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When design firm SIMO Design set out to remodel a five-bedroom, 6500-square-foot house to put it on the market, they did it with a family in mind. Ultimately, the home sold to a single guy—but looking at the decor, it’s quite easy to see the appeal.

In the lead image: Restoration Hardware Bristol Flat Mirror in “Aged Brass”, $304- $746; Circa Lighting Mercer Long Box Light, $630

In this image: Dunn Edwards “Swiss Coffee” paint

The Beverly Hills home is expertly designed to suit a younger, contemporary aesthetic. Full of natural light and natural materials, the home’s clean lines lend a modern feel to the space. According to Alexi Rennalls, who worked on the home, this was not originally the case.

 

In this image: Robert Lewis Studio Star Chandelier

“The interior had a lot of mirrors—one bathroom even had them on the ceiling—and the master bedroom had a bright green carpet. Maybe [the previous homeowners] had been trying to mimic the look of grass?” remembers Rennalls.

 

In this image: Olivier Regueiro “Shy” Photograph, starting at $450; West Elm Mid-Century 6 Drawer Dresser, $999; Noguchi Akari Light Sculptures, starting at $160

After getting rid of the more dated elements, the next order of business was adding warmth and brightness to the space (prior to the renovation, the home was really dark) to make it feel more livable. This was mostly accomplished by implementing natural materials and playing up elements that were already present.

In this image: Horne Heavy Pendant Tall, $450

For example, brick ran throughout the home from the fireplace to the floor to even full walls; the SIMO Design team added brick to rooms like the kitchen as a means of tying the whole house together and making it more cohesive.

They also added in other materials, such as concrete and marble in the bathrooms and exposed wooden beams in almost every room, to round out that natural vibe.  

 

In this image: 1st Dibs Iron and Walnut Chairs, $600 for a pair; 1st Dibs Vintage Moroccan Leather Tuareg Rug, $8,500

When working with a similarly large house, Rennalls advises sticking to a neutral palette. Simple colors are prevalent all over the home, allowing the natural materials to stand out all the more.

 

“The spaces were very overwhelming. With the exception of the yoga studio, which felt more manageable and like we could do something really bold, everywhere else either had really high ceilings or were connected to other rooms,” says Rennalls. “So the color palette had to show some restraint.”

In fact, the yoga studio turned out to be one of the more unique features of the home. Painted a dramatic black color—a welcome change from the usually whitewashed meditation rooms we see everywhere—and converted from the fifth bedroom, it’s a calming retreat.

 

In this image: Lekker Home Lean Mirror by Bensen, $990; Dunn Edwards “Black Bean” paint

“That room is located almost in the basement, but it has really good light and a balcony attached so once those doors were open you just saw green everywhere,” says Rennalls of the studio.

The stunning exterior is another noteworthy feature. While the pool and brick patio were left in really good shape and didn’t require much updating, the design team added a cabana to make it the perfect outdoor area for summer.

 

In this image: Dunn Edwards “Legendary Gray” paint; Crate and Barrel Alfresco Sunbrella Chaise Lounge Cushion in “Charcoal”, $159; Safavieh Manteca Outdoor Lounge Chair, $235.49

A portion of the exterior actually ended up being Rennalls’s favorite part of the entire renovation. She painted the home, which used to be a bright, sunshine yellow, a deeper grey; a small change which she believes made the biggest difference.

“It had a white picket fence and looked like something you would see in Good Housekeeping back in the day,” says Rennalls of the old exterior. “It felt really good when they repainted it—such a drastic change from the bright yellow. In the pictures it comes up a little more blue, but in reality it was a very dark grey and it made it feel like a completely different house.”

 

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