In Holmby Hills, on the hills of Los Angeles, in the cradle of American glitz and show-bit, the villa of the TV presenter Mary Kitchen was built in the 1960s next to the houses of the most famous.
Demolished and then rebuilt, the villa has been redesigned in terms of furnishings and design by interior designer Jamie Bush and the owner herself, who have kept some of the original period furnishings following a single common thread.
The project is inspired by Mid-Century Modern, which re-uses materials from the 50s-60s, mixing with a contemporary vision of spaces and structures.
So Mary wanted to write ‘her’ story of the house, the charming mid-century villa of a Beverly Hills ‘grande dame’ who had lived there a fabulous life in the 60s and lived here until her last days . Mary has since moved here, retaining the architectural style and some of her original furnishings, incorporating some contemporary pieces and her extensive collection of modern art.
Jamie Bush
The lines that are used are soft, organic, inspired by the architecture of Morris Lapidus, in Miami, whose style is based precisely on the curved shape. It is from this inspiration that the circular skylights that radiate light from above are born, inspired by the utopian but emotional works of James Turrell.
If the lines are conceptual, the color palette, on the other hand, is very vast, from pinks, pops, to whites in the living area, up to the more relaxing blues for the sleeping area.
Color is used as a building material, for furnishings and fabrics, creating scenographic cross-sections alongside the selected materials: cork for the floors, wood and formica panels, metals for the details and marble and stone cladding for the kitchen and bathrooms.
The selection of vintage furnishings and pieces is accurate and creates a significant dialogue with modern art, which is the leitmotif of all the rooms of the villa.
In fact, inside the villa, works by Frank Stella, John Baldessari, Cindy Sherman coexist alongside the lights of Fontana Arte, by Carlo Scarpa for Venini and furnishings from different eras.
The sensation that this villa evokes is that of a warm, welcoming place, but full of charm and continuous amazement.
To complete the work of art, because that’s how we could define it, the project of the garden and verandas, aligned in terms of shapes and intentions with the rest of the interior design.
Last but not least is the pool, which overlooks the city, surrounded by King palms and made of white concrete, housing a series of fabric umbrellas that recall the glitz and luxury of a bygone era.
Photo Copyright: Stephen Kent Johnson – stephenkentjohnson.com – @stephenkentjohnson – jamiebush.com – @jamiebushco