “I think no space should be without color,” she says. “Color is how you express yourself, it’s your personality, it’s a mood, it’s a vibe. When I walk into a space and I see color I get you, you know?” We get her.

Want to reap the benefits of Katie's pro-level sourcing and bring some of her place directly to yours? Our Shop the Look feature plays her greatest hits.

SHOP THE LOOK: Shop Interior Designer Katie Zamprioli's Candy-Colored Home

Tour Katie Mack's Candy-Colored Home in Los Angeles

Related To:

Shop This Look

Through the Looking Glass

Committing to Personal Taste

Shop This Look

Atlas Long by Jonathan Adler, LED Neon Sign

Perfect Perch

Color Correction

Breakfast for Dinner

Eyes on the Prize

Gleeful Geometry

Shop This Look

Omer 88" Fabric Sofa Sleeper, Enamored

Mouse 33-Inch Fabric Chair, Cheerful

Leopard Ball Pillow

Cleverness and Canvases

Shop This Look

Mouse 33-Inch Fabric Chair, Cheerful

Lip Service

Breaking the Rules

Strange Time

Watch This Space

Thesis Statement

Shop This Look

Deco Ottoman | Leopard

Business and Beauty

Shop This Look

Pasha Burlwood Desk

Shelf Respect

Peachy Keen

Shop This Look

Smeg '50s Style Retro FAB 38 Refrigerator With Freezer

Recipe for Flexibility

Shop This Look

Smeg Retro Drip Coffee Maker

Vintage Venus de Milo Salt & Pepper Shakers

A First Sip of Thrifting

Everybody in the Kitchen

Breakfast Essentials

Not Today, Gray

Shop This Look

Fluffy Banana Rug

Blush Faces Shower Curtain

NewMade LA Toilet Paper Holder

Memento Mural

Hand Towels

To Thine Own Self Be True

Aiming High

Shop This Look

Novogratz Maxwell Metal Full Loft Bed

Artistic Collaboration

Shop This Look

YP x Keith Haring Twisted Man LED Neon Sign

Lizard on a Locker

Shop This Look

The Lowdown in Mustard

Checkered Present

Trading Up

Plush Palette

Shop This Look

Round Velvet Box Cushion

Retro Tableau

You Do Hue

More from:

Handmade Home Tours

Shop Interior Designer Katie Zamprioli's Candy-Colored Home

Tour an Airy Bungalow With Tons of Indoor-Outdoor Spaces 9 Photos

What's Your Style: A Colorful, Cheerful Los Angeles Home Tour

Tour the Pink Palace, Home of Kitten Kay Sera, the Pink Lady of Hollywood 17 Photos

Beverly Hills Apartment Bursting With City Chic 11 Photos

Tour This Fashionista Prop Stylist's LA Apartment Filled With Old-World Charm 25 Photos