Photography by Lauren Moore for Remodelista.
We’ve long been fans of LA fashion designer Jenni Kayne; she was a Guest Judge in our 2014 Considered Design Awards contest and we’re followers of her lifestyle blog Rip & Tan (see The Healthful Apartment for a NYC home she shared with us earlier this year).
So this past fall, on the occasion of the launch of her homewares brand—Jenni Kayne Home—we stopped in at the home of Jenni Kayne company president Julia Hunter to have a closer look at the new line and Hunter’s own 1959 remodel.
The style was a mashup: part midcentury modern (it has a pitched roof with beamed ceilings and an open floor plan) and part Art Deco (with teal-and-peach bathrooms and a too-fancy kitchen backsplash).
Hunter’s French bulldog, Bebe, perched on Hunter’s white sofa from Restoration Hardware.
New from Jenni Kayne Home: Alpaca Basketweave Pillows ($195) on the sofa in light gray, oatmeal, and ivory; two Linen Seam Square Pillows ($135) in white on the lounge chair; a Wide Mouth Vase by potter Victoria Morris ($335) and a Jenni Kayne Ash Ceramic Candle ($85) on the coffee table.
Says Hunter of her white sofa I m the person constantly trying to multitask which often means I m spilling beverages and making messes She took her cues from...
...Jenni who covers the seats of her white couch with linen throw beds when risky guests are present myself included and takes them off when they re not needed
The wood dining table is from H. D. Buttercup.
“I used to order pizza when we had friends over and mix a bag of lettuce with the Caesar dressing packet it came with just to make part of the meal ‘homemade’,” she says.
The kitchen was in especially dire need of updating, says Hunter: It had granite countertops and an Art Deco–style backsplash, both of which made it look dated.
The couple opted for soapstone countertops, inspired by Remodelista’s own Primer on the subject (“we love the gray color and the natural look,” says Hunter).
They kept some block glass in one corner of the kitchen, but replaced the Art Deco backsplash with white subway tile and gray grout “to keep it classic and light.”
The brass kitchen cabinet knobs are from Schoolhouse Electric.
Hunter and her husband have an admirable vinyl collection. The artwork hanging above the bookcase is by photographer Brian Merriam, sourced from online art dealer Tappan.
Hunter used Remodelista as a guide when remodeling her bathrooms, including the upstairs powder room shown here.
To make her own powder room feel “luxe and special,” Hunter opted for Carrara marble tile, sconces from Schoolhouse Electric, and a chrome undermount sink with marble top from Signature Hardware.
The artwork in the stairwell is an Emma Wood Print by photographer Marc Gabor—a collaboration between Jenni Kayne and Tappan ($655, framed). Hunter found the sconce on Amazon.
Hunter worked with interior designer Caroline Wolf on the master bedroom. The bedspread is from Matteo, and all the throw pillows are from Jenni Kayne Home: a Linen Seam Rectangle Pillow ($115) plus alpaca stripe pillows in Square and Rectangle ($195 each).
A leather basket from Jenni Kayne stores more alpaca basketweave pillows.
The vintage credenza, used as a dresser, is from Chairish.
The house has dramatic views of the San Fernando Valley and the mountains, “which gives us a sense of natural respite,” said Hunter.
When they bought the house, says Hunter, the outdoor space “was filled with AstroTurf and bougainvillea.” Now, the yard has citrus trees and an informal patio of concrete pavers and gravel.
On the daybed, with the alpaca pillows: A Striped Linen Duvet (a collaboration between Jenni Kayne and Parachute); $349 for full/queen duvet with two shams.