Dramatic License

NAT_LX16_001

$ 9.95

A SANDOW PUBLICATION

VOLUME 11, ISSUE 2

DISPLAY UNTIL 7/15/13

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2/18/13 5:14 PM

dramatic license a beverly hills house finds a singular style that’s b o t h f a s h i o n a b l e a n d f a m i l y - f r i e n d l y. written by Leilani Marie Labong

photography by Nick Johnson

interior design Estee Stanley, Estee Stanley Design bedrooms 4

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bathrooms 6

square feet 6,000

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n a city like Los Angeles, where drama is a prized commodity, it’s only natural that such flair infuses the local design flavor.

The dwellings within the famous 90210 zip code are no exception, including the Mediterranean-style abode of Hedi Gores, co-owner

of the cultish purveyor of chic liquid cleanses, Pressed Juicery. The home’s old-world architecture presented a fitting backdrop for such expressive style, but it also met with Gores’ desire to create a cozy nest in Beverly Hills for her small family, which includes her 8-year-old son, Gavin, three dogs and one lizard. “I knew that watching my son grow up here would mean everything to me, so I didn’t want any part of the house to be off limits to him,” says Gores.

Designer Estee Stanley gave the Beverly Hills house of Hedi Gores an eclectic yet inviting feel. An Oushak rug from Lawrence of La Brea anchors the living room’s chesterfield sofa and wing chairs—all from Brenda Antin. Opposite: The room’s rosewood console is from Blackman Cruz.

Luckily her designer, Estee Stanley—a celebrity stylist who creates equally fashionable residences through her interior design firm—isn’t a fan of can’t-touch-this décor. “I really try to make every room beautiful, and maybe even sexy, but above all, livable,” says Stanley. “It tortures me to think that most people don’t use every single room in their house.”

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Sculpted hedges and a water feature in the entry courtyard set a formal tone, while stone frog statues from Inner Gardens lend a whimsical touch. A teak gate offers a warm counterpoint to the concrete pavers.

A slate-topped Belgian console table from Lucca Antiques sets the stage for an eclectic moment in the living room. Centuries-old Asian vases stand beneath the table, while artwork by Peter Beard rests on top.

The metal stool is from Mecox Gardens.

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Above: A vintage light fixture illuminates the black walls of the study, where a pool table stands atop an Oushak rug. Right: A kilim-covered French antique daybed from Brenda Antin is grouped with an onyxtopped side table from Blackman Cruz.

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That said, drama is nothing if not tricky. Merging theatricality with approachability may seem like an oil-and-water affair, unless the designer cleverly composes a palette of finishes that comes from nature (think linen, wood and marble), seeks out furniture meant for sinking into and leaves the drama to a select few touches that really pack a punch. Stanley pulled off the task thanks to her keen intuition for designs that strike a balance between gorgeous and practical—a talent recognized in the highly covetable art and furnishings she co-curates for the flash-sales website, Home Mint.

(Her longtime client, pop star-cum-movie actor Justin Timberlake, happens to be her co-pilot on that mission.)

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In the family room, artwork is displayed casually with framed photos layered on the floor and a work by Gregory Colbert hung above. The rosewood table with intricate shell inlay is from Charles Jacobsen, and the striped chair in the foreground is from Brenda Antin.

Stanley chose vintage wooden lawn chairs from American Rag Maison and sculptural cane stools from Emmerson Troop to give the fresh white kitchen a rustic lean. A backsplash of blue and white tiles from Country Floors lends a colorful touch. luxe interiors

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The clearest manifestation of down-to-earth indulgence can be found in the study. Its black walls are perhaps its most distinctive features;

To offset a wall covered with vibrant Mediterranean tiles—a nod to the architecture of the home—Stanley dressed the outdoor furniture from Summit in black-and-white striped fabric for a classic Hollywood look.

they provide a lair-like quality that seems naturally hedonistic. But to prevent the space from closing in on itself, Stanley lined the coffered ceiling with light-reflecting mirrors. A billiards table also keeps the mood playful and gives Gavin, a pool shark in the making, a reason to use the space with his friends.

In the adjacent living room, the vibe is instantly more buoyant.

“I wanted that space to feel like a cloud,” says Stanley. A chesterfield sofa and linen wing chairs are indeed billowy; the drapes, gossamer; and the globe pendants—actual Art Deco relics from New York City’s Grand Central Terminal—are heavenly bodies in their own right. Even though the living room is long and quite voluminous, Stanley decided

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Stanley furnished a terrace off the living room with pieces from Summit and a selection of sculptural baskets to hold clean towels. Additional towels can be hung from the many hooks lining the wall.

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against creating multiple seating areas for the sake of greater intimacy.

“I know my client. She loves her friends. She loves her family. She wants

In a guest bedroom, Stanley designed an upholstered bed and dressed it with linens from Matteo. A pair of skull lamps from Blackman Cruz creates an appropriate counterpoint to the intricate lines of the inlaid matching chests.

them all to be together,” says the designer. A salvaged-wood stump is a sculptural element that doubles as a seat or a table; its low profile plays up the majesty of an extravagantly scaled vintage mirror that was uncovered, along with some of the room’s other finds, at Brenda Antin.

At the entrance to the master bedroom, the delicate lines and bold color of a velvet chair complement the graphic geometric details of a chest of drawers from Mecox Gardens. An ornate lantern lights the space.

Stanley drew on her love of opulent Parisian design—more specifically, the decadence seen at the Ritz Paris, pre-renovation—to appoint the master suite’s bathroom with grand marble details. And Gores’ new dressing room, an impressive, label-laden space formerly known as—get this—the master bedroom, appropriately takes its dramatic cues from film. “Who doesn’t want Carrie Bradshaw’s famous closet from the original Sex and the City movie?” asks Stanley, who, although talking about the wardrobe, might as well be referring to the whole house.

“It’s every woman’s fantasy.” L

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