Inside an Architectural Brentwood Icon, Reimagined by Ome Dezin

Rip & Tan: Can you tell us a bit about your journey to design? Was this always something that came naturally to you? 

Joelle Kutner: Jesse and I have been friends for a decade and business partners for four, we always introduce each other as business partners for context but it’s our friendship that really makes our business a success. Jesse is from Pittsburgh and has always had a longstanding passion for architecture, but found himself in other entrepreneurial pursuits until six years ago when he started working on residential renovations. He worked on a few home renovations and quickly learned that he loved the way that it tied so many of his interests together. 

As for myself, my creative inclinations have been evident since my formative years, consistently enrolling in various art programs. Eventually, I believed filmmaking would satisfy all my creative interests at once, prompting my move from Toronto to Los Angeles. Once I became a US citizen, I got a job at ACNE and moved from design studio to design studio in different roles. Interior design has always been a passion and I feel like all of my personal and professional experiences have culminated in a perfect role. 

Rip & Tan: At this point in your career, how would you define your style? 

Joelle Kutner: Our design style merges the natural world with an elevated design aesthetic that creates a home that feels luxurious and timeless, but most importantly liveable. We always use the existing style of the home to direct our design process—so our style can vary across projects, but the throughlines are always there. We are always taking reference from our travels and passion for art, mimicking small aspects of what we find and evolving them into what we can only imagine in our dreams. 

Rip & Tan: For this space in particular, what was the vision? What feeling were you hoping to evoke? 

Joelle Kutner: This home is an A. Quincy Jones, we have been fans but did a deeper dive into his design objective and history before getting started. He always created homes with expansive interior spaces, thoughtful and efficient building layouts and a great respect for the outdoors.

Walking into the home we want people to immediately feel at ease. At every glance, you get a direct view of the garden with its 40-foot waterfall and organically shaped pool surrounded by greenery. The home has very high ceilings and large open spaces, and it was important for us to create an inviting feeling. So to give a sense of depth and clean lines, we introduced warm wood throughout. 

Rip & Tan: Can you speak to this space in terms of lifestyle? How did elements of the everyday impact design choices and process? 

Joelle Kutner: As we design a space, we always carefully lay out each element to ensure it allows for ease of use when living in the home. In the kitchen, for example, we understand that many people use countless countertop appliances but don’t necessarily love the look of having them on the counter so we created appliance garages intended to store these items.

Storage throughout a home is important in general for lifestyle and keeping your space clutter-free. It doesn’t seem sexy but things like correct storage, lighting and counter space in every room are something we scrutinize heavily. 

Rip & Tan: How do you approach the relationship between interior artistry and livability?

Joelle Kutner: Livability has to be first and foremost. Fortunately, you don’t have to sacrifice one for the other, you just have to be thoughtful and creative. 

Rip & Tan: From furniture to art, you worked with some incredible collaborators to bring the space to life. Care to share any specific pieces, moments, or memories?

Joelle Kutner: Collaborating with our creative community is something we love to do and hope to be able to do so more in the future. We worked with a furniture designer and most importantly our friend, Ben Willett, on a custom dining table. It’s an interesting architectural piece that fits perfectly in the space. The combination of wood type and wood tones in the house complement each other nicely. 

We also borrowed special pieces of furniture from Den and Amsterdam Modern for those perfect mid-century items. Our powder bathroom sink is from Olive Atelier and reminds us of some of the shell sinks you find in Belgium where Joelle’s mom was born and raised. Lastly, for the large pieces of art, we carefully collaborated and curated the collection. We procured a few pieces from special artist friends and lovers—both of our husbands contributed pieces from their personal work. 

Rip & Tan: In terms of final touches, what are some of your favorite ways to level up a space through the details? 

Joelle Kutner: Final touches really bring everything together and are so important. We always go to the LA flower market and collect flowers for different rooms in the house. Candles are so important to us as the sense of smell is so strong. You should walk into your home and catch a scent that gives you the best feeling and evokes memories when you’re away from it. Lastly, any linens that we could use throughout a home to bring warmth i.e. throw blankets and robes. 

Rip & Tan: What are some of the essential elements for a home that feels like home? 

Joelle Kutner: Rugs, vintage lighting and objects, and choice art pieces throughout a home are essential to making a house a home.