Imagine walking up a beautifully aged brick pathway, surrounded by lush, overgrown jasmine and olive trees, straight to a whimsical arched front door that looks like it was pulled from a fairy tale. When you step inside, you are greeted by warm wood tones, vintage brass fixtures, and an undeniable sense of cozy charm. This is the everyday reality of the Macenna Lee house. This stunning property perfectly blends 1930s Los Angeles glamour with welcoming, lived-in character.
If you love interior design, thrifting, or rolling up your sleeves for a good weekend project, you likely already know Macenna Lee. As the creative force behind the massively popular YouTube channel XO, MaCenna, she has built a loyal community of millions of followers who tune in to watch her transform forgotten spaces into breathtaking homes. Now, in 2026, her dual properties—a historic LA storybook home and a sweeping Texas cottage makeover—are setting the standard for home renovation trends across the globe.
Why are we so captivated by her spaces? Simply put, a Macenna Lee home tour offers something completely different from the sterile, ultra-modern mansions we often see online. She embraces imperfections, celebrates antique history, and proves that you do not need millions of dollars to create a bespoke, luxurious sanctuary.
Inside the LA Storybook Home: A Dream
Let’s dive right into the property that truly put her design skills on the map: the XO MaCenna LA house. Located in a historic Los Angeles neighborhood, this 1930s storybook home is a masterclass in preserving historic charm while updating a space for modern living.
Exterior Tour & Lush Gardens
The magic of this 1930s storybook home begins before you even open the front door. The home features stunning Spanish Revival details, from the sweeping rooflines to the wrought-iron Juliette balconies. However, when Macenna first bought the property, the exterior felt flat and uninspired.
She immediately got to work boosting the curb appeal. By painting the exterior a soft, creamy white, she allowed the original architectural details to pop truly. She added custom wooden shutters, planted lush, climbing jasmine to soften the stucco walls, and installed romantic, lantern-style outdoor lighting. If you want to replicate this curb appeal, remember her golden rule: use organic, natural materials to make your home look like it grew right out of the landscape.
Cozy Living Spaces & Color Palettes
When you step into the living room, you are instantly wrapped in a feeling of warmth. This is where Macenna’s genius with color truly shines. Instead of painting everything stark white, she embraces rich, moody tones. Her living spaces feature deep, earthy greens, warm terracotta accents, and soft cream plaster walls that reflect the golden LA sunlight perfectly.
The focal point of her living room is an incredible arched fireplace. She painstakingly restored it, replacing outdated tiles with handcrafted vintage selections that look original to the 1930s build. She fills these spaces with curved velvet sofas, antique wooden side tables, and layered vintage rugs that invite you to kick off your shoes and relax.
A Kitchen Reno on a Budget
If you want to feel inspired, you must watch her kitchen renovation series. Tackling a massive kitchen remodel on a budget is terrifying for most people, but Macenna faced it head-on. She managed to completely transform the space for under $5,000—a practically unheard-of feat in modern home renovations!
Instead of ripping out all the cabinets and starting from scratch, she got creative. She built a massive, custom arched range hood from standard lumber and drywall, creating a high-end focal point for pennies on the dollar. She installed a classic farmhouse sink, swapped the upper cabinets for open wooden shelving to display her thrifted dishware, and added unlacquered brass hardware that will patina beautifully over time.
Whimsical Bedrooms & Vintage Baths
Moving into the private spaces of the Macenna Lee house, the bedrooms and bathrooms continue the storybook theme. The primary suite is a masterclass in whimsy. Macenna installed stunning antique French doors she found at a salvage yard, creating a romantic transition between spaces. She uses heavy, luxurious linen curtains and soft, muted floral wallpapers to give the room a boutique hotel feel.
In the guest spaces, she leans heavily into vintage vibes. She famously saved and restored original 1930s bathroom tiles that most flippers would have smashed with a sledgehammer. By pairing the quirky vintage tile with modern, sleek plumbing fixtures, she proves that old and new can exist in perfect harmony.
Unique Features & Restoration Challenges
Of course, renovating a nearly 100-year-old home comes with major headaches. Macenna has been incredibly transparent about the challenges she faced during the restoration. From upgrading scary, outdated electrical wiring to dealing with cracked plaster, she shows her audience the gritty reality of home ownership.
One of her biggest triumphs was restoring the original hardwood floors. Hidden under decades of carpet and grime, the floors were in rough shape. Through meticulous sanding, patching, and staining, she brought the original wood back to life, saving thousands of dollars and preserving the home’s soul.
The Texas Cottage Makeover: Rustic Revival Secrets
While the LA luxury house is a lesson in refined glamour, the Texas cottage makeover is a masterclass in rustic, airy charm. Seeking more space and a connection to her family roots, Macenna purchased a historic, 200-year-old property in Point Comfort, Texas. This was not a simple cosmetic flip; this was a massive rescue mission.
History of the Point Comfort Cottage
Buying a centuries-old property unseen is a massive risk. Still, Macenna immediately saw the potential in the Point Comfort cottage. The property was steeped in history, featuring original beadboard ceilings, massive wooden beams, and a layout that begged to be opened up. However, years of neglect had left the home in serious disrepair, completely overgrown by the wild Texas landscape.
Before & After Structural Fixes
Before she could even think about paint colors or throw pillows, Macenna had to tackle serious structural fixes. Her videos from this era show her replacing rotted floor joists, leveling the foundation, and completely gutting the interior to the studs.
The transformation of the exterior is nothing short of miraculous. She removed layers of peeling, lead-based paint, replaced a crumbling porch, and restored the original wood siding. Now, as the golden hour sets in, the Texas sunset bathes the freshly painted cottage in a warm, welcoming glow that looks like a painting.
Key Rooms Expansions
The crown jewel of the Macenna Lee house, the Texas cottage, is the main living area. By vaulting the ceiling and exposing the original 200-year-old wooden trusses, she made a relatively small footprint feel massive and airy. She designed a kitchen completely from scratch, utilizing salvaged wood to build a massive central island that serves as the heart of the home.
As we move through 2026, Macenna is already teasing exciting new expansions. With the main house largely completed, she is turning her attention to the outbuildings, transforming an old shed into a beautiful, sun-drenched guest house for visiting friends and family.
DIY Hacks for Aged Wood & Vintage Sourcing
If you want to learn how to make new things look beautifully old, the Texas cottage series is your textbook. Macenna shares brilliant DIY hacks for aging wood. She uses clever techniques involving tea staining, steel wool, and vinegar to make brand-new pine lumber look like it has been weathering in a barn for a century.
Her sourcing skills also shine here. She takes her audience to the famous Round Top Antiques Fair in Texas, where she hunts down massive wooden corbels, vintage European dough bowls, and antique French doors that give the cottage its unique, collected-over-time aesthetic.
Creating an Outdoor Oasis
You cannot have a home in Texas without focusing on the outdoor living spaces. Macenna turned a wild, overgrown yard into an incredible outdoor oasis. She built sprawling brick patios, perfect for hosting evening barbecues.
She also emphasizes sustainable Texas landscaping. By planting drought-tolerant native plants, beautiful olive trees, and hearty lavender, she created a stunning garden that thrives with minimal water in the harsh summer heat.
Design Philosophy & Secrets Behind the Macenna Lee House
To truly understand how to capture this look in your own home, we have to look past the paint colors and examine her core design philosophy. Macenna’s style can best be described as an eclectic mix of vintage charm and modern minimalism. She loves old things, but she never lets a room feel cluttered or like a museum.
The Art of the Hunt: Sourcing Tips
One of the biggest secrets behind the Macenna Lee house aesthetic is where she shops. She rarely buys furniture from big-box stores. Instead, she treats shopping like a treasure hunt.
She recommends hitting local flea markets right as they open for the best furniture, and returning just before they close to haggle for the best deals on smaller decor items. She also heavily utilizes online marketplaces like Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist. Her secret? She searches for materials rather than specific items. Instead of searching “vintage coffee table,” she searches “solid oak,” “burl wood,” or “marble.”
Budget Breakdowns: Real Numbers
Renovating is expensive, but Macenna is refreshingly honest about costs. By doing the labor herself, she saves tens of thousands of dollars. Here is a rough breakdown of her renovation budgets:
Property Location, Project Scope, Estimated Total Budget, Overall Design Vibe
LA Storybook Home Room-by-room cosmetic updates, custom DIY builds, kitchen/bath overhaul ~$200,000 Moody, vintage, refined, glamorous
Texas Cottage Full gut renovation, structural rebuild, new roof, complete plumbing/electrical Ongoing (Est. $150K+) Rustic, airy, antique, open-concept
Note: These are estimates based on standard material costs and the massive savings gained through her own sweat equity.
A Focus on Sustainability
A beautiful aspect of the Macenna Lee house projects is her commitment to sustainability. By upcycling old furniture, rescuing discarded doors from salvage yards, and using eco-friendly paints, she drastically reduces the carbon footprint of her renovations. She proves that the most sustainable item you can buy is one that already exists.
Step-by-Step: Recreate the Macenna Lee House Looks
Are you feeling inspired to grab a paintbrush? You do not need to buy a new house to capture Macenna’s signature style. You can bring her storybook charm and rustic warmth into your current space, even if you are renting. Follow this simple step-by-step guide to get started.
Assess Your Space for Storybook Elements
Walk through your home and look for hard, modern lines. How can you soften them? If you have square doorways, look into installing affordable arched doorway kits. If your walls are flat and boring, consider adding picture frame molding or a Roman clay finish to give the walls a textured, plaster-like appearance.
Budget Vintage vs. New
Determine where you want to spend and where you want to save. For example, in her $5,000 cottage kitchen glow-up, Macenna saved money by building the shelves herself. Still, she splurged on a beautiful, high-quality faucet. Always spend your money on the things you touch every single day, like door hardware and plumbing fixtures, and save money by thrifting your decorative items.
Adopt Her Signature Color Guide
Throw away the stark white paint chips. To get the Macenna Lee house look, embrace earth tones and pastels.
- Base Colors: Creamy whites, soft mushroom taupes, and warm beiges.
- Accent Colors: Deep forest greens, muted mustard yellows, dusty rose, and rich terracotta.
Tackle Signature DIY Projects
Start small with a weekend project. Here are two of her most iconic, beginner-friendly DIYs:
- The Arched Mirror: Buy a cheap rectangular mirror, build a simple arched frame out of MDF, and paint it with a mix of paint and baking soda for a textured, vintage ceramic look.
- Vertical Shiplap: Instead of the modern farmhouse horizontal shiplap, install wooden planks vertically on a half-wall for a more historic, European cottage feel.
Utilize Affordable Tools & Suppliers
You do not need professional-grade tools to start. A basic drill, a jigsaw, and a brad nailer will get you through 90% of her projects. For affordable dupes of her high-end touches, shop at local architectural salvage yards for hardware, and use hardware store pine lumber treated with dark walnut stain to mimic the look of expensive antique wood.
Why the Macenna Lee House Inspires Trends
As we move solidly into 2026, the interior design world is experiencing a major shift. People are exhausted by the “sad beige” trend and hyper-minimalist spaces that look like no one actually lives in them. We are collectively craving comfort, nostalgia, and personality. This is exactly why the Macenna Lee house continues to trend so heavily.
Viral Factors and Social Buzz
Her videos consistently rack up millions of views because they offer high-quality storytelling. It is not just about watching a room get painted; it is about watching a young woman conquer her fears, learn how to use a miter saw, and build something beautiful with her own two hands. The social buzz around her room reveals rival major television network shows, with fans hosting watch parties when a new living room or kitchen reveal drops.
Influence on the DIY Community
Macenna’s biggest legacy is the confidence she gives her audience. The DIY community is flooded with follower transformations directly inspired by her work. Young men and women who had never picked up a power tool are now building custom arched bookcases, tiling their own backsplashes, and completely transforming their homes on shoestring budgets. She has democratized high-end interior design.
Future Plans and Teased Expansions
What is next for the Macenna Lee House Empire? Macenna is always moving forward. She has recently teased expanding her property portfolio, hinting at possibly tackling a totally different architectural style for her next project. Furthermore, her fans are eagerly anticipating the launch of her own curated home decor lines, making it easy for everyone to purchase a piece of her signature style.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Macenna Lee House
Where is the Macenna Lee LA house located and what is its history?
You will find her gorgeous Los Angeles home tucked right into the mid-city section of the city . The house itself has a fascinating history because it was actually built in a rather piecemeal fashion over several decades .
For example, the beautiful bay window area where Macenna keeps her desk was added to the back of the house in 1978 . Later on, the home saw major expansions during the 1990s . This 90s addition gave the house its current primary bedroom, the attached bathroom, the laundry space, half of the dining room, and an extension to the upstairs bedroom .
How old is the cottage property she bought?
While fans often marvel at its incredibly rustic charm, the famous cottage property she purchased to renovate is a stunning 110-year-old home She bought this century-old gem to completely overhaul it, mixing modern touches with its deep historical roots
What exactly is Macenna’s design and content style?
If you tune into her channel, you will find a creative space where DIY meets design . She loves to share extensive home renovations, creative room makeovers, and highly sustainable décor ideas .
Her fans especially love her thrift flips and full-room transformations . This hands-on approach is nothing new to her, as she has actually been disassembling and reassembling things she can get her hands on ever since she was a little girl . She even notes that shopping for affordable decor lines feels just like hunting for treasures at a thrift shop, where you are constantly amazed by what you can find for less .
Does Macenna have a podcast or other business ventures?
She absolutely does! If you love her video content and want to hear more of her design philosophy, you can listen to her podcast titled “With My Own Two Hands w/ XO MaCenna” . Beyond her podcast and her massive social media presence, she is also the proud founder of the brand Auden Lueur
What is Macenna Lee’s estimated net worth?
Thanks to her incredibly successful DIY empire, engaging content, and beautiful real estate projects, Macenna Lee has an estimated net worth sitting comfortably between $2 million and $5 million .
Where Does Macenna Lee Currently Live?
MaCenna Lee currently lives in Los Angeles, California.
Macenna Lee’s house photo
