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The “Stars Aligned” in This Family’s Dream LA Canyon Retreat

The owners made the move to the coveted area after years of knowing they needed more space

Image may contain Architecture Building Furniture Indoors Living Room Room Home Decor Book and PublicationArt: © 2024 Judd Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. © 2024 The LeWitt Estate / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

The living room is the picture of calm, with clay walls and glass pocket doors that tip their hat to nature. During the colder months, when the wood-burning fireplace is ablaze, the room serves as the locus for quiet catch-ups and not-so-quiet backgammon games. Feiz’s designs shine bright across the space, in the way of the prototype travertine lamp by the window, the Pill Daybed, and the Capper Chaise opposite the fireplace. In their midst sits Piero Lissoni’s Pipeline Tavoli Bassi coffee table for Glas Italia. The minimalist ethos is echoed in the art on display, namely the John Cannon work above the fireplace, the Donald Judd composition to its right, and the Sol LeWitt geometric abstraction on the adjacent wall. Phase Design’s Dombak Side Table, situated by the Cité armchair by Jean Prouvé for Vitra, takes its name from the Farsi word for drum and pays homage to Feiz’s Persian culture.

Image may contain Keyboard Musical Instrument Piano Indoors Interior Design Art Painting Book Publication and BabyArt: © 2024 Calder Foundation, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Fredrick Hammersley.

Every corner of the living room, it seems, rings with euphony, as evidenced by the gleaming black piano in this one. Above the clavichord hangs a Frederick Hammersley painting, and to its left, a colorful composition by Alexander Calder.

Image may contain Furniture Desk Table and Chair

Feiz reveals that the couple’s Wheaten Terrier, Kassi, was the first to call dibs on the family’s 50th anniversary edition of Gaetano Pesce’s Up chair and ottoman for B&B Italia. “It’s her favorite spot. Can’t fault her for good taste!”

Image may contain Architecture Building Dining Room Dining Table Furniture Indoors Room Table and Interior DesignArt: John Register/Modernism Inc., San Francisco. Victor Vasarely © 2024 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris.

The dining room is a brooding bolthole with clay walls that echo the sylvan surroundings. “It creates an intimate dining experience,” says Feiz, adding that the room is the default location for his and Griffiths’s dinner parties where the guest-to-chair ratio is always askew. “We have to haul in stool prototypes, scattered across the house, to get everyone a seat,” he adds with a chuckle. The oversized Brazilian walnut table, a special edition by Phase Design, is over 20 years old and, as Feiz puts it, “is an honorary member of the family.” Trolley Chairs by Phase Design take a leaf from the earthy palette, while a Noctambule Suspension 1 Low Cylinder Bowl light by Flos and art by John Register (left) and Victor Vasarely act as an antidote to the abiding darkness.

Image may contain Indoors Interior Design Kitchen Kitchen Island Lamp Chair Furniture Sink and Sink Faucet

The kitchen isn’t just for cooking—it’s equally for dining and delighting with friends and family, often around the nine-foot-long Ceppo Antico island, over Sabzi Polo (a classic Persian herbed Basmati dish) and a selection of coffee or cocktails. “When it comes to cooking, we love getting our hands dirty, even the kids, so it was important to have a nice-sized kitchen,” says Feiz. A-N-D Light’s Pebble luminaire haloes the setting, while Bride’s Veil Stools by Phase Design underpin the island.

Image may contain Home Decor Architecture Building Furniture Indoors Living Room Room Chair Coffee Table and Table

The media room, situated upstairs, keeps the trees close and the breeze closer. The sliding windows invite the elements deep inside, blurring the line between nature and nest. When it came to the design grammar, Feiz treaded lightly. “With design, architecture, and relationships, you don’t want to try too hard. You shouldn’t have to force anything and you should be honest and true to each decision,” he reflects. “This room turned out just as I had imagined, full of lovely little moments.” The sectional is a Living Divani find, while the Ballot Box Coffee Table and Division Desk are by Phase DesignBen and Aja Blanc sconces animate the walls.

Image may contain Home Decor Chair Furniture Bed Indoors Interior Design Lamp Art Painting Rug Bedroom and RoomArt: © 2024 Calder Foundation, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. © 2024 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. / License.

The primary bedroom is calm yet characterful, with a clarity of form that belies the kaleidoscope of art and objects within. Phase Design’s Trax bed takes center stage, overarched by a graphic abstraction by Alexander Calder. The corner by the window, dominated by Phase Design’s Kickstand Lounge Chair and Open Mic Light, is ideal for winding down with a book or curling up with a coffee. The black-and-white painting to the left is an Andy Warhol original.

Image may contain Plant Indoors Interior Design Tub Bathing Bathtub Person Art Painting Sink and Sink FaucetArt: © 2024 Estate of Gene Davis / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

The primary bathroom is a sunlit oasis seemingly one with the elements. The side table is Phase Design’s new U-Turn variant.

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The couple’s daughter’s upright bass takes pride of place in one corner of the living room, complemented by a Marlene mirror by Starck for Glas Italia. Admittedly for Feiz, one motivation behind moving the family to a larger home was a need to accommodate their growing collection of musical instruments. “You’ll be hard-pressed to come over without hearing the heavenly voice of Cesaria Evora or the harmonies of Andrew Bird,” notes Feiz. “Music reigns supreme in our home, so it was important that every indoor and outdoor space was wired for music.” The stool is Achille Castiglioni’s Sella.

Image may contain Plant Potted Plant Jar Planter Pottery Vase Indoors and Interior DesignArt: D’lisa Creager

A hanging sculpture by D’lisa Creager adds a theatrical flourish to the media room.

Image may contain Book Publication Home Decor Chair Furniture Indoors Interior Design Lamp Rug and GuitarArt: © The Josef and Anni Albers Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York, 2024. © 2024 Donald Sultan / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

The family lounge is flanked by the rear garden on one side and a view to the treetops on the other. Along one wall, a collection of guitars, the couple’s son’s, orchestrates a visual odyssey that serves as a playful counterpoint to the wall opposite, where a painting of scarlet poppies by Donald Sultan and a pair of saffron Joseph Albers artworks enhance the sweeping workstation.

Image may contain Backyard Nature Outdoors Yard Architecture Building House Housing Villa Garden and Couch

“The various outdoor environments are truly magical,” Feiz avers. The family’s poolside barbecues are often followed by bonfires at the outdoor firepit, where s’mores and stories are always par for the course.

Image may contain Summer Plant Potted Plant Water Pool Baby Person Tree Clothing Shorts and Swimming Pool

In the summertime the family can almost always be found by the pool. “We love spending time outdoors—kids swimming, steaks grilling, sun shining,” says Feiz.

Image may contain Backyard Nature Outdoors Yard Couch Furniture Indoors Interior Design Garden and Plant

The upper deck is a verdant hideaway with plenty of California oak trees and unfettered views of the San Gabriel mountains. The curvilinear proportions of the outdoor sofa by Phase Design mimic the garden’s undulating topography. Phase Design’s Fryman Side Tables complete the setting.

Image may contain Architecture Building House Housing Villa Plant Vegetation Backyard Nature Outdoors and Yard

In the garden, located a few steps above the upper deck, a centuries-old paperbark tree meets a landscape full of native succulents and assorted fruit trees that conjure a mini Eden.

 

Via Architectural Digest

Joyce Rey
Joyce Rey
Joyce Rey

Joyce Rey is one of the most respected names in luxury real estate worldwide, having represented some of the most significant properties in the world.

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