This Pacific Palisades Home is a Masterclass in Livable Luxury

Rip & Tan: This home came to you as kind of a blank canvas. What was the immediate appeal?

Studio MTN: A blank canvas for us would normally be a ground up construction project, but in this instance, the home was already built so we had an empty shell as well as a few existing furniture pieces to work with. Julie and her family had just moved into the house when we were signed on, so we wanted to keep any construction work to a minimum so as not to disturb their lifestyle. Because they were already living in the home, we wound up working room by room in order of priority to allow them to settle into the main areas of the house first. Soon after starting work on the kid’s rooms, it became evident that our vision was very aligned with Julie’s, which is always a huge win as a designer.

Julie Chung: Since the home was a developer home, it had been designed to appeal to any buyer. In that way, it was easy to envision our style imbued into the space with some light renovations and a lot of great furniture, lighting, and decor. Of course, the square footage had huge appeal to us as a family of 5 with a live-in nanny.

Rip & Tan: Can you walk us through the early process? Any highlights you’d like to share?

Studio MTN: We wanted to focus on finding spaces where we could create custom moments and add interest to de-spec the home. A specific highlight space was the dining room. We wanted it to feel unique and add a layer of intrigue and depth as it’s one of the first spaces you encounter when entering the home. Once we finalized the furniture, rug and light fixture in the space, we knew it needed something incredibly unique to complete the space. We went through round after round of wallpaper options but finally landed on bringing in a custom muralist to hand-paint the walls. Our goal was to add a layer of moodiness, which would typically lean quite dark, but because this space was so beautifully lit we went for a lighter color palette of tonal blushes, creams, and beiges. The mural of rolling hills, trees, and river beds added such an incredible amount of warmth to the space. It really became the pièce de résistance of the home.

Julie Chung: The early process was one of “de-spec-ing” the house, which meant removing all the spec home features and reimagining them with gorgeous custom lighting, fine finishes, and beautiful wall treatments that felt custom and more in line with our aesthetic. A highlight was removing the main floor bar, which didn’t fit the design direction the space was heading towards and did not serve much purpose for our family in this room. We replaced it with a grand piano, which our three children play every day, and has become the heart of the living room. 

Rip & Tan: How would you each describe your personal design style? As designer and clients, what drew you to each other? 

Studio MTN: My personal style, like anybody’s, is pulled from a diverse background of experiences and landscapes of my upbringing. I think the biggest influence of my style was growing up in the mountains of Idaho where you can really experience the contrast of feminine and masculine, sturdy and delicate. I love pieces with deep textures and colors, a heavy presence, and inviting fabrics that speak to my Idaho roots. I also love a daintier, feminine moment to add a sense of whimsy and serenity to a space. The duality of feminine and masculine woven together mirrors the natural world and creates spaces that feel approachable and warm yet beautiful and alluring. I love to incorporate sophisticated old-world antiques as well as vintage pieces whose patina and character contribute to making a space feel more curated over time. 

Julie’s taste and style were so incredibly matched to mine it was truly such a breeze to work with her. On top of our aesthetic likeness, our personalities just clicked effortlessly. It felt like working with a friend!

Julie Chung: I am drawn towards clean lines and neutrals. I appreciate good tailoring but with an urban edge. I can’t help but love beautiful things and take note of fine details. This is evident in my personal style, interior taste, and in our company’s work at T3 Micro. I have the refined taste of an old soul and Sierra, I quickly learned, is my designer soulmate. She has impeccable style and as a young designer has a trained eye that would rival anyone who’s been in the industry for decades. 

Rip & Tan: Immaculate as it may seem, this is a true family home. How did you ensure that every inch would be properly utilized?

Studio MTN: Julie told us a funny story about how one of her kids had a school assignment to list the “things my mom loves” and her child wrote “walls” because she’d ingrained into their heads to not touch the walls! While Julie was able to instill respect for the wall treatments and other specialty pieces, the goal was to have a home that wasn’t too precious to be lived in comfortably and freely by her family. In the rooms more suitable for adults, we used high-end finishes and furniture pieces to refine and elevate the space. In the more kid-friendly rooms, we incorporated more durable materials and darker tones. An underlying style choice throughout both adult and kid spaces was the use of raw materials meant to patina over time so that touching or scuffing would only enhance the finish.

Rip & Tan: The space embodies a particular moodiness without feeling dark. How did you maintain a lightness in the design while leaning into an old-world sense of depth?

Studio MTN: It can be challenging to achieve a moody atmosphere without fully going dark and dungeon-like. In the powder room, we landed on a delicate hand-painted tree and bird motif wallpaper with a cream silk paper foundation. Pairing this girlie wall treatment with a handsome merlot veined marble vanity and dimly lit brass scones took the room from dainty to moody. 

Rip & Tan: We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the custom chandelier. Can you tell us more about how it came to be?

Studio MTN: Yes! This is one of the coolest custom pieces we’ve created so far! Given the expansive ceilings and shape of the entry, we felt this was an opportunity for something that would set the tone for the house. I’ve been a longtime fan of Cox London and their Oak Chandelier came to mind for this space. We began working closely with their incredible team to design a custom version of the oak chandelier. This piece took about a year from conception to installation and the end result was even more beautiful than we could’ve imagined. It effortlessly plays its role as the show-stopping entry piece.

Julie Chung: I wanted to bring notes of outdoor inspiration into our home since I love nature and being in the mountains. I wasn’t clicking with the traditional idea of a chandelier. I didn’t want crystals or glass or anything ostentatious, but I still wanted a showstopping piece—I just needed it to shine a different way. Sierra brought Cox London to my attention and I immediately fell in love with what this studio does. The final result was unusual, whimsical, and moody. It was exactly what I wanted! Some nights, once the kids are asleep, I turn the lights off in the house and leave the chandelier glowing and I just sit in front of it and admire its beauty. It’s not a chandelier, it’s a work of art! 

Rip & Tan: In what other ways, perhaps unexpected, did you bring elements of nature into the space?

Studio MTN: The easiest, and one of our favorite, ways to add a feeling of earthiness to any space is to add indoor trees and plants. We brought in a number of beautiful trees for this project, all of which added so much life to the space. There’s also so much impact from adding styling pieces made of natural materials, like raw wooden antiques, stone and metal accessories that add a natural element to an otherwise refined space. We love to create a beautiful juxtaposition between fine mohairs, soft textures, and patina old world pieces.

Julia Chung: The beautiful custom landscape mural in the dining room, the amazing charcoal drawing of trees leading to our kitchen, and our incredible oak entry chandelier all play on each other so well and give an artistic nod to nature immediately upon entering our home. Of course, we also sprinkled living trees and plants throughout the house in antique troughs and vases from The Tropics which certainly add an element of nature to our space. 

Rip & Tan: What was the secret to creating an interior that felt equal parts luxe and livable? 

Studio MTN: I think it really comes down to layers. If the foundational layer of a room is an easy, casual jute rug, adding upholstery pieces in luxurious mohairs and velvets takes the space to a whole new level. Styling with old, crunchy antiques brings it back to being an approachable space. Alternatively, you can start with a lush silk rug, and group it with more minimal furniture pieces in durable fabrics or wooden elements to find that happy medium. We use a lot of mohair fabrics that have such a high-end effect, add rich texture, and are very durable and livable due to their natural materiality, win-win!

Rip & Tan: In as many words as you’d like, how would you describe the overall feeling of the home? 

Studio MTN: Effortless, calming, comforting, refined, organic.

Julie Chung: Sophisticated yet soulful. Fine but not fussy. Rich in texture and old-world touches. A thoughtfully designed and considered home for two aesthetes who are obsessed with design—just look at our company T3 Micro!