Scandal Star Katie Lowes and Her Husband Adam Shapiro Give AD a Tour of Their Los Angeles Home

Architectural Digest
Updated

When Scandal actress Katie Lowes and her husband, actor and director Adam Shapiro, were thinking about starting their family, they were dubious their beloved Hollywood Hills bungalow could make the transition from “party house” to something more kid-friendly. “It was literally up 75 stairs from where you parked to the front door,” Lowes recollects. “We just didn’t feel like we were going to be able to schlep a baby up all those stairs,” Shapiro adds. When they found out Lowes was expecting the couple’s first child—a boy—this year, the hunt intensified.

Their search for a new, less vertiginous home brought them “over the Hill” to a 1937 ranch house (“Not a single stair!” says Lowes), which both of them fell in love with immediately, even though it needed an upgrade into the current century. “It didn’t feel hip. It kind of felt like, ‘Is this your grandma’s Valley house that hasn’t had a lot of attention in a long time?’” says Lowes. “We felt overwhelmed, but we both had this gut feeling that we saw ourselves and our future family there.” Adding to the charm of the house was its oversize yard. “It’s in an older section of L.A. where the lots weren’t really split apart, so the size of the yard is substantial," she adds.

"I guess you could say my inspiration came from Katie and Adam themselves!" says the designer, James Tabb.
"I guess you could say my inspiration came from Katie and Adam themselves!" says the designer, James Tabb.
Dustin Walker
In the nursery, a wall painted by Portola compliments the whale stick-on wallpaper from WallsNeedLove.com.
In the nursery, a wall painted by Portola compliments the whale stick-on wallpaper from WallsNeedLove.com.
Dustin Walker

To make the renovation process less daunting, the couple enlisted the help of designer James Tabb, who works with the online interior design service Laurel & Wolf and Portola Paints & Glazes to custom-mix wall colors. Once those two elements were in place, “I felt like, ‘OK, we’re still going to be considered cool by our friends,’” says Lowes. Tabb drew a lot of his inspiration from the couple themselves. “They described their style as ‘artsy, but not in the macaroni-and-yarn kind of way.’ I immediately knew there had to be an eclectic mix of furnishings that would reflect their upbeat and effervescent personalities,” he says.

While their previous home was what Lowes coined "rustic-industrial," the bones of their new ranch-style house called for a more midcentury-modern flair. “It’s a really amazing hodgepodge, how everything came together,” says Lowes. “We didn’t have to abandon things we had already that we loved.” That didn’t mean they were on board with every new addition to their decor, at first. “We were playing around with the idea of a far more structured couch that’s velvet and a statement color,” says Lowes of her formal living room. “And I was like, ‘What? No way! That is not my vibe.’ And then I slept on it for a few nights and said, “Oh, my God, no, that’s right. That’s totally it.’” Tabb and the couple eventually decided on St. Bart’s green velvet sofas by Modshop, which add a pop of emerald to the otherwise warm palette of the room.

It didn’t feel hip. It kind of felt like, ‘Is this your grandma’s Valley house that hasn’t had a lot of attention in a long time?’

For the nursery, however, the couple and Tabb veered towards the more traditional. “We weren’t going to do a midcentury nursery,” says Lowes. The duo fell in love with blond wood pieces from Oeuf eco-friendly furniture and designed the room around them. “We also have a little bit of a clean slate for whoever this person is, this baby,” says Shapiro. “Whatever his personality is, there’s lots of room to build on the room.”

Central to the couple’s design philosophy was a home that was both primed for entertaining, but hardy enough to withstand the rigors of children . . . or adults, for that matter. “We have to be able to spill on it and dance on it,” says Lowes. Frequent guests of the couple’s parties include the Scandal cast, who all descended on the house for a dinner party soon after they moved in. “We are a family ourselves, the Scandal cast,” Lowes says. “So when Tony Goldwyn or Scott Foley says, ‘You did good, kid. You got a good house,’ it makes me feel like they’re my big brothers or something.”

With the show entering its last season, Lowes already has her eye on a piece from the set she’d love to repurpose and bring it into her new home. “There are these block letters that sit on the desk in the main conference room on set, a big O, an ampersand and an A, for Olivia Pope & Associates. I kind of love that,” she says.

Tour Katie Lowes and Adam Shapiro's Los Angeles Ranch

“When we walked in, we were imagining kids playing and having friends over and really embarking on the next phase of our life," says Lowes of their new home.
“When we walked in, we were imagining kids playing and having friends over and really embarking on the next phase of our life," says Lowes of their new home.
“I’ve wanted a photo gallery wall forever. And who the heck can ever get those things done and make them look chic? Well, we have one and it’s the envy of all of our friends!" says Lowes. The photo gallery wall lines one of the entrances to the living room.
“I’ve wanted a photo gallery wall forever. And who the heck can ever get those things done and make them look chic? Well, we have one and it’s the envy of all of our friends!" says Lowes. The photo gallery wall lines one of the entrances to the living room.
“They described their style as ‘artsy, but not in the macaroni-and-yarn kind of way.’ I immediately knew there had to be an eclectic mix of furnishings that would reflect their upbeat and effervescent personalities,” says designer James Tabb. He mixed textures, colors, and materials to achieve the look.
“They described their style as ‘artsy, but not in the macaroni-and-yarn kind of way.’ I immediately knew there had to be an eclectic mix of furnishings that would reflect their upbeat and effervescent personalities,” says designer James Tabb. He mixed textures, colors, and materials to achieve the look.
“We were playing around with the idea of a far more structured couch that’s velvet and a statement color,” says Lowes of her formal living room. “And I was like, ‘What? No way! That is not my vibe.’” And then I slept on it for a few nights and said, “Oh, my God, no, that’s right. That’s totally it.’” The sofas are St. Bart’s green velvet by Modshop.
The abundance of natural light and the oversize yard were selling points for the couple.
The abundance of natural light and the oversize yard were selling points for the couple.
"Larger rugs can get quite expensive. We ended up selecting rugs with more texture rather than pattern so we could stitch them together in order to fit each of the spaces," Tabb reveals.
"Larger rugs can get quite expensive. We ended up selecting rugs with more texture rather than pattern so we could stitch them together in order to fit each of the spaces," Tabb reveals.
"I wanted to create a space that was as layered with personality and excitement as they are. I wanted the home to feel curated and collected, each piece with intent and meaning: not just beautiful things that are aesthetically pleasing, but pieces that would resonate with them personally," says Tabb.
"I wanted to create a space that was as layered with personality and excitement as they are. I wanted the home to feel curated and collected, each piece with intent and meaning: not just beautiful things that are aesthetically pleasing, but pieces that would resonate with them personally," says Tabb.
Lowes and Shapiro's first child is due at approximately the same time that Scandal's final season will air its first episode on NBC.
Lowes and Shapiro's first child is due at approximately the same time that Scandal's final season will air its first episode on NBC.
Lowes and Shapiro's first child is due approximately the same time as Scandal's final season will air its first episode on NBC.
Lowes and Shapiro's first child is due approximately the same time as Scandal's final season will air its first episode on NBC.
Frequent entertainers, Lowes and Shapiro often host parties. But when picking out items for their new house, they wanted to make sure none of them were overly precious. “We have to be able to spill on it and dance on it,” says Lowes. Teak rattan dining chairs will be perfect for hosting dinner parties.
Frequent entertainers, Lowes and Shapiro often host parties. But when picking out items for their new house, they wanted to make sure none of them were overly precious. “We have to be able to spill on it and dance on it,” says Lowes. Teak rattan dining chairs will be perfect for hosting dinner parties.
"Katie and Adam were dream clients. They were both engaging and excited throughout the entire process. I wish they had more houses to design!" says Tabb. "Even when we hit bumps in the road with furniture deliveries, they kept a positive attitude and were amazingly helpful in figuring out solutions."
"Katie and Adam were dream clients. They were both engaging and excited throughout the entire process. I wish they had more houses to design!" says Tabb. "Even when we hit bumps in the road with furniture deliveries, they kept a positive attitude and were amazingly helpful in figuring out solutions."
"For art, the larger works are from Art Space Warehouse in Los Angeles, a pair from MidcenturyLA, and a mix of collected works and antiques," says Tabb.
"For art, the larger works are from Art Space Warehouse in Los Angeles, a pair from MidcenturyLA, and a mix of collected works and antiques," says Tabb.
"I guess you could say my inspiration came from Katie and Adam themselves!" says Tabb.
"I guess you could say my inspiration came from Katie and Adam themselves!" says Tabb.
"Who can say no to a brass-lined wet bar?" says Tabb.
"Who can say no to a brass-lined wet bar?" says Tabb.
“A friend came over the other night and saw the house and said, ‘Wow, this is like the coolest hotel ever.’ And that was exactly what Katie and I wanted to hear at the end of this process," says Shapiro. A stylized bar sits outside the living room for easy access.
“A friend came over the other night and saw the house and said, ‘Wow, this is like the coolest hotel ever.’ And that was exactly what Katie and I wanted to hear at the end of this process," says Shapiro. A stylized bar sits outside the living room for easy access.
"We were also able to personalize the room with a gallery wall of art Katie and Adam have collected over the years," says Tabb.
"We were also able to personalize the room with a gallery wall of art Katie and Adam have collected over the years," says Tabb.
“All of a sudden, we’re in a more traditional family home and I didn’t know how to make it cool and I didn’t know how to stylistically feel good in the house. Laurel & Wolf and Portola saved my butt," says Lowes. Dark paint, along with a few artsy accents, are used in the coat closet area to make it feel fun and less formal.
“The Oeuf furniture is very peaceful, and simple and beautifully made," Lowes says of the pieces they selected for the nursery. "It makes me feel like, ‘Oh, he’s going to sleep well in here.' Please, God!"
“The Oeuf furniture is very peaceful, and simple and beautifully made," Lowes says of the pieces they selected for the nursery. "It makes me feel like, ‘Oh, he’s going to sleep well in here.' Please, God!"
A whale lamp coordinates perfectly with the whale wallpaper.
A whale lamp coordinates perfectly with the whale wallpaper.
The blue and white whale wallpaper is from adhesive-backed wallpaper collection WallsNeedLove.com, and was only put on one wall so as not to overwhelm the nursery.
The blue and white whale wallpaper is from adhesive-backed wallpaper collection WallsNeedLove.com, and was only put on one wall so as not to overwhelm the nursery.