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Her assignment: “Be happy.” That was the guiding principle behind designer Christine Markatos’s interiors at her clients’ Italianate mansion in Los Angeles.

“The family had lived in the house for seven or eight years and it was time for a new look,” said Ms. Markatos, whose eponymous firm is based in Santa Monica, Calif. The homeowners—he works in finance and she is a writer—have four children, ranging in age from 7 to 17. So the interiors called for bright colors, bold patterns and a fashion-forward playfulness. Redoing the interiors of the 12-bedroom, nine-bathroom home took about six months.

The eldest daughter’s study had to do double duty: as a quiet space for homework and as a refuge for hanging out with friends. The design mixes the daughter’s own accessories—her trophies and books—with ones Ms. Markatos chose, like globes and animal statuettes that an adult might embrace, too. Here are some of the elements in the teenager’s study, which cost an estimated $57,500 to execute.

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