Afloat in the Old World
Abroad archway and circular fountain provide a graceful entrance to this classic Mediterranean on more than an acre of parklike grounds. The curving design elements are repeated in the carved-wood front doors, fireplaces and openings of the 1950s home.

Leaving a major-league retreat
Formal rooms were designed for large-scale entertaining and have an old-world ambience. Beamed ceilings, massive stone fireplaces and wrought-iron work are among the interior details. A two-story foyer with two sweeping staircases provides a grand entrance.

Shaq can stretch out near Atlanta
O’Neal, 44, won three consecutive NBA titles with the Lakers from 2000-02 and added a fourth with the Miami Heat in 2006. A 15-time all-star, he retired in 2011 after 19 seasons. He’s an analyst for “Inside the NBA” and hosts “The Big Podcast With Shaq.

Mild-mannered industry town
Unlike other Valley tracts, Studio City brought an air of glamour to its dusty, semirural surroundings when, in 1928, silentmovie legend Mack Sennett threw astar-studded gala to mark the opening of his new studio lot near the corner of Ventura Boulevard and Radford Avenue.

She added a stairway to haven
Originally a cozy bungalow of just 800 square feet, the home was completely transformed by Coulter, owner of the Santa Monicabased Bridgid Coulter Design, who vaulted the interiors while adding a second level and a rooftop deck. The space is now “eclectic, modern, global and a little chic,” she said.

Closing the multigeneration divide
Their two-story home is a GenSmart model, designed for families that — through either choice, culture or circumstance — are fitting multiple generations under the same roof. The reasons are diverse: the prohibitive cost of senior care, an unemployed family member, young adults hoping to save money by living at home a while longer.

Venice Canals home: loud and proud
Her eye-popping Venice Canals home — a compound of three structures married through saturated hues of yellow, orange, pink and fuchsia — was last featured in The Times in 2011.

Unpacking with an offbeat army
Using this guide, practitioners may advise homeowners to place a water feature at the center of the home to attract success in their careers or paint a room peach to encourage romance. It’s all about making a home feel good by subtly arranging objects in it.