delightful details (and one 4-year-old’s dream bed) in a hollywood household

Vintage Saarinen Executive Knoll chairs for the living room were a lucky find on Etsy. They were sourced from Mid Century Shop in North Hollywood RUG by Contempo Floorcoverings

If you’re like us, you’re constantly collecting inspiration. Ideas, custom creations, and never-seen details that will hopefully all come to life in a space of your own—and soon. But those ideas and inspirations are only worth collecting if they’re the right ones. Jenn Pablo and Olivia Korenberg, Co-founders and Design Directors of Twofold LA, recently completed a perfectly pin-able project for a Los Angeles family. Full of personal details, custom touches, and most importantly, do-able design ideas, we couldn’t help but share the space with you.

photography by  JENN PABLO
written by  SHANI SILVER

HOW DID THIS PROJECT COME ABOUT? A mutual friend referred us to Jonathan and Adena. While they had already started to purchase for their home, they were having difficulty tying it all together in the way they wanted. They were looking for a fresh set of eyes to steer them in the right direction and make suggestions as to how to lighten and brighten each space.

WHAT WERE YOUR CLIENTS’ MAIN GOALS FOR THIS PROJECT? When we first met with Jonathan and Adena it was clear that their rooms were lacking in personality, which they themselves have so much of! Our main goal was to infuse their distinctive personalities by incorporating our client’s two aesthetics. Adena has an inclination towards bright colors, cozy layers and playful touches, while Jonathan has an appreciation for moodier tones, clean lines and vintage furniture. The most important thing was that the home remain approachable and relatively kid friendly for their four-year-old son. With those ideas in mind, we set out to integrate their two styles, which in the end blended seamlessly to create a home that is sophisticated, cheerful, bright and welcoming, a perfect reflection of the couple themselves.

FAUX SHAGREEN BUFFET from Lillian August

WHAT DID YOU FORESEE AS THE GREATEST CHALLENGE? The house had great bones, but some of their existing furnishings were not yet doing their job to enhance key architectural elements within the home. For instance, the way the living room was configured was dwarfing the scale of what is a generously sized space. Our approach was to maximize seating without overwhelming the room and keep furnishings light to counterbalance the heaviness of the existing sofas. Rather than starting from scratch, we found ways to make existing furnishings work within a new context. Items were moved from one room to the next and reoriented as needed. New purchases were used to soften, balance, and bring color and texture into the home for a more dynamic and pleasing aesthetic.

CHAIRS and COWHIDE RUG by Restoration Hardware DINING TABLE

WHAT ABOUT THIS PROJECT WERE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO? We immediately fell in love with the entire Halpern-Goldstein family; they are some of the warmest, funniest and most thoughtful people we have had the pleasure of working with! It was such a pleasure overseeing deliveries that we found ourselves making excuses to pop by and chat. We greatly enjoyed collaborating with them to create a space that they could feel proud of.

GOLD LEAF AND MARBLE COFFEE TABLE from Worlds Away

DID ANYTHING ABOUT THIS PROJECT SURPRISE YOU? We were surprised by how well some mid century and more mod designs worked in the space. Initially we were a bit apprehensive because the architecture of the house was so traditional. However, in being thoughtful about proportions, we successfully fused a variety of styles while maintaining a cohesive feel within the home.

ITALIAN LEATHER SWIVEL CHAIRS from Sunbeam Vintage in Los Angeles

UPHOLSTERED TRUNDLE BED custom with a Pindler + Pindler fabric 

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MEMORY OF THIS PROJECT? Our favorite memory of this project is the look on their adorable four-year-old son’s face when he received his new custom trundle bed. He had to wait a long time for it to be built and we will never forget the look of excitement on his face as he jumped from the trundle to the main bed over and over again.

LEATHER ARM CHAIR from Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams

ARE THERE DESIGN ELEMENTS PRESENT HERE THAT YOU’D CONSIDER YOUR “SIGNATURE” AND IF SO WHAT ARE THEY? We always try to bring a freshness to a space. We like to take advantage of natural light and keep rooms feeling bright and airy; our recipe for a happy home. In general, we also operate under the philosophy of less is more. While we love layering and playing with texture, our goal is to ensure that each purchase is adding something intentional to the space.

BUILT IN BOOKSHELF Custom IKAT PILLOW AND FEATHER PILLOW from Deborah Sharpe Linens

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR READERS HOPING TO ACHIEVE A SIMILAR LOOK? When designing a kid-friendly home you do not need to sacrifice design for function. Spend more on durable pieces like buffets and built-ins, but go a more cost effective route on delicate items that will naturally wear over time. We love jute for its durability and approachable price point and poufs provide great additional seating options for little ones. For lighter colors and upholstered items always scotch guard fabric to add a layer of protection or opt for an outdoor fabric which has a better tolerance for wear and tear.

• For a more sophisticated look we suggest monochromatic palettes. In the living room we opted to have blue be the single pop of color, however, we used different tones so it still felt a bit dynamic. Whereas in more informal spaces, mixing and matching patterns and prints works really well. To ensure that all the elements are complimentary, find a common link, whether it be in the pattern itself or a similar color-story.
• You can easily turn a bookcase from drab to dynamic by color coding books which creates vibrant pops of colors and feels less overwhelming to the eye. The simple act of color blocking can turn these often cluttered spaces into something more artful.
• Create dimension by mixing textures. We never like to use too much of the same fabric or material in any given space. If you have bulkier upholstered furniture, opt for a glass coffee table to lighten the room. If a space is getting a bit wood heavy then break things up with a high pile rug or sheepskin throws to soften edges.

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