At Home in Malibu with Sarah Wright Olsen

Join us as we step into the serene, coastal home of Sarah Wright Olsen: a multifaceted actress, entrepreneur, podcaster, and advocate for mothers. For this At Home Edit, we sat down with The Mother Daze Podcast host in her Malibu sanctuary to discuss home design, motherhood, and her favorite local spots. Read on for our full conversation with Sarah.

Q&A with Sarah Wright Olsen

Kassatex: How would you describe your home aesthetic in three words?
Sarah Wright Olsen: Cozy, Calm, Cali beach.

Kassatex: What are your go-to sources for home decor inspiration?
SWO: I love following along with some design IG handles for Inspiration. Some of my favorites are: @Studiok_design, @amberinteriors, @jennikaynehome.

Kassatex: Favorite designers?
SWO: Kathryn Hetherington and Karlyn Byxbee from Studio K Design designed our remodel and I had been a fan of their work for a long time. They saw the layout in such a different way than I could have ever imagined and it brought new life and space to our home.

Kassatex: Which room in your home do you enjoy spending the most time in and why?
SWO: I used to bypass our living room and head into the kitchen or bedroom. Our living room never felt inviting and because it was such a long room I didn’t know how to change that. Now our living room feels so cozy and you can either find my son reading on the couch or one of my daughters playing on the floor.

I also spend a lot of time in my bedroom. The light comes in through the trees and into my french doors. It brings me a lot of joy and I will sit on the bed while working or editing my podcast and look out at the view.

Kassatex: Can you share a favorite piece of furniture or decor in your home and its story?
SWO: When we first built our home back in 2012 we took this small ranch home down to the studs and added a bathroom and little space onto the kitchen. In the process of this build my husband and I would go around to antique stores and look for pieces that we could incorporate to add some character and a bit of history.

We bought these gorgeous 1750’s French doors that lead into our bathroom that came from Buenos Aires, a pantry door that says “Rumpus Room” from 1920 and our front door we bought off of eBay from 1850 with original hardware and just recently had it sealed and painted pink.

My kids would tell you how much they love our living room teddy bear chairs.

Kassatex: How do you incorporate the natural beauty of Palisades/Malibu into your home design?
SWO: Our home naturally has lots of windows and doors that face a view of the ocean. When we bought our house one of our favorite parts about the backyard was the giant Sycamore tree that provided shade and allowed the light to trickle through onto the house. I crave greenery and nature so being able to see our garden, trees and plants from every window and door of our home naturally becomes a part of the aesthetic and color palette.

Kassatex: What’s your favorite color palette to work with when decorating?
SWO: I feel the most comfortable in the world of earth tones and neutrals. To me it’s the easiest way to add a pop of color here and there. I am not a great designer on my own so I need lots of inspiration and help when it comes to color.

Kassatex: How do you balance style and functionality in your home, especially with kids?
SWO: Everything has to be functional. We have three kids and we know that things are going to get dirty or marked on. We did create a space for the kids in the living room for their art, activities and toys so that they aren’t coloring on the couch. That’s a very helpful way to keep some things contained.

Kassatex: What are your top three favorite places to visit in Malibu/Palisades for relaxation?
SWO: I love the beach. I would say it’s one of our happy places. Our family spends a lot of time walking, playing, surfing, paddle boarding and adventuring on the beach. I also love going to Thorne Farm on Saturdays for the farmers market and visiting the bakery.

Kassatex: Can you recommend two hidden gems in Malibu that visitors often overlook?
SWO: Farmers Market on Sunday mornings. You will mostly find locals there but in the summer we get lots more visitors. Malibu Brewery near Broad Beach.

Kassatex: How has living in Malibu influenced your overall design aesthetic and lifestyle?
SWO: LA has a lot of energy. You spend a lot of time in your car and everyone is always in a hurry. When we moved closer to the beach I felt like our bodies naturally relaxed. The energy is different, the beach is a lot more peaceful and we wanted our home to have that same feel. I also love that parts of Malibu have that small coastal town feeling. There are many days when our kids get in the car without shoes and we have to run back inside to grab them. Lifestyle-wise, we spend so much of our time outside and our weekends are spent on the beach. We build forts, we eat snacks, we cook pasta, workout, use the cold plunge and I get to watch my kids surf and boogie board. It’s very different from the Kentucky childhood I grew up with but the similarities are being outside in nature for most of the day. Those memories are my most favorite and I hope my kids can hold onto that magic throughout their lives.

Explore Sarah Wright Olsen’s favorite products in her Malibu home here.