When Camilla Trigano, who runs the Beverly Hills outpost of Taschen books, and her husband, Benjamin, owner of the hip M+B gallery in West Hollywood, moved with their two young children to L.A.'s Mar Vista neighborhood, they were desperately seeking a cool but unpretentious home where they and their friends could hang out barefoot. "We wanted a beach-house feel with a Tom Ford kind of elegance," says Benjamin, a native of Paris, whose family founded Club Med in the 1950s.
WALL PAINT (similar to shown) Regal matte in Charming Pink, benjaminmoore.com for stores
Registry
House Tour: An Artistic Mix
Published on July 19, 2010
A Los Angeles family of four's home is an eclectic combination of soothing colors and quirky decoration.
This story originally appeared as Radiant Modernism in Domino magazine.
As luck would have it, one of their friends happens to be architect-designer Philippe Starck, who masterminded their fantasy house, using his own in Cap Ferret, France, as the inspiration. Starck created the box (keeping just one wall from the original 1940s house) and custom-mixed paints in Pantone graphic-design hues, beginning with the acid-green entryway that immediately lets you know you've gone down the rabbit hole.
While Starck left the Triganos to do the decorating, his lamps for Flos and furniture for Kartell feature prominently alongside important modern pieces and lots and lots of IKEA. It's those paints, though, that leave the greatest mark: "I've always lived in houses with white walls," says Camilla, a Brit who spent her formative years in southwestern France and Paris. "But as soon as I saw all this color, it was magic."
WALL PAINT (similar to shown) Regal matte in Butter and FLOOR PAINT (similar to shown) Acrylic high-gloss enamel in Safety White, benjaminmoore.com for storesCHAIR Starck "Louis Ghost" $334 Kartell (866) 854-8823 for stores
The black exterior recalls tobacco barns in Bordeaux, France, but the white strip keeps it California cool.
sunshine state
"Different wall colors set the mood of each room," Benjamin explains. The soft gray of the kitchen is overtaken by the butter-yellow living area that overlooks it, like the sun bursting through haze. The yellow is bright but doesn't overwhelm or feel silly, thanks to crisp white floors and ceilings and the band of white along the lower quarter of the walls—a decorative flourish Starck used to unify the rooms. Furniture in warm oranges and browns and wood lend a down-to-earthiness to the wide-open space, while the peek of pink in the stairway intrigues.
SOFA Wood and fabric "Victor" from $4,706 flexformusa.com for stores CHAIR Arne Jacobsen "Egg" from $4,996 houseofcopenhagen.com STOOLS: Eames walnut "A," "B" and "C" $749 each, dwr.com LAMP Castiglioni "Arco" $2,328 ylighting.comARTWORK (left) Ralph Wormsley Curtis oil on canvas "Gigia Viani" (sold), borghi.org for other works by artist
casual dining
Two or three times a week, the Triganos throw a dinner party for at least 10 people—and sometimes 40. On Sundays they often host brunches or barbecues. In keeping with the family's laissez-faire vibe, there's no formal dining room. Guests float from the living room to the adjoining patio, sitting anywhere they like, even the floor. And forget fancy table settings: The outdoor table is covered by a festive plastic fabric bought at a droguerie in France ("I bring back rolls of the stuff," Camilla says). A heater by the table lets the Triganos eat alfresco year-round.
- OUTDOOR CHAIRS Starck polypropylene "Toy Chair" $316/set of two, unicahome.com*
For smaller gatherings, the ensemble usually crowds around the kitchen table, above, also dressed in fun-loving plastic. "Next house, I'm putting the sofa in the kitchen!" Camilla says.
CABINETS "Värde" sink cabinet $159, countertop $79 and base cabinet $329 all at ikea.com STOVE GE "Monogram" 483 dual-fuel professional range from $7,699 gemonogram.com for stores STOOL Warren Platner $962 knoll.com for storesPENDANT LAMPS "Tara" $212 each, ylighting.com WALL PAINT (similar to shown in entryway) Regal matte in Exotic Lime, benjaminmoore.com for stores
happy bath
It's impossible not to feel uplifted in this sunny and spare bathroom, painted a shinier version of the living room's yellow (high-gloss paint is easier to clean). The Duravit sink and custom marble bath encasement speak to the minimal aesthetic the couple favors, while the Venetian mirror hits a glam note. Not fans of overhead lighting, the Triganos use these sweet Starck for Flos hanging lamps throughout the house, all of them set on dimmers. The couple also hate wires, so music is piped in here and elsewhere through built-in speakers.
SINK Starck 18" china washbowl $995 duravit.us for stores HAND SHOWER (similar to shown) Cifial wall-mounted "Techno" $138 fixtureuniverse.com PENDANT LAMPS Starck "Romeo Babe Soft S" $280 each, ylighting.com WALL PAINT (similar to shown) Impervex in Butter, benjaminmoore.com for stores
All the bedrooms in the house, and the stairwell leading to the master suite, are painted a calming pink.
ARTWORK (at top of stairs) Boris Zaborov "Le Cheval" (sold), mimiferzt.com for other works by artist
slumber party
Formerly two tiny rooms, the kids' bedroom is the result of a merger. "We like the kids to share," Camilla says. Starck suggested pink for the walls because it's considered the most soothing color. The Danish rug brings rich texture to the understated room, which has little in the way of furniture: In addition to the twin beds, each child has a desk/play station (complete with G4!) and a spacious closet created with IKEA shelving fronted by white cotton curtains—to better conceal potential mess. Beyond the doors lies the deck, where Chloe and Adrian have set up their second homes—aka tents.
BED (similar to shown) "Hemnes" $199 ikea.com RUG (similar to shown) Wool 62 x 92 shag $899 ABC Carpet & Home (212) 473-3000 WALL PAINT (similar to shown) Regal matte in Charming Pink, benjaminmoore.com for stores TENTS (similar to shown) Polyester playhouses from $168 each, potterybarnkids.com
spalike suite
"In summer, we spend our days up here," Camilla says of the 600-square-foot aerie that serves as master bedroom and all-around family retreat. "We love to do nothing!" Benjamin chimes in. The furnishings are spartan and the pink walls largely bare—which encourages an instant melting away of mental clutter. Slat blinds on the 14 windows take advantage of the copious light: "In the morning, it's like God is coming into the room!" Benjamin exclaims playfully.
BED (similar to shown) "Basic" $399 pbteen.com QUILT (similar to shown) Cotton "Bridgetown" $128, SHEETS (similar to shown) "Crisscross" embroidered percale shams $40 each, pillowcases $38/pair, and flat sheet $60 all at garnethill.comLAMPS Starck "Archimoon Soft" $311.95 each, ylighting.com ARTWORK (right) By Romain Erkiletlian, e-mail sandra@geringgallery.com for other works by artist WALL PAINT (similar to shown) Regal matte in Charming Pink, benjaminmoore.com for stores
Behind the all-white bed is a hallway, along which lies a deconstructed bathroom (there are separate "rooms" for the toilet and the marble shower). The pièce de résistance is this open vanity-table-cum-sink, where everything from towels to beauty products is at the ready for pampering.
*MIRROR (similar to shown) Hand-etched "Paula Venetian" $899 themirrorlady.com SINK Starck 18" china washbowl $995 duravit.us for stores FAUCET Starck polished-chrome tall mixer $427.05 homeclick.com SCONCE Starck "Romeo Babe Soft W" $311.95 ylighting.com *
Benjamin uses IKEA fixtures to properly light and to bestow a romantic feel on paintings.
CHAIR (similar to shown) Rachel Ashwell "Plump" from $2,150 shabbychic.com for stores PILLOW COVER (similar to shown) Embroidered suzani $75 Anahita Gallery (505) 231-7216 ARTWORK By Loïc Le Groumellec, e-mail info@galeriealicepauli.ch for other works by artist SPOTLIGHT (above artwork) "Piccola" $19.99 ikea.com
the great outdoors
The upstairs patio off the master bedroom affords a million-dollar view of the Santa Monica mountains, the ocean and the endless sky. After a trip to the beach or a morning jog, says Camilla, there's nothing better than rinsing off in the freestanding tub, then drying in the sun on the Pottery Barn daybed.
- OUTDOOR BED "Chesapeake" double chaise and cushion from $898 potterybarn.com BATHTUB (similar to shown) Porcelain claw-foot $1,159 rensup.com*
The downstairs deck, which extends from the living room and along the length of the kids' room, tends to be more active. The children ride their bikes there, and when Camilla and Benjamin aren't entertaining, they're reading or relaxing on the daybed or in the hammock, which provides the perfect respite from the sun. IKEA mirrors propped against the wall reflect bougainvillea bushes and bamboo trees, extending the landscape. "I've always wanted to live in the countryside," Camilla says. "For me, this is home."
*FIREPLACE Cast-iron "Pagoda" $159.99 Merrifield Garden Center (877) 560-6222HAMMOCK (similar to shown) Cotton "Brazil" $180 H Groome (561) 832-3444 MIRRORS "Hovet" $99.99 each, IKEA (877) 345-4532 for stores *
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