Cleobella founder Angela O’Brien worked with Design 4 Corners to incorporate aspects of her sustainable Bali- and India-produced clothing brand into her Seal Beach home.
Angela O’Brien’s Old World European-inspired kitchen features an island slab with rose quartz. PHOTO COURTESY OF ANGELA O’BRIEN
Angela O’Brien, founder of Huntington Beach-based clothing, accessory and home goods brand Cleobella (cleobella.com), has known the sister interior design team behind Design 4 Corners (design4corners.com) for over a decade. “We met in Bali and I love their global aesthetic,” says O’Brien of San Diego natives Elaina Samaniego Myers and Susanna Samaniego Ward. “We both really value handmade artisanal design and upcycling pieces into modern treasures.”
A large turquoise cabinet from Bali is built into one of the kitchen walls. PHOTO COURTESY OF ANGELA O’BRIEN
The trio teamed up in 2017, when O’Brien sought to redesign the Seal Beach home she and her husband purchased in 2004. “We had been living back and forth for more than a decade in Bali and traveling extensively,” says O’Brien, who hails from Seal Beach and whose Cleobella products are ethically handmade in Bali and India. “We were investing in experiences, and into our business, and it finally became the right time to renovate our home.”
Lighting fixtures came from O’Brien’s travels PHOTO COURTESY OF ANGELA O’BRIEN
“WE NEVER WANTED OUR HOME TO FEEL TOO PRECIOUS. WE WANTED IT TO FEEL PERFECTLY IMPERFECT.” –ANGELA O’BRIEN
O’Brien looked to translate the internationally inspired design aesthetic and sustainable focus of Cleobella. “We wanted our home to hold the memories of the faraway places we’ve been while keeping the integrity of working with artisans abroad and in our local community,” says O’Brien. She envisioned a “global chic” look that would reflect her family’s world travels and tell a story through their treasures—while still being welcoming to their frequent guests. A bright and open space, old-world vibes and timeless materials were key. “We never wanted our home to feel too precious,” she adds. “We wanted it to feel perfectly imperfect, just like the designs we create.”
The airy kitchen is stylish and functional. PHOTO COURTESY OF ANGELA O’BRIEN
Together, they opened up the layout of the four-bedroom 1960s home—which was architecturally dated and compartmentalized—to provide more open space and a better flow. Moving the primary and children’s en suite bedrooms upstairs, the main level now features an open living room, kitchen and dining concept. “We wanted the living room and kitchen to be connected so entertaining was easy,” says Myers, whose team added a custom handmade sofa from Bali to the living room, and Thermador appliances and a textured island slab with rose quartz to the Old World European-inspired kitchen. A large turquoise cabinet from Bali is built into one of the kitchen walls, displaying a collection of global finds. “It’s gorgeous and a huge storyteller,” says Ward. Adds O’Brien, “We really aimed to bring in our found pieces and make them fixtures of the home, incorporating them into the architecture.”
An open living room, kitchen and dining concept with “global chic” decor makes entertaining easy PHOTO COURTESY OF ANGELA O’BRIEN
A neutral color palette created with Portola Paints is accented by materials that have a European feel, such as tumbled limestone flooring, marble slabs, Roman Clay finish on the walls and cement bathroom tiles from Bali, “all giving a sense of the Old World, but neutral and earthy so her treasures, textiles and art could remain the main characters of their beautiful story,” says Myers. Using sustainable materials like natural stones, paints and tiles, and repurposed decor items, was a priority. Notes Ward, “Upcycling old things into new was the center focus of this project.”
The kitchen flaunts Thermador appliances and worldly treasures. PHOTO COURTESY OF ANGELA O’BRIEN
An old chest from India becomes a vanity in the downstairs powder bathroom, and upstairs, an antique wooden door from Bali is a stunning backdrop for the European-inspired primary bath—adorned with a striking sculpture handmade in Bali. In the primary suite, an antique panel from Bali makes for an intricate headboard, accompanied by lights and mirrors from Morocco, Turkish rugs and a dresser from Bali. Upstairs also houses two globally inspired children’s bedrooms and a meditation room. “It was important to create a sacred place off from our bedroom that was part of our morning ritual,” O’Brien says.
Clark Little Photography’s “Lost” image hangs in the guest bedroom PHOTO COURTESY OF ANGELA O’BRIEN PHOTO COURTESY OF ANGELA O’BRIEN
A piano room for the musical children makes for a fun addition downstairs, and the serene outdoor space includes transporting dining and lounging furniture from Bali, low-maintenance plants and wellness amenities. “The sauna is covered with an old Bali door,” notes O’Brien. “The cold plunge is used daily by my husband, and both are central to our wellness routines.”
An antique wooden door from Bali is a backdrop for the primary bath. PHOTO COURTESY OF ANGELA O’BRIEN
The redesign project wrapped in 2019—right before the pandemic began. However, even when nesting inside, the global decor revives their adventures. O’Brien says it best: “Your home can help to remind you of the beautiful places you’ve been.”
A piano room is a fun downstairs addition; two globally inspired children’s bedrooms await upstairs PHOTO COURTESY OF ANGELA O’BRIEN
Natural stone leads to the outdoors PHOTO COURTESY OF ANGELA O’BRIEN
PHOTO COURTESY OF ANGELA O’BRIEN
Serene patio furniture comes from Bali. PHOTO COURTESY OF ANGELA O’BRIEN
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