Not even a modern californian hideaway full of exterior decoration can hide the Midwestern roots of Kathy Taslitz, interior designer and artist. Describing her and her husband, Matt Grode’s, dream home—that is, one that might be comfortably shared with family and friends—the Chicago-raised decorator draws from one of the Midwest’s greatest movie scenes, quoting the Kevin Costner’s character in field of dreams: “This was one of those moments of ‘if you build it, they will come’“.
Taslitz and Grode also had the tools to make their wish come true. As president of MG Partners, one of the Los Angeles area’s leading custom homebuilders, Grode has created residences and relationships alike with renowned firms such as Olson Kundig, Ferguson & Shamamian, and Backen, Gillam & Kroeger Architects. . (Seven of the houses recently completed by the studio have appeared in AD: the modern country house Ashton Kutcher y Mila Kunisin Beverly Hills, Barry and Sheryl and Schwartz’s seaside getaway in Santa Barbara, and Kipp Nelson’s cantilevered haven in the Hollywood Hills, among others). With Grode supervising the construction and Taslitz directing the interior design of his own housethe duo turned to architect Howard Backen and landscape designer James Doyle to round out their team.
Together they created a modernist house bathed in sunlight and rich in natural materialscozy textures, personalized sculptures and a rich exterior decoration. “I like things to be really easy on the eye,” says Taslitz, who approached each space with the “yin and yang of heavy and light” in mind. For example, incorporating organic elements like oak floors and whitewashed wood ceilings throughout the 7,000 square foot home helped soften the defining blackened steel windows. In the open kitchen white marble surfaces and heavily veined backsplashes offset cabinets and the dark-hued range hood: “By keeping it low-key, I can let the objects of interest stand out,” says Taslitz.
And that’s what they did. Walking through the front door, guests are immediately greeted by the first of Taslitz’s many custom designs, the We Need to Talk bench, made from a burred slab of wood that sits atop a large bronze sphere. In the master bedroom, a pair of his oak bureaus with brass legs flank the bed, while the Party in the House indoor-outdoor dining table is clad in a matching bubblegum pink. the climbing bougainvillea from the pool terrace. That’s one of the reasons it’s great to be married to a contractor,” says Taslitz. “I get bored, so I’m always experimenting and changing things. Matt always jokes: ‘You never get bored with me'”.
Though the color palette was intentionally kept neutral in the interiora rainbow of colors awaits beyond the wide retractable doors in the form of exterior decorationa Backen signature element used in the main room and upstairs living room to encourage indoor/outdoor living: “Having lived in Chicago most of my life, there is nothing that makes me more happy that power open those doors and bring the outside inTaslitz adds.
Shrubs line the exterior to create not only privacy from neighbors, but also a green backdrop to interior views. A rose garden surrounds the second floor terraceand nearby, an edible garden with lemons, limes, kale, peas, squash and more is ready to feed customers at a moment’s notice: “We love making our signature cocktail with fresh basil, lime and hot peppers from the garden blended with tequila,” says Taslitz.
Building this house together in Santa Monica with our families and community of friends in mind is a dream for us,” he says. After a pause, Taslitz reflects: “Sometimes we joke that maybe we shouldn’t make it so cozy. This is the kind of house that people come to and sometimes don’t leave.”
Article originally published in AD US.
Translation and adaptation of Fernanda Toral.