This fun and youthful guest house and recording studio belongs to Laura Clery—an actress, comedian, author, and self-described modern-day Hollywood success story. Laura’s husband, Stephen Hilton, is an English musician, record producer, composer, and digital influencer, best known for creating original scores for films such as The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and Moulin Rouge.
Since it’s an extension of their main living space, the couple needed the guest house to be multi-functional, serving as a guest suite when their parents come to stay, a music studio for Stephen, and a creative workspace where Laura can write her new book, or the couple can film vlogs. They turned to interior designer Laura Giuliani of House of G Designs to bring their vision to life.
“I was inspired by the muted color combinations used by Wes Anderson in his films,” Guiliani tells us. “I wanted the space to embody a quirky yet fun feeling that Anderson captures so well. I toyed with symmetry and asymmetry, though Anderson prefers the former. The style of this home needed to reflect the young couple and we needed to stay in tune with the main house and its grounds. The main home has several arches incorporated into its architecture and the grounds have a Central Valley ranch feel. I was able to tie all of that together by adding an arched window, two arched niches and terracotta accents throughout – from bathroom tiles to decorative accessories.”
The space houses a kitchenette, a full bathroom, a dining/conference space, a living/vlogging space, and a bedroom that can work double duty as a studio or office. It started out dark and dated, with heavy doors, soffits, and pony walls making the space feel much smaller than it is. Guiliani removed a lot of the details, bringing better flow along with architectural interested and loads of natural light.
Guiliani tells us more about her design decisions for the six-month project in the slideshow. “Laura and Stephen really allowed me to bring my vision to life. As artists, they said to me ‘it’s your vision, go with it.’ I am so thankful to have creative clients, clients who allowed me to take risks, and clients who genuinely appreciate a vision coming to life.”
