Inspiration: a boho luxe home that's pure california cool

a boho luxe home that's pure california cool

Situated in the Trousdale Estates area of the Hollywood Hills, this recently renovated space is home to a glam, newlywed couple. The house, originally built by master architect Richard Dorman for Beverly Garland, was renovated in 2012 by architect Padraic Cassidy. Veneer Designs was charged with outfitting the pedigreed luxury home with a mix of bohemian and earthy wares inspired by its Laurel Canyon neighborhood as well as iconic design pieces and modern classics that elude to the bustle and glamour of Sunset Boulevard below. Here, interior designer Natalie Myers gives us the inside scoop on the decor of the space. Take a look!

written by

Anna Kocharian

photography by

Amy Bartlam

interior design by

Natalie MyerS

of Veneer Designs

The inspiration behind the design of the space was a combination of the natural beauty of the Laurel Canyon neighborhood and the bohemian counterculture associated to it, the glamour of Sunset Boulevard and the entertainment industry where my clients work, and the architectural pedigree of the sprawling classic midcentury home. My client was originally too shy to admit it, but she was very inspired by the set design of The Graduate. Once she divulged that tidbit, we had a solid touchstone and so much fun bringing it to life.

The aesthetic of the home is refined and luxe, but it was important to keep it casual and inviting. The scale of the house was grand but the couple who lives here is young so it couldn't feel stuffy. It had to feel fresh.

The entry was the hardest to nail down but also my favorite part of the design. It had to capture and set the vibe of the house immediately upon coming in and we tried a few schemes out. Bohemian layered Turkish kilim rugs, midcentury-inspired Modernica planters and a Nakashima style wood bench, and large scale modern art.

Garza Marfa — Natural Oval Saddle Leather Chair

Black and Brown and White and Wood Entryway

There were quite a few splurges throughout the house - select pieces from Lawson Fenning and DWR are peppered throughout. The biggest splurge was the art. We wanted to start my client's collection with pieces that were different, compelling, and unforgettable. The large scale ink painting by Thomas Hammer in the entry was commissioned for this project and upon completion, it blew us away.

The main challenge was indecisiveness. A lot of clients have a hard time seeing how it will all come together in the end. There were a few cancelled orders and returns. All par for the course. But at a certain point my client sweetly and wisely declared that she was going to stop herself from getting in her own way. After that it was smooth sailing and an energetic collaboration that just got better and better.

The living room is the main entertaining space and is large enough for a few zones. Seating options galore from a large leather sectional, classic Eames lounger (for reading scripts), a brass accent chair, vintage Mies van de Rohe leather side chairs, Albini ottoman stools, and a Saarinen dining set. A tall home bar and vintage credenza round out the storage options around the perimeter of the room. We made sure to balance the new items with vintage textiles and brass accents to move the eye through the space. Finding the right large rug to fill the space but not overwhelm it with a loud pattern was challenging and finally resolved when we brought in the 10x14 flat weave from Woven Accents. The goal was to make it feel decadent and layered without being cluttered.

The DWR Como sectional was one of the first furniture items that my client purchased on her own before getting "stuck" and bringing me in. Who wouldn't want to design the living room around that delicious sofa? We layered it with cashmere pillows and vintage kilim pillows, a Pendleton blanket and sheepskin throw, and crowned it with the Lawson Fenning Normandie coffee table. The heart of the living room embodies the iconically Californian cool, luxe, organic modern style of the home.

The inspiration for layering the rugs was practicality more than anything. It is hard to find beautiful rugs on the large scale that aren't thousands and thousands of dollars. Amassing a collection of smaller rugs and grouping them to fill out a larger space was the answer. The key was to group similar color ways, but make sure one of the rugs in the grouping is saturated in color while the others are muted and faded to become the neutrals. They can't compete with each other. Only one can draw you in until your eye can focus on the details and uniqueness of the quieter rugs.