7 Quick & Easy Home Makeover Tips

• Benjamin Moore Aura in Soot 2129-20; $75

"Choose a color that's noticeably different than the previous hue for maximum impact," suggests Michael. The couple opted to treat the trim in the same moody shade for consistency and easy application.

• From $35/sq. ft.

The big fall reveal from Sunset fave Fireclay Tile comes in 24 stunning colorways and mix-and-match matte and polished finishes. The inspiration for this glasstile collection came from John James Audubon’s 1821 painting Great Blue Heron.

• Milan Round Keyed Entry Lever in iron black; $48

"Nothing drags down a house like a tired front door," says Michael. In keeping with their streamlined sensibility, the couple picked a mahogany one with slats of frosted glass and accented it with matte black hardware.

Excava 4046; $25/sq. ft. Caesarstone’s versatile new quartz marries casual sophistication with earthy elements.

Sculptural, drought-tolerant greenery was the ideal counterpoint to the house’s dark finish. “We went with cactus to continue the midcentury look,” Michael says. Pea gravel tops the previous mulch-and-dirt mixture.

• Botanica wallpaper in ink; $65/yard

The latest pattern from Half Moon Bay designer Kate Miller—a painterly take on the California poppy—is a lovely motif for a contemporary dressing room.

• Powell LED Wall Sconce in aged brass, $119; Architectural Mailboxes Brass 5-inch Floating House Numbers in antique brass, $5.79/each

The couple installed the new lighting themselves, replacing an old gas lantern post with a Plexiglas fixture and pairing a brass globe light with brass address numbers as a finishing touch.