cool & calm in california: louise roe invites us in

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text by  SHANI SILVER photography by   MACKENZIE HUNKIN

CHAIRS One Kings Lane

Louise Roe, TV Host and author of style guide Front Roe, recently completed an interior design project we couldn’t wait to share–her own! Her Los Angeles townhouse is the stuff of inspiration, so prepare yourselves to pin. We can all appreciate the need to create a calming space in the home, and Louise specifically wanted to create hers without the space feeling too minimal. Sounds tough, but she mastered it. Read on to find out how!

WHAT WAS YOUR PRIMARY GOAL FOR THIS REDESIGN? I wanted to simplify and calm the space. I used to have a lot of print and color in this townhouse, and after a long, hectic day filming or shooting (usually in bright and printed clothes) I wanted my home to represent the opposite. Clear my head, with cream, ebony, and splashes of gold without getting too gaudy, simplify.

WHAT OVERALL AESTHETIC WOULD YOU USE TO DESCRIBE IT? Modern but still cozy – without becoming minimal. The prints and cacti work well with the Californian climate. The living room has crazy high ceilings and a lot of natural light, so we dyed the floorboards dark. The contrast with light taupe walls really works.

BOWLS Georg Jensen TABLE TOP Caeserstone

WHAT TYPES OF FURNISHINGS ARE YOU MOST DRAWN TO? In New York I stay at the Edition Hotel, and I’m obsessed with the decor there. It’s simple, clean, chic – but there’s an element of mid-century here and there. The One Kings Lane chairs and the dining table legs (found on eBay) are a nod to Milo Baughman.

SURFACES Caeserstone  FRUIT BOWL L’eclectique LA

WHERE DO YOU FIND YOURSELF SPENDING THE MOST TIME IN YOUR SPACE? My study. I work a lot from home so having a sanctuary on the top floor is heaven. I’m inspired by every corner of it: I built the book shelves to house my college books and have the feel of a library. The windows look out to the Hollywood Hills and it’s a mezzanine wall so I can spy on what’s going on downstairs, too!

WHAT IS ONE DESIGN LESSON THIS PROJECT TAUGHT YOU? Work with a project manager. I thought I could take this on myself because I have a keen eye for decor, but the logistics and practical side of things are overwhelming.

Hub of the House is a local firm and they were life-saving, pointing out things I’d have never have realized, overseeing the contractors and creating a timeline. Even the smallest of home makeovers still end up being big projects, and if you work full-time, it’s tricky to manage alone.

Also, spend longer visualizing every inch of the final result, in advance. We did not put wooden floors down in the kitchen at first, but once the cabinets had been repainted and the worktops replaced, the old tiled floor looked awful, and so did the windows. So we had to get the floor done and add plantation shutters to the kitchen windows, which set us back another three weeks.

ARE THERE ANY DESIGN TIPS FROM THIS SPACE THAT OUR READERS SHOULD TRY AT HOME? Absolutely! I started by going nuts on Instagram and screengrabbing interiors I loved. I placed them into one folder and worked to recreate certain looks or atmospheres. Also, I wasn’t sure what to do with all the framed artwork I had accumulated, and then realized putting everything together onto one photo wall, would make a huge impact.

Finally, there’ no need to buy nick-nacks new, sometimes you just need to re-imagine books, ornaments and lamps in different settings. I put everything onto one rug, took a long look at them and regrouped them for different rooms. Re-homing your old items is honestly like buying a bunch of new stuff – only cheaper!

WHAT IS YOUR PERSONAL FAVORITE ITEM IN YOUR HOME? Hard to choose! I love the

Gray Malin prints

above my desk. And the Natalie Obradovich prints across the room. Such vibrant colors and places I am now planning to visit, one actually for my honeymoon!

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MEMORY YOU’VE MADE IN THIS SPACE? When my parents came to visit from London and we all sat on the balcony with the moon behind the palm trees, eating dinner. I had rushed to get the house ready in time for their stay, and I was really proud to entertain for the first time in the renovated space!

TABLE LAMP chairish