“When I saw this house, it looked like an ideal version of the California lifestyle,” says music producer John Hill, who shares the home in Brentwood’s Kenter Canyon with his wife Maria, daughter Cecilia, son Jackson, and their dog Crackers. “I’ve always been a fan of midcentury architecture, and our old house was a craftsman that was darker and more divided as a space. Whereas this house is so open and has a feeling of lightness and airiness that we love.”
To turn it into a modern family home for the ages, John tapped interior design star Leah Ring of Another Human, who specializes in color and infusing spaces with hues that stir the senses.
“I had previously worked with John in his recording studio in Venice, where we used more masculine materials like leathers and dark woods,” Leah explains. “I knew his aesthetic and what things he would like, but this project needed to work for the whole family and be really cheerful.”
Built in 1959, the sprawling home was respectfully preserved and renovated by the previous owners. No remodeling was necessary, just a surface overhaul where past meets present in the best way imaginable. “The house is so architecturally strong, and I wanted to respect, listen, and respond to that, as did John and Maria, who were so motivated to get in and start enjoying it,” Leah adds. “We changed paint, wallpaper, and light fixtures and added furnishings, which we started doing in August last year and finished by the end of the year.”
Leah combined old and new, while introducing bold prints and patterns and colorful accents all around—like the five-color modular sofa in Teflon-treated fabric she designed to amp up the wow factor in the children’s media room. Further personalized and functional spaces include the moody blue TV room, where Leah also crafted the L-shaped, burgundy-hued linen sofa to accommodate everyone. “It’s great because we now have a sofa large enough to fit our whole family including the dog,” enthuses John. “It’s really nice to all be together to watch movies or just hang out.”
Several other seating options make the home convenient for work, relaxing, or entertaining, including the reupholstered banquette around the dark-wood kitchen table, along with two 1960s Poul Volther–style chairs and a teal sleeper sofa from Design Within Reach in the office. Leah sourced vintage leather safari chairs from Etsy for the living room, along with a plush olive green sofa by Nickey Kehoe. “We really gravitate towards that room, it’s become the main gathering place for our family,” John says. “We spent Christmas there and we love having fires and playing music—the midcentury piano in the corner was something I found and traded for my childhood piano.”
Everything in the space weaves together with a consistent, modern touch that avoids any retro pastiche, from the Gio Ponti FA33 reproduction mirror in the jewel box-like powder room to the cream lacquer coffee table and Vitsoe shelving in the TV room—both acquired by John from the previous owners, the latter allowing him to display his Grammy award alongside books, sculptures, and other personal artifacts.
There are also more custom-made one-offs. For instance, the effortlessly cool Charlotte Perriand–inspired white oak coffee table in the TV room was a collaboration between Leah and LA-based studio Arbor Exchange, as was the vast walnut bed with nightstands in the couple’s bedroom and the maple wood office desk.
The feel-good Cali vibe is abundant in the effervescent hues, which elevate some of the rooms against the mainly neutral backdrop of white panelled walls and ceilings. A prime example is the shimmering sea blue-tiled ceramic wall installation outside the main bathroom window, an original to the house, created by renowned modernist sculptor Stan Bitters. Other equally spirited decorative elements include the vividly painted closet doors in Jackson’s room, creating a surprising and joyful atmosphere. “He loved the palette and so we planned the furnishings around that in a way that felt masculine enough but still fun,” Leah explains. Textural floor coverings throughout the home give a sense of flow and feeling of depth in the materials and motifs—often informing the decor scheme, like the uplifting sky blue palette of Cecilia’s bedroom.
It’s a family home where everything has its place with a joyful personality and nostalgic comfort. On the once bare walls, art and vintage Matisse posters share space with drawings by the children. “Our kids are getting older, but it makes us so happy and gives our house a sense of family history to include their early artwork and ceramics in the decor,” John reflects. “We love the way it weaves in our memories and compliments the design in a personal and sentimental way.”
Studio Ford for Commune Reversible Quilt
Chamois Midnight Wingback Swivel Desk Chair
Gio Ponti FA 33 Wall Mirror
Catamaran Striped Rug by Dash & Albert
Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
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