an invigorating, outdoor-inspired LA home makeover

When comedy agent Christie Smith called upon Amy Kehoe and Todd Nickey to help design her new home, she told them she wanted a warm, inviting space perfect for hosting friends. “I’m a big entertainer, so my house had to feel comfortable for everyone,” she says. 

The home already had a lot going for it: it’s perched on a hilltop in the hip Los Angeles neighborhood of Silver Lake, with an airy main floor that includes an open living room, dining room, and kitchen. And its two outdoor spaces, one at the entrance of the home and the other overlooking the valley of Los Angeles, let it live larger than its square footage. “In the front, I wanted to create privacy,” says Kehoe, who enlisted the expertise of exterior designer Tory Polone to create a lush, verdant retreat. “But in the back, I wanted an urban oasis. Now, the indoor and outdoor areas feel like one giant, connected entertaining space.”

“We opened up the concrete fireplace by painting it the same color as the wall and by adding shelves to the right,” Kehoe says.

Custom shelves house prized mementos.

Smith was attracted to the home because of its open layout, especially that of its bright and sunny kitchen.

A colorful painting by Annie Lapin helps set the living room’s buoyant mood. “I believe art is the perfect way to finish off a space,” says Kehoe. “It’s great to have an anchor in each room that will be part of your collection forever.”

The library is Kehoe’s favorite room. “It’s tucked away at the end of the house,” she says, “so we could fully transform it and commit to textiles and a bohemian color palette without worrying about the flow of other rooms.”

A vintage record player sits atop a console from Lawson-Fenning.

Kehoe endeavored to soften the modern home’s austere lines with a mix of warm textiles and colors. “Christie is drawn to neutrals and whites,” says the designer, “so finding a combination that felt fresh and youthful, yet sophisticated and tasteful, really elevated the home’s aesthetic.”