There’s a cause sure properties really feel drab and stagnant. Even when a house is well-designed, it could actually nonetheless really feel… off, in a method. That often occurs when an area lacks soul—when every thing appears to be like “proper,” however nothing feels private. Infusing a uncared for area 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 mission—a 1930’s Hollywood Hills property—had misplaced one thing important. The bones have 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 remodeled it.
With wealthy textures, a moody coloration palette and daring, intentional design, this house is now something however boring. Forward, we’ll take a tour of this once-muted dwelling and chat with the design staff about its daring reimagining.
Pictures 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 carry the home again to life with out making it really feel like a duplicate of the previous or a Pinterest board of developments. Once we first walked in, it felt like somebody had stripped away all of the appeal. The construction was nonetheless sturdy, 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 have been all chosen to make the area really feel heat, somewhat cinematic, and genuinely timeless.
How did you resolve what to protect and what to modernize within the dwelling?
Actually, there wasn’t lots left to protect, which gave us some artistic freedom. However we did hold 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 provide the house some age and texture. For the trendy items, we centered on perform—issues like lighting, structure, and circulate that might make the home really feel contemporary with out erasing its roots.
This dwelling feels daring in such an inviting method. What’s your strategy to creating that type of impression with coloration and design?
Daring doesn’t must imply chilly. We wish to create pressure—moody tones with smooth textures, clear traces combined with patina, excessive distinction that also feels cozy. It’s about layering in a method that feels wealthy however not overly formal. We would like folks 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 consider selecting objects that make an announcement with out overwhelming an area?
Each daring second has to earn its place. We love saturated tones and sculptural items, however the bottom line is to provide them area to breathe. We strategy it like curating a room, not adorning it—every factor ought to have a function and somewhat presence, even when it’s refined. Assertion items don’t want backup dancers; they only want the correct backdrop.
How did you strategy mixing previous and new parts to maintain the design feeling grounded and timeless?
We’re all the time searching for that stability. Even in a extra up to date dwelling 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 area from feeling flat or overly polished. We would like it to really feel prefer it got here collectively naturally over time… even when it was really executed on a decent deadline and lots 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 area to have impression, 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 lower. And we’re obsessive concerning the purposeful particulars too—issues like chopping retailers into stone or tucking away storage the place you wouldn’t anticipate it. Stunning is nice, however if you happen to can’t dwell in it comfortably, it misses the purpose.
Wanting again on the finished mission, is there a specific function or factor that you simply’re particularly happy with?
Positively the outside. It was a hodgepodge mess once 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 seems like somewhat escape. It’s a type of areas the place every thing got here collectively precisely how we pictured it.
