The owner of this historic Hancock Park home was a repeat client for interior designer Kelly Martin. They’d previously worked together on a modern loft—very different in style from this charming cottage. The goal was to not lose sight of her style but keep the space feeling cozy and true to form with the architectural style of the house. The area is filled with classic homes, so they kept the interiors classic with modern touches. It was a fairly quick process—about a month for the initial design, and another four or five months for everything to arrive in place. Kelly tells us more. 

This was your second time working with this client. How did the process differ?
Her first home was a super modern loft, also in Hancock Park, that was bright and minimalistic. It had an intimidatingly large bookcase that I styled a few years back. It was calm and serene. The new place needed to be warmer than that. We wanted it to feel comfortable but stylish. We brought in a little more color while keeping it classic and rich. It was fun to be able to incorporate some of the accessories from her massive bookcase into little parts of the home. You’ll see my favorite vintage wooden hand sculpture hiding in there somewhere. That was one of my favorite pieces from her old place. Although her husband deferred to her great style most of the time, this time around I did need to cater the design to them both. It was fun to be so familiar with her taste and add in touches that he would like as well. The client’s husband usually chimed in with wanting things to be functional and within a sensible price point. He was the realist of the group and brought in a masculine side that kept things from getting too feminine.

In a few words, how do you describe the style of the new home?
Rich, Comfortable & Effortless. Some of the rooms just make you go “ahh.”

Did this project have any challenges? If so, could you tell us how you overcame a few of the hurdles?
Honestly, I feel like this client and I just get each other so well, especially after working together previously. It was a pretty smooth process. She gave me her budget; I pulled items that I knew she would like and we had a blast pulling it all together. I think it’s rare to find a client where you both speak the same style-language so effortlessly. I really love working with her.