An Easy Retreat from Chaos
With Olivia’s 1,000-square-foot midcentury beauty set high in the hills of Laurel Canyon, there is a world of difference reflecting on this haven from the colorful glare of her professional life. With over twenty years of inhabiting the house together with her partner, contemporary artist Luca Armitage, the couple has created a refuge for contemplation and calmness.
“I needed a space where I could feel at peace-a retreat from the overwhelming patterns and textures I work with every day,” says Olivia. The distinctly midcent-century design, completed in 1948, has its original features in redwood and brick, restored to their natural state, minus the infrared beige paint slapped on by previous owners. Alongside the original redwood elements, the look is vastly enhanced by the contrasted black shine of oxidized wood, selected as an accent by the owners, who further decorated the whole area in a pale gray and off-white palette to evoke a sense of lightness.
Reliving the Classics of the 1950s
The couple embarked the restoration process with immaculate attention to detail. “We sandblasted and wire-brushed the redwood back to its original form, wanting to honor the craftsmanship of the midcentury period,” Olivia explains. The result is a home that feels effortlessly cool but never overdone, a perfect representation of the midcentury modern aesthetic, with clean lines and thoughtful proportions. Huge windows let natural light pour Indoors, whereas the rooms are characterized by selected furniture and art without suffocating the spaces.
Among the key pieces in the house is a vintage lounge chair by George Mulhauser luxuriously draped in sheepskin from which glorious contrast with bold geometric shapes found throughout the house. In the dining space, lovely Biedermeier chairs sit snuggly beside Charlotte Perriand’s bold table that marries contrasts of tentativeness, maleness, and rococo. Olivia says, “There’s something so elegant yet raw about the Biedermeier chairs. They feel timeless but still fresh.”
A Collection of Minimalism
Drawing inspiration from artists like Donald Judd and minimal sculptures like Walter De Maria’s Lightning Field, Olivia and Luca’s aesthetic is minimal yet very thoughtful. Always gravitating toward clean sculptural forms and rigorously withstanding unnecessary adornment to facilitate a mindful space, Olivia’s heart also pours to art and design in her love for ikebana-the Japanese tradition of flower arrangement that unifies art and nature. These subtle yet eye-catching arrangements serve as the home’s sole true embellishment to improve the calmly breathtaking interior.
This concept came to be now because of the years of how it has inspired me to mold experience from a design perspective: “It’s such an oasis-full beauty into what feels obviously intentional and peaceful. Living here has altered the way I know the world—everything feels more stable.”
Holy reconciled balances between inside and outside
Not only this very first thing but the use of Olivia herself in the dwelling place becomes again one thing where the interior space seems to leave nothing out. The huge deck-which almost matches the entire size of the house-opens the living room completely outside to give it views of the canyon. It is gorgeous and luscious with succulents that surround the site pool. “I never want to leave,” says Olivia, laughing. “It’s tough to extract myself from being downtown for my studio. The views here are perfect to me-perfect-not to society, but for me.”
This is an undeniable peace where Olivia can recharge the batteries again after spending many hours surrounded by the phenomena of times in the fashion world. Natural beauty outside and the clear-in-line yet timeless attributes of the house generate an environment encouraging that: creativity and relaxation.
A Bit Extended Further into Mindful Approach to Modern Living
It is really a place of living for Olivia and Luca in the actual earth, a house sanctuary that makes finds itself possible for a slowed and thoughtful life. Little more than such controlled revivification of a midcentury classic, an exercise in minimalist furnishing, and the other forms of art seamlessly interwoven with nature have made the home deeply personal.
This perfect space epitomizes both their common fondness for beauty and simpleness, as well as timeless design-modern luxury balanced against judicious restraint. More for Olivia, this is ever truly a house; this serves as a testament to the mindful, curated lifestyle she hopes to live in each and every day. In a world filled with constant movement and noise, her home offers a quiet retreat reminding her, and anyone who visits, of the power of simplicity and the peace found in embracing the essentials.
