We Can’t Get Enough of This Ultracolorful “Island” House
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If there’s one thing Los Angeles–based interior designer Oliver Furth isn’t afraid of, it’s color—and you better believe he’ll take every opportunity to embrace it. So, when Furth’s clients approached him about taking on their new home set among the city’s coveted Bird Streets, just above Sunset Boulevard, the crayon box in his mind spilled right out.
Built in 1948 and surrounded by a wall of tall, lithely swaying bamboo, the “vaguely traditional” three-bedroom, four-bathroom, 4,000-square-foot home immediately gave the ELLE DECOR A-List designer some serious island vibes. “The house is raised up like those you’d find in the West Indies, and wherever you are inside, the views of bamboo hedges and a swimming pool in the backyard are omnipresent,” he says. “So the idea of warmer climates became a through line in the project.”
And that was a perfect fit for the well-traveled thirty-something couple—a finance executive and a literary agent—who relocated from New York for a more laid-back lifestyle. “They’re both super intelligent, self-made, and fiercely curious,” adds Furth. “So much of my practice utilizes color, high-contrast texture—and a lot of optimism—and smart, sophisticated people are catching on that color can be luxurious and joyful.”
Apart from their willingness to incorporate plenty of color, the homeowners wanted the interiors to feel welcoming and unpretentious but also have a practical functionality. “While they regularly have houseguests from all over the globe and love to entertain, one of the main design considerations was that the literary agent reads 10 hours a day, so they wanted spots for lounging that were comfortable and also fit his professional needs as well.”
Apart from a few pieces that were inherited from the couple’s previous homes, Furth basically started with a blank slate. “Although they’d lived together before, this was really the first home they were setting up together from scratch.”
It’s only fitting we take a first look at this vibrant, color-filled house that will be featured in the designer’s debut monograph, Op! Optimistic Interiors (Rizzoli) dropping in March 2024. Click below to step inside.
Entry
“[The clients are] constantly on a plane—to places like Johannesburg, Milan, or Mexico City—so a lot of the design influence came from travel,” explains Furth. “We especially played with color here—we wanted to hit you over the head with the warm, joyful palette.”
The Halston console table by Sarah Ellison was a 1stDibs find, the Taurus wall mirror by Ben & Aja Blanc was sourced through the Future Perfect, and the vintage aluminum table lamp is from Patrick Parrish. Atop the console is a playful Bari Ziperstein Wiggle vase.
Gallery
As an entry point to most spaces on the first level, the gallery and hall remain light and airy. “We grounded this space with a resin table by Faye Toogood from Garde. It really catches the light from two different directions, and it absolutely glows,” Furth says.
Around the table is a pair of Chandigarh stools by Pierre Jeanneret from Galerie Half and a vintage Butaque chair by Clara Porset. “The woven and felted rug was commissioned from Dutch fiber artist Claudy Jongstra after seeing her work hanging at the Barnes Foundation,” the designer adds.
The embroidered painting on the back wall by Thania Petersen was acquired through the Nicodim Gallery.
Dining Room
Originally the breakfast room, the couple reappropriated the space to serve as their main dining area in order to take advantage of the views of the bamboo-enclosed yard. “Certainly, this room was informed by the Memphis movement—with the candy-colored upholstery and [unusually shaped] mirror—but it’s a bit more current,” explains the designer. “It’s not a giant space, but we definitely wanted to maximize it.”
The dining table by Jean Prouvé received a custom walnut top, and the surrounding chairs are by Mario Milana, a friend of the couple. The custom wall-mounted, channel-tufted banquette was designed by Oliver M. Furth Studio and upholstered in a Loro Piana velvet. Above the bench is a custom Melt mirror by Bower Studios, and over the table is a Billy Cotton Pick Up Stick chandelier from Cam Crawford.
Living Room
With views of the yard, this room is a favorite of the homeowners for relaxing with company or simply spending time together. “The warm weather theme is really present in this space with the cane and woven seating, and we clad the fireplace in Moroccan zellige clay tiles from Zia to reflect the light and give the room texture,” says Furth.
The vintage Cloud sofa by Vladimir Kagan is from Obsolete, the Hans Wegner chairs and vintage Harvey Guzzini–designed Meblo floor lamp were purchased on 1stDibs, the ceramic ottoman by Chris Wolston came from Patrick Parrish, as did the Wrinkled cocktail table by Christopher Prinz. The entirety of the sitting space rests on a custom handwoven Moroccan rug by Beni Rugs.
Media Room
For this moody space, Furth selected a violet grass-cloth wallcovering from Phillip Jeffries with complementary window shades in a woven transparent wool fabric from Holland & Sherry. Furth’s studio conceptualized the custom sofa and accented it with pillows in wool bouclé and cashmere from Loro Piana. “This was actually the formal dining room, but they didn’t see themselves using it that way, so we made it a cozy space for reading or watching films,” he explains.
The set of six cocktail tables by Peter Hvidt were bought through 1stDibs, and the custom floor lamp by Merve Kahraman came through Lovehouse. Beni Rugs crafted the handwoven Moroccan rug, the handwoven pendant from Ghana was sourced by Golden Editions. The walls are dotted with Pierre Chareau sconces from Edition Modern, and the small oil painting by Hugo Wilson was acquired through the Nicodim Gallery.
Living Room and Library
Just off the media room is one of the relaxingly utilitarian spots for getting a little work done or entertaining company. The custom built-in walnut shelving houses a multitude of books amassed by the couple. Around the room are colorful Marceta fiberglass planters by Fabien Cappello that were a great find through Ago Projects.
Living Room and Library
A vintage Carlo de Carli settee from JF Chen is accompanied by a terrazzo Boomerang cocktail table by Rooms Studio that was found at the Future Perfect and a pair of Mario Milana lounge chairs. The handwoven Moroccan rug by Beni Rugs helps warm up the space.
Study
“The real star of this room is the museum-quality Minguren II drop-leaf desk by George Nakashima,” says Furth of this chic office. Acquired through Galerie Half, the desk serves as the literary agent’s main workspace.
The custom Scallop bookcase is by Waka Waka, the vintage Arredoluce Spider chandelier came through 1stDibs, the vintage orange Nesso lamp is by Giancarlo Mattioli for Artemide, and the colorful resin tables by Sabine Marcelis were a find at Etage Projects. The back wall was covered in a birch-bark-paneled wallpaper from Caba Company, and the window shades are in a watercolor-effect fabric from Romo.
Guest Room
“We had fun here—it’s not a room they’re living in, so we wanted to create an experience for the guests through an even bolder color palette,” the designer says of this secondary bedroom.
On either side of the vintage Nelson bed by Cattelan Italia hangs a pair of Fabien Cappello pendant lamps from Ago Projects. Below each lamp is a vintage Waterfall side table by Karl Springer that, along with the Exeter spindle armchair by Davis Allen for Knoll Studio, came from 1stDibs. The area rug was designed by Furth’s studio.
Primary Bedroom
Wrapped in raffia wallpaper by Phillip Jeffries, this multiroom space is the homeowner’s oasis. “It’s a very private area that takes up the entire second floor and overlooks the gardens, and it’s really very quiet—perfect for their daily meditation,” says Furth.
The custom cane and walnut bed by Dusk is flanked by Bari Ziperstein ceramic side tables with Hotwire Extension sconces by Fabio Hendry from Carwan Gallery. To the right is a vintage linen hamper by Pierre Jeanneret from Galerie Half and a mixed-media work on canvas by Devin B. Johnson. Under the bed is a custom leather-bound carpet by Furth’s studio that “adds an element of architecture to the room.”
Primary Bedroom Sitting Area
Below a paper pendant light by Isamu Noguchi is the homeowner’s dedicated meditation center. Complete with mismatched Tongue chairs by Pierre Paulin found on 1stDibs, a Mario Milana meditation chair and custom carved wood cocktail table by Casey Johnson Studio, the space is an extension of the couple’s bedroom that allows direct access to sweeping outdoor views through the glass-front accordion doors.
Backyard
The entire backyard space is broken up into vignettes, like this comfy gathering spot featuring a sectional sofa from Teak Warehouse, a pair of Patrick Naggar Amalfi lounge chairs from Ralph Pucci, and a pair of Colonna stools by Ettore Sottsass for Kartell. Furth worked with Los Angeles–based ecological landscape designer Jessica Viola to design the home’s gardens, which are, to say the least, picture perfect.
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