A Soulful Makeover You Must See

There’s a purpose sure properties really feel drab and stagnant. Even when a house is well-designed, it might probably nonetheless really feel… off, in a manner. That often occurs when an area lacks soul—when all the things appears “proper,” however nothing feels private. Infusing a uncared for house with fashion and character is what turns a home into a house, and designers Amanda Leigh and Taylor Hahn of LA’s Home of Rolison do that on a regular basis. 

It was clear that their most up-to-date challenge—a 1930’s Hollywood Hills property—had misplaced one thing very important. The bones had been there, however the attract was gone. What was left was a house that felt generic, and dare I say, a bit boring. That’s, till Leigh and Hahn swooped in and reworked it.

With wealthy textures, a moody colour palette and daring, intentional design, this house is now something however boring. Forward, we’ll take a tour of this once-muted residence and chat with the design crew about its daring reimagining. 

Photographs by Nils Timm and Gavin Cater.

What impressed the renovation, and what did you in the end envision the house to be? 

We wished to deliver the home again to life with out making it really feel like a duplicate of the previous or a Pinterest board of developments. After we first walked in, it felt like somebody had stripped away all of the attraction. The construction was nonetheless robust, however it was lacking the guts. Our imaginative and prescient was to revive that sense of soul—utilizing supplies that had historical past, finishes that felt lived-in, and a palette that felt wealthy however grounding. The deep colours, textured partitions, and classic supplies had been all chosen to make the house really feel heat, somewhat cinematic, and genuinely timeless.

How did you determine what to protect and what to modernize within the residence?

Truthfully, there wasn’t so much left to protect, which gave us some inventive freedom. However we did preserve the unique stained glass home windows within the stairwell—it was one of many solely hints of the house’s historical past—and we constructed round that spirit. We sourced classic brick from Fb Market (a fortunate discover!) and used it on the façade and within the courtyard to present the house some age and texture. For the fashionable items, we centered on operate—issues like lighting, structure, and movement that will make the home really feel contemporary with out erasing its roots.

This residence feels daring in such an inviting manner. What’s your method to creating that form of influence with colour and design?

Daring doesn’t need to imply chilly. We prefer to create rigidity—moody tones with delicate textures, clear traces blended with patina, excessive distinction that also feels cozy. It’s about layering in a manner that feels wealthy however not overly formal. We wish individuals to stroll in and really feel one thing—but in addition instantly know the place they’d put their espresso down.

You’ve layered in such putting items and darkish colours all through the house—how do you concentrate on selecting gadgets that make a press release with out overwhelming an area?

Each daring second has to earn its place. We love saturated tones and sculptural items, however the secret is to present them house to breathe. We method it like curating a room, not adorning it—every ingredient ought to have a function and somewhat presence, even when it’s refined. Assertion items don’t want backup dancers; they only want the proper backdrop.

How did you method mixing outdated and new parts to maintain the design feeling grounded and timeless?

We’re at all times on the lookout for that steadiness. Even in a extra up to date residence like this one, we attempt to combine in items which have a little bit of soul—one thing classic, one thing uncooked, one thing surprising. It retains the house from feeling flat or overly polished. We wish it to really feel prefer it got here collectively naturally over time… even when it was really completed on a good deadline and a whole lot of espresso.

Did you face any challenges throughout this design course of? How did you overcome them?

The most important problem was dialing within the daring palette with out letting it overwhelm the structure. We wished each house to have influence, however not on the expense of cohesion. So we stayed extremely centered on the edit—if one thing didn’t align with the imaginative and prescient, it didn’t make the minimize. And we’re obsessive in regards to the practical particulars too—issues like slicing shops into stone or tucking away storage the place you wouldn’t anticipate it. Stunning is nice, however in the event you can’t reside in it comfortably, it misses the purpose.

Wanting again on the finished challenge, is there a selected function or ingredient that you just’re particularly happy with?

Undoubtedly the outside. It was a hodgepodge mess after we began, however we turned it into a complete expertise—classic brick underfoot, a shaded veranda, layered greenery, and a pool space that feels extra New England meets European than L.A. It’s quiet, calm, and looks like somewhat escape. It’s a kind of areas the place all the things got here collectively precisely how we pictured it.