The Marriage Compromise This Designer Made in Her Newport Beach Home? A Hidden Guitar Cabinet
When designer Lindye Galloway and her husband came across a for-sale property in Newport Beach, California, nestled into a cul-de-sac full of other family homes, they knew it would be the perfect move for their family of four. The only problem? “There was this 1940s house on it that was like a time capsule,” she says. They desperately wanted to keep the bones, but realized that resurrecting the house would bring them innumerable repairs, and with that, a mountain of costs.
The decision to start from scratch was a bittersweet one, but in the end, it had its blessings. For starters, it gave Galloway the opportunity to craft her dream Spanish Colonial home exactly how she envisioned it, tailoring everything from the ground up to suit her family’s needs. “I knew I wanted a space that would be comfortable, welcoming, and grounding,” she says, which inspired the layout: a U-shape that wraps around a courtyard.
Though access to the outdoors was important, so was finding hidden storage indoors, namely in the living room for her husband's ever-growing guitar collection. “If it were up to him, he’d have [guitars hanging] on every wall of the house,” she jokes. Instead she built custom cabinetry so the stringed instruments (along with pedals, mics, and amps) could tuck away when they’re not in use. Still, she admits that the door stays open most of the time because the room is meant to be a creative space—plus now the cabinet looks neat and tidy, even when exposed.
Next to it, an arched nook with a perfectly fitting sofa provides a soft spot to daydream while staring up at the floral wallpaper. Speaking of: “That wallpaper was an all-out surprise,” Galloway reveals. “Initially it was just going to be a white wall with some art on it. And when we were installing, I was like, ‘It needs something else.’” She consulted with her team, who searched through their regular sources, but nothing would arrive in time for the home’s photo shoot. That’s when a member of her team snuck off to Home Depot and found a floral pattern on sale for $17 a roll. “It’s beautiful and such good quality,” Galloway gushes. And other than the guitar cabinet, it’s what she gets asked about the most—and she loves sharing its origin story.
Along with custom cabinets, Galloway created most of the furniture herself as tests for her own line that’s for sale on her website. “I wanted pieces that would feel unique, like sofas with an unexpected wingback, and it’s hard to find those,” she says. “I know all the brands, and I've seen every piece of furniture. And while I have a huge appreciation for all of them, I wanted to have some pieces that were our own.”
The commitment to custom pieces continues upstairs, where nightstands and a bench in the primary bedroom got the Galloway touch. In the adjoining space, a Famosa tile shower on a platform step carves out its own zone of bathing bliss.
“I think the most important piece for us was this sense of comfort and livability. Every decision I made for the design was beautiful but also approachable and warm enough for our family to enjoy,” Galloway says, smiling. Although the vision was a clear project of love, she notes that her husband wasn’t the only one with a design request: “My kids definitely had their wishes!” Her daughter, Harper, insisted on a room that was “pink, purple, and girly,” while her son Theo wanted a space that was “cool.”
And though she had to compromise on some things, the home still feels a bit surreal, she says: “Waking up in the space every day is honestly a big ‘pinch me’ moment.”
