Dynamic Energy

Photography by Douglas Friedman

Overlooking Laguna Beach, California, Michelle Nussbaumer created a multi-functional home full of imagination and maximalism, that serves as both a luxurious retreat and family-friendly sanctuary.

Inspired by the magnitude of the Pacific Ocean, the house looks almost to be cut directly from the mountainside. An infinity pool, boasts panoramic views of the iconic seascape, whilst voluminous windows and doors invite the outside in.

This is the fourth house I have worked on for the particular client spanning years of collaboration. It’s a multi-family home and vacation home. While it’s a family of boys (3 generations who are all very sports minded) they wanted the house to feel like a luxurious retreat with the kind of comfort suitable for young children.

A restrained colour palette, featuring tonal variations of grey and navy, is enlivened by touchstones of colour and bold graphics and pattern – a signature of the studio –lending a dynamic energy to the space. The blue hues can be glimpsed right from the entryway where an Elliott Routledge artwork has been hung above the white ottoman by Roche Bobois. Custom made furniture pieces and patterned wallpaper are featured throughout and complimented by pieces from the family’s grandmother who was a designer herself.

Continuing to the left we find the living room with the painterly CC Tapis rug underfoot. Also in that rounded area, we find embedded with thin vertical windows marked by black frames, Michelle applied a trendy paint dip to the walls in a pretty salmon hue. Next to it, we find the wellequipped kitchen with all Miele appliances; the furniture is lacquered and echoes the glossy surfaces of the other rooms. Here too there is no shortage of art objects.

In the large living room of the property, the huge windows flood the space with natural light, making it extremely bright. To ensure a continuous flow between inside and outside, it was decided not to include any type of curtains: you are inside the house, but it seems to be outside. Unlike the rest of the house, the colors here are basic: we find white everywhere with black accents. This room also offers a certain symmetry: we find a white armless sofa by De Sede with a pair of armchairs on either side; as well as two black consoles with sinuous shapes with Dragonette lamps on their respective sides. Porter Teleo's wallpaper with its black veining forms the background together with a pair of round mirrors with a gold frame that recalls the finishes of the lamps. In the middle another window with a view of the sea, and where Blackman Cruz's black swing chair has been hanging. A series of home accessories such as cushions and decorative pieces complete the touch of black in the room.

In the formal dining room, the custom Bettinger Studio ceiling mural evokes the swags of a fishing net with its smudgy charcoal lines. While the wall installation by Argentinian sculptor Carolina Sardi brings green metal cutouts together in the shape of a heart. On other side we find a marble wall with JF Chen's console, decorative pieces by Ceylon et Cie and a green-rimmed Karl Springer mirror. Michelle dressed the custom dining chairs in Opuzen mohair in various oceanic tones. Not far away, an all-glass bar is an undeniable showstopper.

One of the family members is a sports agent and quite a few boxing stars come to use the gym with the family. It features vintage medicine balls alongside modern gym equipment. There are teenage boys as well as toddlers, so the house had to serve multiple uses with areas for privacy and staff.

In the master bedroom, Michelle has included the striped Patterson Flynn Martin carpet that recalls the lines of the iconic Up chairs by Gaetano Pesce. The blocky tufted headboard and wallpaper by Phillip Jeffries seem to push back on any curvaceous advancements.

In the daughter’s bedroom, an azure wallcovering by Phillip Jeffries conjures cascading water, while the ceiling has been painted in 17 coats of lacquer. A corner with a dressing table by Matteo Cibic and round stools by Martyn Lawrence Bullard at the end of the bed give a touch of femininity to the room. Stately lamps by Kelly Wearstler and custom nightstands complete the design.