Florida Design Magazine - Lafia | Arvin Interior Design

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A Historic Beverly Hills Palazzo With An Impressive
Celebrity Pedigree Recaptures The Grandeur Of
Timeless Southern California Luxury
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THE GOLDEN AGE
INTERIOR DESIGN Monique Lafia and Chris Arvin,
Lafia/Arvin, A Design Corporation, Santa Monica, CA
TEXT Heather L. Schreckengast
PHOTOGRAPHY Mary E. Nichols, Los Angeles, CA
LEFT: A Louis XV-style chandelier from Therien centers the foyer, where
ABOVE: Opposite the foyer, the loggia exemplifies the home’s easy
Rose Tarlow fabric wraps a Chippendale bench. Steps up in the hallway,
Neo-Gothic mahogany chairs herald the entrance to the loggia.
Interior designer Monique Lafia, shown above, salvaged some of the
home’s original light fixtures to capture the essence of the 1920s.
transition from indoors to outdoors. From here, Beverly Hills comes
to view in the distance. Appropriate to the setting, wrought-iron
furniture from Murray’s Iron Works dressed in Sunbrella fabric from
JANUS et Cie forms intimate social groupings.
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Italian actor Rudolph Valentino
danced among the stars of the
silent era in this music area during
Hollywood’s Golden Age of
motion pictures in the 1920s.
WHAT DO 1950 S FILM ACTRESS
Marlene Dietrich, Woolworth heiress Barbara
Hutton, leading man Cary Grant and British
actor James Mason have in common? Fame,
yes. But each also lived in this 1920s grand
Hollywood estate in Beverly Hills. Originally
built in 1926 by an iconic silent film star, the
home is situated near the posh Beverly Hills
Hotel and boasts a panoramic view of the city
from Sunset Boulevard to the palm tree-lined
Rodeo Drive.
Thus, the word historic seems an understatement for this Mediterranean manse,
whose celebrity pedigree reads like the final
credits of a film. The desire to recapture the
home’s original golden Hollywood glow
would seem a challenge. But not for interior
designer Monique Lafia and partner Chris Arvin,
who have worked with the present owners on
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The living room melds the finest antiques, furniture and fabrics,
including a Rose Tarlow-Melrose House sofa covered in
Brunschwig & Fils fabric, an ottoman wrapped in a Scalamandré
solid and a “Paris” armchair dressed in Old World Weavers fabric
from Stark Carpet. Lafia custom designed the lounge chairs
draped in gold silk velvet from Jean Pierre Bellini to finish the look.
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“THE OWNERS WANTED TO PRESERVE THE
In the parlor, the owners’ most impressive pieces of
art are on view, including an original René Magritte.
Above, a cone-shaped mosaic light fixture boasts
its own unique pedigree — it was originally
owned by heavy metal legend Ozzy Osbourne.
five projects and specialize in historic renovations including a newly finished $20 million
brownstone in New York. “The new owners
of this Beverly Hills estate have a very distinct
aesthetic sense and were involved in the design
process that evokes the Old Hollywood style,”
Lafia says. “We were able to salvage an antique
rose garden and some of the original light
fixtures that reflect the feel of the 1920s, and
incorporate some of the owners’ pieces.”
Working with the original layout, which
includes four large wings, the design duo
began by finishing all of the interior walls in
ivory Venetian plaster. Next, they mixed
new and custom-designed pieces with
antiques in gold and celadon hues to give
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the interior an eclectic, Old World look with
a fresh feel.
Upon entering the home, the foyer sets the
period tone with its Chippendale bench and
Venetian console — both from Caché. The
first of many rare antique area rugs tops
original white Carrara and Negro marble
checkerboard flooring.
FACING: When Barbara Hutton and Cary Grant owned the
property in the 1940s, they covered up the dining room’s
stenciled beams. Lafia and partner Chris Arvin brought the
wood beams back to life with a faux-finish in an umber
glaze. Two paintings — “Lady” by Kees van Dongen, left,
and “Spanish Woman and Child” by Victor Manuel Garcia,
right — flank the doorway to the pool area.
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HISTORIC VALUE OF THE ESTATE,” ARVIN SAYS.
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LEFT: Close to its original design, the kitchen
posed a unique challenge for Lafia and
Arvin — how to make an expansive space
warm and inviting. To start, they cleared the
island to create a display area. Decorative
touches add dimension, including antique
rugs, blue French tiles above the La Cornue
stove and ebonized-hardwood flooring that
complements the beamed ceiling.
A few steps up, the foyer hallway
was kept intentionally unfettered.
“I wanted to keep the sightline
open from the entrance to the
open-air space on the opposite
side,” Lafia says. From here, arched
glass double doors open to reveal
the loggia. Dressed in wrought-iron
furniture, this outdoor area features
several of the original fixtures Lafia
was able to bring back to light.
To the right of the hallway, the
living room and music area form
one of the home’s four wings.
Central to the living room is a
Portland cement fireplace mantel
and surround refinished with an
umber glaze and accented with
faux-finished rosettes.
Two conversation groupings
come together to transform a
once-expansive space into an
intimate gathering area that
accommodates 20 people yet
still feels approachable. Italian
Neoclassical chandeliers from the
18th century sparkle above an
eye-catching mix of styles that
meld seamlessly — a traditional
rolled-arm sofa, cane-back settees,
and Italian rococo gilt stools
upholstered with antique Aubusson
tapestry. Through triple archways,
the music area features the owners’
limited-edition, 150th-anniversary
piano signed by Steinway.
To the left of the hallway, the
parlor and dining room forge
another wing. Lafia and Arvin
kept the parlor functional to service different parts of the home.
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The formal dining room offers flexibility for entertaining, seating anywhere from four to 16 people.
Walnut is the wood of choice for this symmetrical
space — from the inlaid table to the feather dining
chairs and console with crackled-lacquer finish from
Rose Tarlow-Melrose House. Above, a Danish gilt-wood
19th-century chandelier from Therien reflects the
designers’ Midas touch.
The quandary in the kitchen was to make a once
functionally challenged space user-friendly. Lafia and
Arvin kept the dark-wood ceiling beams, and white
cabinetry and island, adding stools at one end to create
a breakfast bar.
Just outside, a small patio steps down to the pool
area — moved to the side of the house facing the dining
room from the original position in the front. Cradling
the pool’s edge, a circular fountain doubles as a hot
tub amidst lavish landscaping that provides natural
shade for the home’s Italianate architecture.
The Mediterranean aesthetic continues to the
courtyard, a new addition located off the kitchen and
family room. “This is where the family has dinner
most nights,” Lafia says. “They hold charity events
here, host tea parties and enjoy the ambiance.”
Inside and out, Lafia and Arvin fashioned the future
of this Beverly Hills estate in honor of its pedigreed past.
ABOVE: Off the dining room, the pool area accentuates the home’s
Italianate exterior. Architect Gene Verge, a student of Italian Palladio
architecture, built this Beverly Hills mansion in 1926. With its mix of
Hollywood glamour, and Mission, Spanish, Italian and Moorish details, the
10,000-square-foot-plus palazzo exudes classic Southern California style.
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A crane carried the antique French limestone dining table from La Maison
Francaise Antiques to the courtyard. For some levity, Lafia chose delicately
designed Rose Tarlow-Melrose House wrought-iron chairs from its Twig collection
to surround the table. Limestone flooring underscores this outdoor space.
SOURCES
Foyer
Chairs and crystal chandelier - Therien &
Co., Inc., Los Angeles, CA
Fabric - Janet Yonaty, Inc., Los Angeles, CA
Rosette tassels - Houlès USA, Inc.,
Los Angeles, CA
Chippendale bench, Venetian console
and table - Caché, Los Angeles, CA
Fabric - Rose Tarlow-Melrose House,
Los Angeles, CA
Wall sconces - Paul Ferrante, Inc.,
Los Angeles, CA
Draperies - Elijah Slocum, Inc.,
Los Angeles, CA
Area rug - J. Iloulian Rugs, Los Angeles, CA
Area rug on foyer landing - Mansour
Fine Rugs, Los Angeles, CA
Loggia
Sofa, lounge chairs, cocktail table and
side tables - Murray’s Iron Works,
Los Angeles, CA
Sofa and lounge chair fabric Sunbrella/Glen Raven Mills, Inc.,
Janus et Cie, Los Angeles, CA
Dining table base and chairs - Rose
Tarlow-Melrose House, Los Angeles, CA
Chair and drapery fabrics - Perennials,
David Sutherland, Inc., Los Angeles, CA
Pendants and wall sconces - Custom
designed by Architectural Detail Group,
Agoura Hills, CA
Fabricated by Lantern Masters,
Westlake Village, CA
Living Room
Sofa - Lennox, Rose Tarlow-Melrose
House, Los Angeles, CA
Fabric - Brunchwig & Fils, Inc.,
Los Angeles, CA
Chinoiserie settees, George III cocktail
table, stools and table lamps - Caché,
Los Angeles, CA
Cushion fabric - Bergamo Fabrics, Inc.,
Kneedler-Fauchère, Los Angeles, CA
Bergères - Brighton, Minton-Spidell, Inc.,
Los Angeles, CA
Floral-print Paris chair, accent pillow and
ottoman - Scalamandré, Los Angeles, CA
Bergère and floral fabric - Old World
Weavers, Stark Carpet Corp.,Los Angeles,
CA
Lounge chairs - Custom designed by
Lafia/Arvin,A Design Corp., Santa Monica, CA
Fabric - Jean Pierre Bellini, The Bradbury
Collection, Los Angeles, CA
Cocktail table - Rose Tarlow-Melrose
House, Los Angeles, CA
Occasional table, candelabra chandeliers
and antique wine cooler - Therien &
Co., Inc., Los Angeles, CA
Fireplace screen and iron tool set Wilshire Fireplace, Los Angeles, CA
Grand piano - Steinway Limited Edition,
Fields Pianos, Los Angeles, CA
Drapery fabric - Rogers and Goffigon,
Ltd., Cowtan & Tout, Los Angeles, CA
Area rug - J. Iloulian Rugs, Los Angeles, CA
Parlor
Center table - Therien & Co., Inc.,
Armchair, occasional table and console Rose Tarlow-Melrose House, Los Angeles, CA
Fabric - Bergamo Fabrics, Inc., KneedlerFauchère, Los Angeles, CA
Mosaic chandelier and artwork Owners’ Collection
Area rug - J. Iloulian Rugs, Los Angeles, CA
Dining Room
Table and chandelier - Therien & Co., Inc.,
Los Angeles, CA
Chairs and consoles - Rose Tarlow-Melrose
House, Los Angeles, CA
Chair fabric - Coraggio Textiles,
Los Angeles, CA
Candelabra centerpieces, vases and silver
tray - Paul Ferrante, Inc., Los Angeles, CA
Artwork - Owners’ Collection
Area rug - Mansour Fine Rugs,
Los Angeles, CA
Kitchen
Cabinetry island - Design modifications
by Lafia/Arvin, A Design Corp.,
Santa Monica, CA
Fabricated by Houck Construction,
Beverly Hills, CA
Counter stools - McGuire, Baker Knapp
& Tubbs, Los Angeles, CA
Stove - La Cornue, Purcell Murray,
Huntington Beach, CA
Drapery fabric - Ralph Lauren, Hinson &
Co., Los Angeles, CA
Area rugs - J. Iloulian Rugs, Los Angeles, CA
Courtyard
Table - La Maison Francaise Antiques,
West Hollywood, CA
Chairs - Rose Tarlow-Melrose House,
Los Angeles, CA
Sofas, ottomans and occasional table Giati Designs, Inc., Los Angeles, CA
Sofa, chair and ottoman fabric Jacquard Encore, Giati Designs, Inc.,
Los Angeles, CA
Umbrella - Santa Barbara Umbrellas,
Giati Designs, Inc., Los Angeles, CA
Antique lantern - Paul Ferrante,
Los Angeles, CA
Open pit fireplace screen - Custom
designed by Lafia/Arvin, A Design Corp.,
Santa Monica, CA
Fabricated by Wilshire Fireplace,
Los Angeles, CA
Pool Area
Pool - Custom designed by The
Jonathan Co., Tarzana, CA
Fabricated by Ken Roman Pool Co.,
Granada Hills, CA
Grotto urns - Caché, Los Angeles, CA
Throughout
Floral and greenery - The Jonathan Co.,
Tarzana, CA
Lighting consultant - Gerald Olesker,
Architectural Detail Group, Inc.,
Agoura Hills, CA
Drapery treatments fabricated by
Creative Draperies, Van Nuys, CA
Canopies - Custom designed by Lafia/Arvin,
A Design Corp., Santa Monica, CA
Fabricated by A. Hoegee & Sons, Inc.,
Gardena, CA ◆