‘Every Piece a Statement’: A Refined Malibu Home for a Father and Son, by LA Designer Brigette Romanek
Even over email, Brigette Romanek‘s warm and winning personality comes through. The self-taught designer’s responses to our questions about her recently completed Malibu project were short and forthright, typed in all caps, and generous with exclamation points. It’s clear that the in-demand LA decorator (with an enviable client list that includes Beyoncé, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Demi Moore) knows what she likes and isn’t afraid to go bold.
About this project: Nicknamed “The Bu” — “I don’t know who started it, but it stands for Malibu!!!” — “it’s a house for a 40-something man, with a gorgeous little boy who runs around the property,” she shares. Which is why, perhaps, her client’s request was for a “house that was calming and serene,” she says, but not shy.
Brigette delivered just that: a Zen-like escape that’s light on furniture but powerful in impact. As she succinctly says of the project, “every piece, a statement.”
Let’s take a tour.
Photography courtesy of Romanek Design Studio.
Above: Vintage rattan armchairs on the ipe wood porch greet guests. To the right is the dramatic blackened front door.
Above: “[I] absolutely love the combination of neutrals and shapes we used in this room to create the ultimate relaxing sitting area,” she wrote on the @romanek.design.studio Instagram account. She sourced the hanging lounge chair, the black leather armchair, and the sculptural coffee table from various antique stores, including Blackman Cruz.
Above: A must for a kid: a ping pong table. A must for his design-conscious dad: that it be chic. The table is by James De Wulf; the stools are vintage.
Above: The first floor is one open room and includes the kitchen. Above the island are two brass Lune Flush Mount lights by Atelier de Troupe.
Above: A pendant light from Hollywood at Home hovers over the vintage dining set. Behind it is a simple (but not in the least basic) staircase.
Above: Brigette tells us the blackened wood staircase was inspired by the Japanese tradition of shou sugi ban, in which wood siding is charred.
Above: The lofted master bedroom is now enclosed in glass, with dramatic sloped oak ceilings. The armchairs are vintage from Brazil; the ottoman is from Consort Home; and the bed is custom. The Braithwell Chandelier, made of recycled glass, floats above.
Above: The dressing area, lined with oak closets, leads to a deck.
Above: A second-floor bathroom lined with green zellige tiles.
Above: The climate-appropriate garden was designed by Eric Brandon Gomez.
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