The Pacific Palisades is an upscale neighborhood in LA that sits on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It has a small town feel in the midst of a big city with its charming shops, restaurants, and hiking trails, plus a 22-mile beachfront bike path. When homeowners Julie and Kent reached out to Sierra Fox, designer and principal of Studio Mountain, they wanted to translate that feeling into their home, and create a space that felt elegant and elevated yet cozy enough for their three children, at the time all under 10 years of age.
BEFORE: LIVING ROOM
The MLs
The original space lacked charm and character, feeling a bit sterile and outdated.
THE AFTER
Shade Degges for Studio Mountain
Sierra and her team breathed new life into every nook of the home to design a cozy modern space for a family of five, selecting locally sourced furnishings and handpicked pieces from Europe.
Shade Degges for Studio Mountain
The entry needed a little love too. "We wanted a show stopper for the light fixture in the entry and Julie was adamant that the piece needed to feel like an element of nature brought into the home," says Sierra. They considered different conceptual ideas, including potentially having a massive bird cage and putting their pet birds in it!
Shade Degges for Studio Mountain
They finally landed on a stunning 18-foot-long iron oak leaf chandelier, custom made by artisans at Cox London in England. The homeowners, avid Anglophiles who once lived in London, drew much of their design inspiration from their European travels.
Shade Degges for Studio Mountain
"We had great alignment with on taste and budget, which helped us bring their home to life," says Sierra. "We incorporated the easy feeling of California living with a more old world English touch to make something that felt truly like only their home."
Shade Degges for Studio Mountain
The overall aesthetic is "understated, romantic, transitional, organic, and refined," says Sierra. "It's truly a refined blend of east coast architecture and CA indoor/outdoor living, family home but still feels elevated and elegant with a European/English sensibility."
Shade Degges for Studio Mountain
Cozy elements include a furry armchair, bouclé curved sofa, gorgeous fresh flowers, and flowing drapes.
Shade Degges for Studio Mountain
The mix of textures and contrast of dark and light keep the neutral space from feeling too stark or snoozy. The elements together achieve the casual elegance that the homeowners were striving for.
Shade Degges for Studio Mountain
"Their book collection reflects their diverse interests," says Sierra. Julie is a glaucoma surgeon as well as a major fashion enthusiast (note books dedicated to model Kate Moss and fashion designer Calvin Klein) while Kent, an engineer, runs their hair technology company, T3Micro, and leans into historical books.
Shade Degges for Studio Mountain
The once-white lackluster basement is now a gorgeous chocolate brown speakeasy bar and library.
Shade Degges for Studio Mountain
Cocktail and a book anyone?
Shade Degges for Studio Mountain
Vintage pieces reflect a love of historical European design.
BEFORE: KITCHEN
The MLs
The all-white, all-marble kitchen had a generic, cookie-cutter design that lacked any personality.
AFTER: KITCHEN
Shade Degges for Studio Mountain
The new kitchen has a moodier vibe with a warm aesthetic that feels cozy and inviting. The couple started collecting wine and the collection reflects their interests, making the space more personal. "We installed the home after they had moved in, so it was a bit terrifying when the workers were installing anywhere near the wine room glass!" adds Sierra.
Shade Degges for Studio Mountain
A delicate bird wallpaper sourced from U.K. company Fromental hints to the nature-inspired decor reflected throughout the home.
BEFORE: DINING ROOM
The MLs
The white walls and chairs in the former dining room make the room feel cold and uninviting as well. The blues feel outdated too.
AFTER: DINING ROOM
Shade Degges for Studio Mountain
The new dining room feel elegant and ready for conversation. Julie wanted a one-of-a-kind wall treatment in the dining room so she and Sierra scoured dozens of wallpaper options before they landed on a custom hand-painted mural.
"The dining room is truly jaw dropping in person," says Sierra. "Each panel reveals new small details every time I visit, and it transitions from day to night so beautifully."
Shade Degges for Studio Mountain
The ER Butler candlesticks are just as beautiful as they are functional. They're basically art pieces!
Shade Degges for Studio Mountain
The BDDW credenza is an American-made, heirloom-quality furniture designed exclusively by artist Tyler Hays.
Shade Degges for Studio Mountain
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