Project Feature: Los Angeles

Creative freedom is where the magic happens. Case in point – this beautiful home basking under the Californian sun in Los Angeles. I was lucky enough to be appointed with decorating and furnishing the entire abode by the owners, a busy young family who were repeat clients. Their trust was unwavering throughout the process from concept development to product sourcing, undertaken 12,000 kilometres away in my Coal Coast studio. Although the majority of work was done remotely, three weeks were spent in LA sourcing the final touches, coordinating deliveries and installing all the furniture, art and décor to transform the residence into a laid-back, stylish Cali Cool home.

Located in the beautiful Hollywood Hills, the home already had great bones to work with. This included Oak timber floors, fresh white walls, classic French doors and high-pitched ceilings with exposed beams. A feature of the home was the expansive rooms filled with natural light. It was important to ensure the spaces felt cosy and homely whilst still maintaining the sense of abundant open space. An example of this was the statement open shelving in the living area, which covered an entire wall. The visually heavier objects and vignettes were positioned in a way that draws the eye up to the ceiling to highlight the architectural features of the home.

The home was a blank canvas beckoning to be transformed. Everything was sourced for the project, from the furniture right down to the cutlery. A clear design concept was defined for the home – a balance of California Cool blended with a signature coastal-bohemian-luxe style. Thanks to technology (and some amazing American brands – we’re looking at you Anthropologie), bespoke furniture and soft furnishings were sourced from the other side of the world in Australia.

A light and sunny colour palette of white and natural elements was chosen to reflect the Cali Cool aesthetic. Pops of muted candy colours such as pink, orange, yellow, teal and blue added interest to the space, offset by luxe brass accents. A hint of bohemian style was woven into the space with layered textures including vintage rugs, cushions and throws, buttery soft linen and rattan furniture. Finally, to bring the outdoors in, greenery was dotted throughout the home to enhance the feeling of natural living.

For the final stage of the project, I boarded a plane to LA with my partner (and for the purpose of this trip, “assistant”, Adam). In between installing deliveries and scouting the local markets and homeware stores for finishing touches, we played tourists. First on the list was exploring some all-time favourite design muses (hello The Surfrider Malibu) and visiting iconic film locations of course (including just about every filming location from The Hills – much to Adam’s dismay!). The overall result is an inviting space that balances style and functionality for a busy family settling in to inspired Californian living. View the full project and media features.