Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: Transitional Style Layered With Pattern and Color
This Los Angeles home’s interior design will look fresh for years to come
This Los Angeles condo was decorated for an entrepreneur who adores color and pattern and loves to entertain, interior designer Emily Ruddo says. The owner was drawn to transitional style that would last for years. But she also wanted a space that was personalized with flair, and to use existing pieces that had been given new life.
The approach: “This project was really about creating a calming vibe by using textures, colors and patterns rather than a typical all-neutral palette,” Ruddo says. “We focused primarily on how we wanted the spaces to feel when you were in them. It was the vibe that took priority over any specific color palette.”
Ruddo took the long-term view, aiming to give her client a classic design that would last. She chose shades of gray and light blue for the paint colors, window treatments and upholstery so the homeowner could easily make changes to the artwork and other accents in the future. She grounded the space with more traditional and transitional upholstered pieces and then layered in contemporary and vintage accents to personalize it.
Ruddo took the long-term view, aiming to give her client a classic design that would last. She chose shades of gray and light blue for the paint colors, window treatments and upholstery so the homeowner could easily make changes to the artwork and other accents in the future. She grounded the space with more traditional and transitional upholstered pieces and then layered in contemporary and vintage accents to personalize it.
The style: Overall the style is transitional with hints of glamour and a wide variety of artwork. Eye-catching textiles were layered atop a mostly neutral and calming base color palette. “We also knew we wanted to blend in vintage pieces,” Ruddo says. “We didn’t want everything to look shiny and new.”
Living room: Entertaining is a focus of the living room’s new design, which features lots of seating. The original Carrara marble fireplace serves as a focal point, with an antique Louis Philippe mirror above it. A crystal chandelier lends a sense of grandeur. Ruddo flanked the fireplace with two of her client’s winged armchairs, which now sport a new marble-like patterned fabric. The rest of the throw pillows and patterns fell into place from there.
Paint color: Balboa Mist, Benjamin Moore; ceiling light and table lamp: Visual Comfort; wing chair and accent pillow fabric: Kelly Wearstler for Lee Jofa; drapery and ottoman fabric: Kravet; rug: Merida; ottoman and media cabinet: custom; artwork via John Wolf Fine Art; browse crystal chandeliers
Paint color: Balboa Mist, Benjamin Moore; ceiling light and table lamp: Visual Comfort; wing chair and accent pillow fabric: Kelly Wearstler for Lee Jofa; drapery and ottoman fabric: Kravet; rug: Merida; ottoman and media cabinet: custom; artwork via John Wolf Fine Art; browse crystal chandeliers
Here’s a closer look at the Louis Philippe mirror, which is one of those not-so-shiny-and-new pieces Ruddo mentioned. “It gave us the patina we needed,” she says.
Here you can see how the smallest of accents personalize the space and draw the eye. There are groupings of pretty objects here and there just waiting to be discovered.
Office: They repurposed the third bedroom into an office, as it’s directly off the living room. While in the rest of the house Ruddo helped her client layer different styles of art in more subtle hues, they really went for it in here. “The office was the one place where we used artwork that was very bright and loud, which is why the walls are very light and the furniture white,” Ruddo says.
Desk: custom; artwork via John Wolf Fine Art
Desk: custom; artwork via John Wolf Fine Art
Dining room: The dining room can be seen from the entry and connects to the kitchen. Deep-pink upholstered chairs set a bright tone, and a mirrored console, vintage chandelier and mirror, and brass bar cart bring in glamorous patinas.
Paint: Gray Owl, Benjamin Moore; drapery fabric: Lee Jofa; drapery trim: Kravet; art via Benson-Cobb; check out more bar cart styles
Paint: Gray Owl, Benjamin Moore; drapery fabric: Lee Jofa; drapery trim: Kravet; art via Benson-Cobb; check out more bar cart styles
The kitchen: The kitchen was in very good condition (think white cabinets and stainless steel appliances), so Ruddo made only small cosmetic changes. “We chose black, white and gold to create a midcentury glam feeling for this very small space,” she says. The wallpaper, vintage French chairs, cafe table and window treatment form an inviting little eat-in space. Ruddo fashioned the table from a vintage hammered-brass plant stand and a new custom Calacatta marble top. She re-covered the chairs in a Kelly Wearstler fabric.
Fabric on window shade and chairs: Kelly Wearstler for Lee Jofa
Fabric on window shade and chairs: Kelly Wearstler for Lee Jofa
Master bedroom: The homeowner already had the bed and nightstands. Beyond that, the next choice was the large piece of art by French artist and textile designer Paule Marrot. The piece inspired the rest of the choices, including the soft custom drapes, which bring in the calming vibe the client craved for her bedroom.
Beneath the artwork, a mirrored console serves as a dressing table. Two round ottomans and a reading chair are covered in Kelly Wearstler fabric that plays off the artwork.
Painting: “Feathers” by Paule Marrot, Natural Curiosities
Beneath the artwork, a mirrored console serves as a dressing table. Two round ottomans and a reading chair are covered in Kelly Wearstler fabric that plays off the artwork.
Painting: “Feathers” by Paule Marrot, Natural Curiosities
The west-facing room gets lots of afternoon sun.
“The nightstand lamps were a family heirloom and they fit in just perfectly in this space,” Ruddo says.
Paint color: Baby Fawn, Benjamin Moore; Drapery fabric: Lee Jofa; bolster fabric: Kelly Wearstler for Lee Jofa; sham fabric: Matouk
Paint color: Baby Fawn, Benjamin Moore; Drapery fabric: Lee Jofa; bolster fabric: Kelly Wearstler for Lee Jofa; sham fabric: Matouk
Master bathroom: The coral artwork and ceramic garden stool bring in the calming blues from the bedroom.
Guest bedroom: “Since the living room and master were muted sky and aqua blues, we wanted to go with a brighter and darker color palette for the guest bedroom,” Ruddo says. She started off with Celerie Kemble for Schumacher fabric for the bolster pillow. “I love mixing colors that you don’t often see used together. The jade green and royal blue of that pattern was perfect, and then everything else fell into place,” she says.
The tiered nightstands give guests plenty of room for their reading materials and water, and Ruddo added a tray for jewelry.
Paint color: Gray Owl, Benjamin Moore; velvet drapery fabric: Kravet, with aqua trim by Fabricut; Euro sham pillow fabric: Kelly Wearstler for Lee Jofa; bolster pillow fabric: Schumacher; standard shams and duvet: John Robshaw; nightstands: Worlds Away
The tiered nightstands give guests plenty of room for their reading materials and water, and Ruddo added a tray for jewelry.
Paint color: Gray Owl, Benjamin Moore; velvet drapery fabric: Kravet, with aqua trim by Fabricut; Euro sham pillow fabric: Kelly Wearstler for Lee Jofa; bolster pillow fabric: Schumacher; standard shams and duvet: John Robshaw; nightstands: Worlds Away
Here’s a closer look at some of the details, such as the trim on the drapes.
Guest bath: This full bathroom doubles as guest bathroom and powder room. The counter and tiles are Calacatta marble. “We were ecstatic with how the wallpaper turned out. The client said it’s always a conversation starter at parties,” Ruddo says.
“We are most proud of the feelings that this home evokes,” Ruddo says. “After a long workday, she can have an impromptu gathering or just as easily stay in for a relaxing night at home. The end result is a home that easily suits her lifestyle.”
Wallpaper: Kelly Wearstler for Groundworks/Lee Jofa; shade fabric: Kravet; towels: Matouk
Browse more homes by style: Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
Wallpaper: Kelly Wearstler for Groundworks/Lee Jofa; shade fabric: Kravet; towels: Matouk
Browse more homes by style: Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
House at a Glance
Who lives here: An entrepreneur
Location: Hancock Park neighborhood of Los Angeles
Size: 1,900 square feet (177 square meters); three bedrooms, two bathrooms
Designer: Emily Ruddo
Entry: The condo’s entry hall offers a taste of what’s to come. It has views of the dining room and opens up to the living room, so the designer kept the colors neutral. However, its variety of textures, finishes and silhouettes lets you know the house is anything but bland. The classic mirrored Parsons table displays books, a bowl, a vase and sculptures in ceramic, marble, gold and more.
Wall paint: Classic Gray, Benjamin Moore; black-and-white artwork: Bella Pieroni