Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: Travel and Art Intertwine in a California Condo
A bland 1960s high-rise in Hollywood gets a colorful, contemporary redesign inspired by a global art collection
You’ve probably met someone who’s told you about designing a room around one particular piece of furniture, object or artwork. In other words, the vision for the room was there, even if most of the furniture wasn’t. But how about an entire apartment?
Matthew Lanphier of M.J. Lanphier Interior Design faced just such a challenge when he was hired to reimagine this 1,200-square-foot West Hollywood, California, condominium. “The owner is obsessed with travel and had lots of art and objects that he’d collected during his trips abroad,” says Lanphier. “He wanted them all to be incorporated into the design, so I knew that the furniture needed to be basic and essentially serve as a platform for his really interesting artwork and sculpture.”
Lanphier also employed a couple of clever mirror tricks — and no, neither of them involves the “make-a-small-room-feel-larger” trope. There’s much more here for you to reflect on than simply that.
Matthew Lanphier of M.J. Lanphier Interior Design faced just such a challenge when he was hired to reimagine this 1,200-square-foot West Hollywood, California, condominium. “The owner is obsessed with travel and had lots of art and objects that he’d collected during his trips abroad,” says Lanphier. “He wanted them all to be incorporated into the design, so I knew that the furniture needed to be basic and essentially serve as a platform for his really interesting artwork and sculpture.”
Lanphier also employed a couple of clever mirror tricks — and no, neither of them involves the “make-a-small-room-feel-larger” trope. There’s much more here for you to reflect on than simply that.
The entry hall had a large, unattractive wall of mirrors. Lanphier asked a cabinetmaker to build frames and then painted them in a black lacquer. "They pop out 3 inches and bring a lot of depth to the wall," he says. "It almost looks like one huge leaning mirror. I wanted the frames to have intention and feel like a complete design element, not like we were just covering up the seams between the existing mirrors." A sculpture sits on a hammered-tin cabinet. The condo's entrance door and a wooden stingray are visible in the reflection.
Lanphier says that the dining room's teak table reads well with the floors and kitchen cabinets. "It's oil-treated wood and very raw. I didn't want to introduce another shiny wood surface." Solid-color chairs keep the diversity going, as does a multimedia print from Japan. "I'm a big believer that you should hang art at eye level from where you're using the room. You don't stand in a dining room," says Lanphier.
A carved wooden elephant from India sits on a storage unit that is tucked under a window and built into an existing niche. Its finish was matched to the kitchen cabinets so that the two rooms would read cohesively. The Maya Romanoff snakeskin wall covering is a variegated blue and adds a textural element. The owner wanted a "glam" fixture, so Lanphier delivered with this hanging chandelier from Boyd Lighting.
A carved wooden elephant from India sits on a storage unit that is tucked under a window and built into an existing niche. Its finish was matched to the kitchen cabinets so that the two rooms would read cohesively. The Maya Romanoff snakeskin wall covering is a variegated blue and adds a textural element. The owner wanted a "glam" fixture, so Lanphier delivered with this hanging chandelier from Boyd Lighting.
The kitchen cabinets were built from the same cherry wood as the floors. Lanphier didn't like the wood-on-wood look, so he spray painted them glossy black for a more contemporary feel. The counters are solid black granite. A painting from India hangs above the sink and has blue tones that match the wall covering in the dining room.
Lanphier sketched out the design for the four-poster bed and had it custom built. He wanted something that was structurally thick, would bring some architecture to the room and would make the ceiling feel higher than it is. The wall covering adds an organic element. "We're in the heart of earthquake territory," Lanphier points out, "so I don't like hanging pictures above a bed. But I still wanted something graphic on that wall."
The sculpture in the corner is from India and is one of the owner's favorite pieces. It inspired the turquoise bedspread, and Lanphier notes that the blue is also a good match with the cherry floors. The custom-built zebra-veneer nightstands have glass tops so that the collectibles on the shelf below are visible from above. The hanging lamp to the right is from Morocco, and Lanphier balanced it with an overscale lamp from Boyd Lighting that resembles a mannerist column.
The sculpture in the corner is from India and is one of the owner's favorite pieces. It inspired the turquoise bedspread, and Lanphier notes that the blue is also a good match with the cherry floors. The custom-built zebra-veneer nightstands have glass tops so that the collectibles on the shelf below are visible from above. The hanging lamp to the right is from Morocco, and Lanphier balanced it with an overscale lamp from Boyd Lighting that resembles a mannerist column.
The hallway leading to the master bedroom and the office has gold-tinted mirrors that are framed in rift-cut oak. The panel on the left was attached directly to the wall, while the two right sections open to reveal a storage closet that had previously been covered with bifold doors.
"One of my favorite elements is the large framed corkboards in the office," says Lanphier. They contain postcards, trinkets, necklaces and photos from the owner's travels. "It's a very personalized, three-dimensional way to contain memories." They're hanging on a wall covered in a natural woven sea grass with silver threads running through it.
The office also serves as a guest room, so Lanphier outfitted the space with a low-slung sleeper sofa from Design Within Reach. The casual nature of the pillows is intentional. "I think when things are too precise, it doesn't look comfortable," says Lanphier. "I wanted the room to look lived in and approachable so people felt free to come in and plop down on the sofa." The bone-inlaid table is from India. The clock over the doorway has arms that indicate time zones throughout the world.
The office also serves as a guest room, so Lanphier outfitted the space with a low-slung sleeper sofa from Design Within Reach. The casual nature of the pillows is intentional. "I think when things are too precise, it doesn't look comfortable," says Lanphier. "I wanted the room to look lived in and approachable so people felt free to come in and plop down on the sofa." The bone-inlaid table is from India. The clock over the doorway has arms that indicate time zones throughout the world.
A custom-built cabinet in the corner of the guest room/office replaced a closet with bifold doors. The tall section on the right has racks and shelves that hold off-season clothes, while the left side conceals file cabinets.
Lanphier had the shelves' vertical supports spray lacquered white and placed them randomly to provide visual contrast.
A hand-beaded bag was mounted on linen and wrapped in a Plexiglas display box. To its left, a sliver of the barn doors that divide the office and the living room is visible.
More:
Design Trends: Create Your Own Global Style
Give Your Home Some Global Style
Design Inspiration: India
Lanphier had the shelves' vertical supports spray lacquered white and placed them randomly to provide visual contrast.
A hand-beaded bag was mounted on linen and wrapped in a Plexiglas display box. To its left, a sliver of the barn doors that divide the office and the living room is visible.
More:
Design Trends: Create Your Own Global Style
Give Your Home Some Global Style
Design Inspiration: India
Behind the sofa, heavy metal barn doors slide to close off the living room from the adjoining office. They're covered in a hammered copper that Lanphier says goes well with the cherry floors. "It has a sheen to it and reads very differently from the wall covering in the dining room."