Welcoming neutrals balanced with bold, look-at-me art pieces hit a just-right note in this Pacific Palisades project by The Layered House.

“I love the mix of textiles and finishes in the living room: pinstripes, herringbone and nubby boucle,” says designer Jaimee Longo, who notes that the floral pillows by Susan Conner balance the masculine upholstery fabric beautifully. The art above the fireplace is by Mr. Brainwash.

The Project

After embarking on a decorating project with her clients Jay and Corinna Rappaport in the Palisades, designer Jaimee Longo, founder and principal of The Layered House, had to change course quickly. “Halfway through the design process, they decided they were interested in a new build that was under construction just a few minutes away,” Longo shares. “So after a brief pause, while they tried and eventually succeeded to acquire the new property, we pivoted and essentially started design over on an entirely new house.”

British photographer David Yarrow’s recreation of the iconic ’90s Cindy Crawford Pepsi commercial adds a just-right amount of edge to the dining room.

The Clients

Together, the couple have bicoastal origins: Jay, formerly the COO of AOL and president of Vonage, is from the New York City area, and Corinna, who has roots in the fashion industry, is a lifelong Angeleno. They desired a unique, elevated, modern, comfortable and cool home—one that felt liveable for themselves, their four children, their two Frenchies and other extended family. “They value luxury and comfort without being fussy or overly traditional,” says Longo. “Corrina, an L.A. native, and Jay, and lover of classic rock ’n’ roll, were drawn to design ideas that were a little out of the ordinary and were willing to take risks with statement wallpaper and oversize photographic art.”

Longo incorporated a pair of wooden African stools in the family room. “They were essential to balance out the steel and glass custom coffee table from Croft House,” she says.

The Inspiration

“The clients had some insanely cool large-scale photographic art pieces by David Yarrow that really set the tone for the dining room and family room,” Longo explains. “As an L.A. native, Corinna really wanted a print by fellow L.A. native, photographer Mike Miller, which led to a really cool piece in the entryway.” The bold, bright artwork, including a Mr. Brainwash piece above the fireplace in the living room and an oversize pink lips print in the primary bedroom, helped determine the color palette throughout the home. “[It] led to a more neutral palette of main furnishings, adding interest in vintage pillow textiles, statement wall coverings in smaller places and lots of mixing of wood tones.”

The Plan Longo was tasked to design the main floor living spaces: the living room, the dining room, the family room, the breakfast nook, the office, the powder room, the primary bedroom, the basement lounge, and the outdoor dining and lounge areas. In addition to determining and executing the oversize picture items like furniture and surfaces, The Layered House needed to style each room down to the last picture frame and assist with art styling. “Beautiful white oak floors were being installed, so I started pulling different stonewashed linens, nubby boucle, subtle stripes and charcoal herringbones for upholstery throughout,” Longo says. “I gravitated to mixing natural whitewashed and rich brown oaks and caramel leather where I could to offset some of the cooler grays and black metal.”

A photo of the client’s wife on their wedding day presides over the office, where custom navy leather swivel chairs, a vintage Turkish rug and the Arrow fixture by Apparatus are just a few of the room’s highlights.

The Details

“I wanted to create a living room that would be used, as so many tend to be for show,” says Longo, who chose to surround a live edge wood table by Croft House with four plush chairs. “If furniture is comfortable, people will gravitate toward it no matter where it’s placed.” The dining room was built around an oversize photographic print by David Yarrow—a recreation of Joe Pytka’s 1992 Pepsi ad with Cindy Crawford. “This is the first thing when you walk into the home and sets the tone for this uber-cool space,” Longo shares. “A large custom white oak table with a double X base plays into the vibe of this art so well.” Over in the kitchen, a last-minute wallcovering addition by Ricci Studio is one of Longo’s favorite areas of the home. “It truly is the perfect statement,” she says. And the super-moody office—Longo’s favorite space to design—emanates rock ’n’ roll vibes. With walls coated in Benjamin Moore’s Flint shade, deep navy leather swivel chairs, and a custom oak and cognac leather desk, the space draws the eye in and beckons the homeowners to linger. There’s also a sweet moment mixed in. “My client wanted to surprise his wife with a framed black-and-white photo of her in her wedding dress, jumping on a bed on her wedding day,” Longo shares. “It was such a special moment to be there when he surprised her with it above his desk. I cried!”

Longo stuck with a monochromatic palette throughout the outdoor areas, where furniture is covered in outdoor textiles by Sien Co.

The Challenges

“I think the biggest challenge was starting the design process with my clients at a completely different property,” says Longo. “And essentially pivoting on a dime with a new property and an already established timeline with construction midway through. I had to rethink our approach, as the first property was much more traditional, but ultimately, the bones of this home allowed us to go more modern and take more fun risks that paid off in the end.”

The kitchen nook is one of the designer’s favorites, partially due to the chic wall covering by Ricci Studio—a last-minute addition.

The Outcome

Despite the challenges of switching homes midway through the project, the result—a home that feels intentional, cozy and cool—shines. “It’s somewhere you’d equally want to spend a lazy day alone or make a batch of martinis with friends,” shares the designer. And beyond that, Longo developed a close connection and great friendship with her clients. “When trust is established with your clients, nothing but great outcomes are possible, and that’s really what happened here,” she says. “My ultimate goal was to create a home that felt a little different than most homes in the Palisades, and that was truly a reflection of my clients’ personalities and desires. To see that come to fruition is the ultimate highlight.”

Design Details

TYPE
Single-family home

LOCATION
Pacific Palisades

INTERIOR DESIGN
Jaimee Longo, The Layered House
thelayeredhouse.com

BUILDER
Camelot Construction Company
818.752.9700

Resources

APPARATUS
Office lighting
apparatusstudio.com

ARTERIORS
Dining room lighting
arteriorshome.com

COMMUNITY MANUFACTURING
Living room sofa, dining room table, office chair
communitymfg.com

CROFT HOUSE
Living coffee table, office desk
crofthouse.com

FARROW & BALL
Office paint
farrow-ball.com

KELLY WEARSTLER
Living room lighting
kellywearstler.com

RICCI STUDIO
Kitchen nook wallpaper
lianericci.com

SHERWIN-WILLIAMS
Paint throughout
sherwin-williams.com

VALLEY DRAPERY & UPHOLSTERY
Window coverings throughout
valleydrapery.com