Soothing Zen

urban interior style study

When we set about transforming a pale ‘70s modern weekend house in L.A.. I thought of the two archetypal styles of living in Southern California – the dark, magical and moody Spanish revival homes and the flowing, light-filled mid-century modern homes with expansive views. 

Having lived in L.A. for several years, I was aware of just how much light and glare one experiences all day, almost everyday throughout the year.  While we loved the open plan and runs of windows in modern homes, we also wanted to return to a cool, soothing oasis after the glare and heat of the day.

In this spirit, we created long runs of windows and doors that were all screened by a linen scrim – a very open weave that produced a soft, sepia tone light, and in turn filtered views of the garden.  The most reflective interior walls were replaced with shoji screen-like ebonized panels that help to balance the light and provide much needed space to store family clutter.  Small partings in the scrim permitted dramatic bands of light to cut deep into the atmosphere of the rooms at intervals throughout the day.  This effect lent the light a certain drama, making it something special within the shaded interior, and in turn afforded glimpses of exotic foliage.

The result was a soothing atmosphere that conjured up the primitive exoticism of the ‘40s.  Hefty, simple moderne shaped upholstered pieces are positioned like great rocks on the animated water-like surface of a silk shag rug.  A low slung concrete fireplace anchors one of several large Asian art pieces.  A primitive Chinese table and bowls mix with sleek ‘60s tubular chairs and sumptuous fur to create a monochromatic essay of materials and textures and relaxed vibe.