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Houzz Tour: Modern Venice Canals Home Radiates Calm
A pared-down lifestyle didn't mean a reduction in style for this poised and tranquil home in a scenic, upscale Los Angeles area
When your clients are downsizing from a 9,000-square-foot home, the first thing you have to do is help them edit. "They were moving from a Tudor house in Pacific Palisades with full-time staff to a more modest home in the Venice Canals, so there was a definite lifestyle shift that happened with the move," says interior designer Katie Leede.
Leede credits the lessons she learned after decorating the clients' first home in the Palisades as invaluable in helping them ease into a more downsized lifestyle. "When I worked with them in their previous house, I didn't know how to say no, so the interior reflected their abrupt shifts in design taste," she says. "With this home, I knew ahead of time that we had to stay focused on a specific aesthetic; I think the consistency shows because the house feels unified and cohesive."
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple in the music and fashion industries and their daughter, who's in high school
Location: Venice Canals, Los Angeles
Size: 3,500 square feet
Leede credits the lessons she learned after decorating the clients' first home in the Palisades as invaluable in helping them ease into a more downsized lifestyle. "When I worked with them in their previous house, I didn't know how to say no, so the interior reflected their abrupt shifts in design taste," she says. "With this home, I knew ahead of time that we had to stay focused on a specific aesthetic; I think the consistency shows because the house feels unified and cohesive."
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple in the music and fashion industries and their daughter, who's in high school
Location: Venice Canals, Los Angeles
Size: 3,500 square feet
| Leede and her clients decided on a seawater palette of cool greens and blues, layered in from a base of neutrals. |
This wider perspective of the living room reveals the prized view of the Venice Canals, where docked boats, serene water and picture-perfect scenery add value to the coveted properties in this neighborhood.
The home is just a few minutes away from the bustle and verve of Venice Beach and its boardwalk. Landscaped fencing adds a layer of privacy, but not so much that it obstructs canal views from the balcony.
"The woman of the house is a fashionista; she's supercrafty and really has a way with color. I think you can still see her spunky taste in the decor, but we were careful not to go overboard. We just added pops of color throughout the house," says Leede.
Magenta makes its way into a bedroom overlooking the patio by way of a powdery pigment filling, adding a rich, saturated hue to a custom-designed Lucite table.
The home office welcomes an eclectic mix of furnishings: The clients' own art is displayed above a modern sideboard, and an antique chandelier hangs above Saarinen's iconic Tulip Table.
"In their previous home, my clients had chinoiserie decor with lots of mirrored objects and angular, hard-edged stuff," says Leede. "Now their decor looks and feels softer; it's had a calming effect throughout the entire house."
"In their previous home, my clients had chinoiserie decor with lots of mirrored objects and angular, hard-edged stuff," says Leede. "Now their decor looks and feels softer; it's had a calming effect throughout the entire house."
| A lower-level sitting room evokes an organic feel: Leede paired a live-edge table with green and blue furnishings and layered in fabric wall treatments and cream draperies, bringing the serenity of the sea and the forest to the space. |
A mix of textures in the interior and the movement created from the bamboo grove outside make a soothing tableau in this reading nook.
| Christian Liaigre chairs clad in hereford cowhide and a speckled hide rug underfoot warm up concrete floors and white walls. A macabre two-part painting by Allison Shulnik roots the space back to a maritime palette. |
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| Slatted fencing adds another layer of landscaped privacy in the outdoor seating and hot tub area. The slats and landscaping gently conceal the home from a good amount of tourists and curious strollers passing by some of the most coveted houses in the Los Angeles area — made popular by Hollywood romantic comedies like Valentine's Day and Because I Said So. |
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The master bedroom shows the clients' penchant for global textiles and Asian-inspired decor. Leede custom designed the headboard and ottoman with Uzbekistani fabric, adding bohemian flair to the room. Figurines and totems from eastern Asia add visual interest to the custom shelving unit.
| A bunk bed makes the daughter's bedroom ready for company. Leede blew up a flower photograph from Getty Images and turned it into a massive digital wall covering with the help of 4walls. "When your children grow a bit older, you have a little more time on your hands," says Leede. "In this instance, my clients refined their design style and pared down their dependence on having a house filled with too much stuff." More: Fuss-Free Venice Beach Bungalow |
Ideabook published on Aug. 25, 2012.
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The TV piece just swivels; it does not go up and down and was put in place by the architect, Holger Schubert, who built the place before we remodeled it. Also, the name if the artist who did the big painting over the sofa in the living room is Kelly Mclane.