The London West Hollywood, Photo Romi CortierThe London West Hollywood, Photo Romi CortierThe London West Hollywood, Photo Romi CortierThe London West Hollywood, Photo Romi CortierThe London West Hollywood, Photo Romi CortierThe London West Hollywood, Photo Romi CortierThe London West Hollywood, Photo Romi Cortier
Friends of mine recently stayed at The London West Hollywood, and I was invited to spend an afternoon in one of the rooftop cabanas. What a blast!
I nabbed my guest card at the front desk to access the elevators, and went straight to the top. I had no idea the hotel had such extraordinary views… it was nearly a 360 degree view. From the Hollywood Hills, to downtown LA, to Century City, the city sparkled in the afternoon sun. The overall vibe was hip, yet relaxing. To be honest, we were probably the rowdiest of the guests with 8 of us sharing two cabanas. That said, the staff was kind and helpful, and kept the beverages and food rolling in for over 5 hours.
Even though I’ve lived in LA for over 20 years, this was a completely new way to experience the city. It’s rare to find a pool with this kind of view. The designer in me has so many engineering questions, such as how much does all of this weigh? A simple gallon of water weighs 8 lbs, multiply that by a full pool, the concrete that supports it, and all of the potted palm trees and you’ve got a whole lot going on. I can’t begin to imagine what it takes to support all of that. Questions aside, I loved swimming laps in the pool. It made me feel like I was back in my massive mid-century pool in the back yard of my Palm Springs home.
I took a stroll around the hotel and found myself completely fascinated by the artwork adorning the elevator doors. My favorite was the woman in the red dress, submerged in water on the rooftop elevator door. I can’t seem to find any information about the artist who created the images, but I think the overall effect is quite fantastic.
If you’re a local Angelino, you should consider making your next vacation a ‘stay-cation’ at the London West Hollywood.
1280 Angelo Drive, Beverly Hills, Photo Romi Cortier1280 Angelo Drive, Beverly Hills, Photo Romi Cortier1280 Angelo Drive, Beverly Hills, Photo Romi Cortier1280 Angelo Drive, Beverly Hills, Photo Romi Cortier1280 Angelo Drive, Beverly Hills, Photo Romi Cortier1280 Angelo Drive, Beverly Hills, Photo Romi Cortier1280 Angelo Drive, Beverly Hills, Photo Romi Cortier1280 Angelo Drive, Beverly Hills, Photo Romi Cortier1280 Angelo Drive, Beverly Hills, Photo Romi Cortier1280 Angelo Drive, Beverly Hills, Photo Romi Cortier1280 Angelo Drive, Beverly Hills, Photo Romi Cortier
Imagine someone sends you a text and asks you to meet them at 1280 Angelo Drive in Beverly Hills, because they need your help ‘staging’. My mind wanders… is it a photo shoot? A video shoot? Something for TV? Knowing my friends, it could be anything. I happily showed up on the steps of this stunning home, ready for an adventure. Never in my mind did it dawn on me that I’d be helping stage a home for a private VIP Preview that would be happening just a few days later.
Now lets be honest, it was really more about ‘editing’ than it was about staging, because the home was already spectacularly furnished. You know the old saying, less is more, which is what was needed to expose the glorious details of this remodeled modernist compound, complete with 7 bedrooms, 8 bathrooms, a pool, 3,000 square feet of patios on multiple levels, and over 7,500 square feet of interior space.
My primary goal in the main living space was to create an opening from the front door, all the way out to the large patio with the panoramic city views, thus drawing the guests right out onto the patio. Normally, this would be a feng shui no no, as it’s important to keep the chi of the home, in the home. A straight path from door to door would allow the chi to keep moving out of the home. But, since the home is for sale, I wanted the guests to be drawn right out to the view with absolutely no obstacles. Therefore, you’ll notice that the two white leather sofas on the ice blue silk rug have been separated and pulled apart. My tweak for the dining room was quite simple. I removed the chairs at either end of the table and placed them in the corner of the room, making the table feel more inviting. Ten high back chairs around a table can be a little bit off putting, making you feel like you’re not welcomed… and we wanted our guests to feel very welcomed.
As for the master suite, the bed had a lot of conflicting patterns going on. I reversed the large pillows to hide the Versace inspired print that was conflicting with the duvet cover, utilizing their softer yellow side. We brought in an ottoman for the foot of the bed, draping it with a faux fur throw and matching pillow, all from the guest bedroom.
As we began rolling up rugs and taking away excess furniture, I noticed how remarkable the floors were. I realized that the same materials had also been used on all of the patios, the only difference being that the exterior surfaces had been honed as opposed to polished. What a superb way to marry the interior spaces with the exterior, especially once the floating glass walls to the patio were rolled away. There’s nothing I love more than cohesive design.
As of May 1, 2016 the home is currently listed with Sotheby’s International Realty. Visit the link below to see current photos, and if you’re in love with the home and would like to make an offer, feel free to contact Ferdinand Prinz von Anhalt at 714.260.7697 or Catherine Marcus at 310.795.8521 of Sotheby’s International Realty. (ferdinand.anhalt@sothebyshomes.com/catherine@catherinemarcus.com) I’m sure they’d be more than happy to arrange a private viewing for you. www.1280angelo.com
Oh, and one last detail… the home is listed for $17,000,000. Welcome to Beverly Hills darling.
Romi Cortier, Skyler Campbell, & Recio Carrington Young at 1280 Angelo Drive, Beverly Hills
I’ve owned this home at 203 N. Monterey Road in Palm Springs for over a decade. When I bought the home it was still reeling from a 1980’s south western themed interior that included a rust and turquoise color palette with saltillo tile, wooden chair rails, and sand textured walls with rope trim. Yep, it was that bad. I mean no disrespect to the previous owner who was into horses and favored a more eclectic vibe, but mid-century is in, big time! It was time for a rescue job.
Exterior renovations included: an entirely new driveway, the replacement of a dilapidated eight foot high wooden fence with chic corrugated metal fencing, the addition of corrugated metal fences where none existed, a pool re-plaster (that included filling in the old ‘pit’ where the pool equipment had been, and relocating the equipment behind the home), a new pool heater, the removal of patio siding that made the home look like it belonged in a trailer park, and lots and lots of landscaping. Colored sand, rocks, trees, bougainvilleas, 3 x 3 concrete pavers, a 12 x 12 concrete pad in the backyard, and a sprinkler system.
203 N. Monterey Road, pre-renovation203 N. Monterey Road, after renovation203 N. Monterey Road, pre-renovation203 N. Monterey Road after renovation
Interior renovations included: new gray tile floors throughout , a new kitchen, a new master bath, the replacement of both sliding glass doors, new interior doors, new closet doors and hardware, new copper plumbing, new gas lines, the removal of a victorian themed front door, the addition of matching metal blinds throughout the home, new ceiling fans, improved lighting, a simple color theme that shifted the focus from the interior to the midcentury pool behind the home with the spectacular San Jacinto Mountain views.
203 N. Monterey Road, living room pre-renovation203 N. Monterey Road, after renovation203 N. Monterey Road, kitchen pre-renovation203 N. Monterey Road, kitchen after renovation (different POV)203 N. Monterey Road, great room after renovation
When I renovated the master bath, I removed what I believed to be the original tub and vanity. In its place, I used the new gray floor tile, cut into thirds to repeat the brick pattern around the fireplace, tiling the wall up to the ceiling so as to accentuate the height of the room. Because the footprint of the room is so small, the only way to make the space feel larger was to play up its verticality.
203 N. Monterey Road, master bath pre-renovation203 N. Monterey Road master bathroom after renovation
One of the bedroom floors was raw concrete, so naturally I carried the new gray tile into that room, to help unify that room with the rest of the home. It also helped to add colorful artwork to the rooms to bring them to life. The Red Ball paintings seen below were inspired by photos I actually took around the pool several summers ago. These paintings can also be seen in my new book The Art of Romi Cortier.
203 N. Monterey Road guest bedroom before renovation203 N. Monterey Road guest bedroom after renovation.203 N. Monterey Road master bedroom before renovation203 N. Monterey Road master bedroom after renovation
Here’s a great shot of the back yard with the mid-century pool. The corrugated metal fence was previously the wooden fence that was literally falling down. It just goes to show how much beauty can be found in the simplest of details.
203 N. Monterey Road pool after renovation
This home has been a labor of love for over a decade, and now it’s time for a new owner to take the helm. If you’re interested in this home please contact Carl Borey at 760 285-1281. The home is currently listed at $579,000.
There’s so much to love at Bullock’s Wilshire, including the stunning Coco Chanel Room. Initially it housed ‘fine accessories’ and was known as La Chinoiserie, later becoming the famed Chanel Room guarded by her trademark bronze monkey’s. I was particularly smitten with the 4 delicate wall murals painted by George DeWinter. They’re so exquisite that I have to wonder if they’re ever been restored, or if they’re completely original.
Built in 1929, the Bullocks Wilshire Department Store was the premiere Art Deco shopping destination in Los Angeles until it was converted into the Southwestern Law School in 1994. The building is not open to the general public, however, once a year the building is open to the public for a special open house. And that, is when I made my entrance, scouring every corner of the building during the course of several hours. You’ll see several posts during the coming weeks from my tour. I regret that I couldn’t get this post published to celebrate Coco Chanel’s recent birthday on August 19th, but I’ve been in the throws of moving to a new residence… and we all know how daunting that can be.
This room is Stop #20 on the Self-Guided Tour, and is described as French Rococo Design. I have to take argument with that statement, as I think the room is actually French Neo-Classical Design. Everything about the room is so delicate, from the thin gold trimmed wall panels, to the very refined garlands above the mirrors. Rococo design is much heavier in overall appearance, with an emphasis on asymmetry and shell like curves. That said, Chinoiserie (Chinese-like) was popular during the Rococo era, so I can see why that association was made. Regardless, the Coco Chanel Room is what dreams are made of. Can you imagine your own walk-in closet with this sort of remarkable craftsmanship, it would be the epitome of refined elegance.
The Huntley Hotel Valet, Santa Monica, Ca. Photo Romi CortierThe Huntley Hotel, Santa Monica, Ca. Photo Romi CortierThe Huntley Hotel Patio, Santa Monica, Ca. Photo Romi CortierThe Huntley Hotel, Santa Monica, Ca. Photo Romi CortierThe Huntley Hotel, Santa Monica, Ca. Photo Romi CortierThe Huntley Hotel, Santa Monica, Ca. Photo Romi CortierThe Huntley Hotel, Santa Monica, Ca. Photo Romi Cortier
I was recently invited to a dinner party at The Penthouse in The Huntley Hotel , for a very special surprise 90th birthday celebration. The guest of honor for this intimate sit down dinner was none other than June Lockhart. Since I arrived early, I took the opportunity to explore the Hotel which I’d never been to before. I have to say that I really loved their interior spaces, especially the tented garden patio on the second floor. I can see why this chic destination was chosen for our dinner.
Ms. Lockhart was born in June of 1925 after her parents were introduced by Thomas Edison… yes that Thomas Edison, inventor of so many things including the light bulb and the motion picture camera. I’m not exaggerating when I tell you that June is one of the most vibrant women I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. When her granddaughter Christianna walked her into the bar at The Penthouse where 15 guest were eagerly awaiting her arrival, she lit up like a christmas tree and screamed with joy. Guests included architect Harry Gesner, her son and his wife, daughter June who organized the soiree, her trainer Linda with whom she’s worked out 3 days a week with for at least 2 decades, loyal family friends, and myself, her occasional hairdresser when her regular gal is out of town.
Our hostess, daughter June, had reserved us a table at the end of the restaurant by the massive picture windows, giving us a magnificent view of Santa Monica. Name cards were in place, and our specially designed menu was already taken care of. Hors d’ oeuvres came out platter after platter, the wine was poured, and we enjoyed our salads and entrees during the coming hours. I thought our 6:30 reservation would easily have us out by 9:00 … wrong. It was 11:30 before we all rolled out into the lobby of the hotel. It was one of those magical evenings that no one wanted to end. And I feel so lucky to have been included.
Did you know that the Lockhart family has 5 stars on Hollywoods Walk of Fame? June’s father Gene Lockhart has 2, one for Motion Pictures, the other for Television. Her mother Kathleen Lockhart has one for Motion Pictures, and June has 2, one for Motion Pictures, and the other for Film. June made her stage debut at 8, and has been making a living as an entertainer for over 80 years as she so eloquently told me at the salon one day. What a truly inspirational woman.
June Lockhart & Romi Cortier, The Penthouse, Huntley Hotel, Santa Monica, Photo June L. TrioloJune Lockhart, 90th Birthday Celebration at The Penthouse, Huntley Hotel, Santa Monica, Photo Romi Cortier
