While Leonardo DiCaprio has only accumulated one Oscar, he boasts an impressive real estate portfolio, from Golden State mansions to a New York penthouse to an apartment in Belize. Most recently, the movie star purchased the $7.1 million Los Feliz home of Modern Family star Jesse Tyler Ferguson for his own mother, Irmelin Indenbirken. The Spanish Colonial-style home comprises 5,000 square feet of charming spaces, complete with Juliet balconies fit for the 1996 Romeo himself.

Although completely updated, the home still retains its 1928 period details, including arched doorways, stained-glass windows and intricately tiled roofs and floors. And while this California castle embodies the Los Angeles celebrity look, we spoke to David Belanger, owner of Belanger Interiors, for his personal takeaways from this space in hopes that they can inspire homeowners in South Louisiana to design like movie stars.

“This lounge is loud, sophisticated fun,” says Belanger. “It’s like a British peacock at Woodstock! The vibrant color palette intertwined with the eclectic decor proves that rules don’t always apply when it comes to designing.”

See Belanger’s tips alongside more images from the Los Feliz mansion below:

• Color, color and more color. While it does take a trained eye to successfully coordinate colors based on combination theories, purely neutral spaces (or worse, the timid use of a “pop” of color) are boring and basic when over-applied in an entire home. Come on, Karen, be braver. Pretend that room is a manager and BOSS it with your boldness.

• Collecting and curating. This room is filled with furnishings, art and textiles that are clearly mixed strategically to create a chic, Bohemian aesthetic. We’ve all heard of a “conversation piece,” but why not make your whole room a conversation about a collection of pieces that tell a story about your life, family, travels or mood? Do you want your home to be a reflection of experiences unique to you, or a reflection of your local furniture store’s “to-go” display?

• Intimacy and purpose. I genuinely love how this room has distinct boundaries and a designated function. While some celebrities opt to reside and entertain in a slick marble palatial auditorium, others, as we see here, choose to have more private rooms that have their own individual roles within the home. Even if you’re one of the many victims of an $800,000 white Baton Rouge box, fret no more, non-conformist. There are indeed ways to create definitive areas in that open floor plan to give you a more cozy residence than all of your neighbors with the same house. And if you can’t figure it out on your own, that’s why we design professionals are here!

• Embrace your style, regardless of what everyone else is doing. Have the confidence of a celebrity with what you like. In all seriousness, there’s nothing wrong with a “white box,” as long as it’s the BEST one. It should be grounded with a distinct style reference. Google the famous Halston House in NYC. That, my friends, is how you decorate a revolutionary white box. Even if you are told your style is too “grandma,” go for it. Just think: If someone told Helen Mirren she was too “grandma,” and she listened, do you think she would have ended up performing on stage as Queen Elizabeth II with Her Majesty in the front row? Be yourself, like what you like, and don’t let anyone steer you in any direction other than what will make you feel that your home is the best place on this earth.