According to Bryce Dallas Howardveteran actress and director best known for her roles in Jurassic World and the series TwilightShe and her husband, fellow actor Seth Gabel, had a place in mind when they envisioned what their new home would look like. “We had a chance to visit Mia Farrow once,” she says, recalling in awe the Connecticut farmhouse filled with the actress’s heirlooms. Rosemary’s baby. “And it was the most magical place. His house was full of stories and treasures, memories of a legendary life. Seth and I left there thinking: ‘This is what we aspire to. This is how we want our home to be.'”
Of course, Bryce Dallas Howard is no stranger to legendary lives. As the daughter of Oscar-winning director Ron Howard and an actress since childhood, she has been a witness to Hollywood history, which is why she decided to adopt a more personal approach when designing your home. To do so, she turned to a family friend, Claire Thomas, who decorated this four-bedroom, two-story house in Los Angeles, where her family of four recently relocated following living for decades in the upstate New York: “Seth calls Claire ‘the lady of the bippity boppity boo‘” jokes Howard, referring to the fairy godmother who solves the problems of Cinderella. “Thomas, in addition to being an interior designer, is a successful commercial film director and co-owner of the Sweet Laurel Bakery in Los Angeles.
Not surprisingly, creative ideas were not lacking: “Bryce and I share a passion for Old Hollywood storytelling,” says Thomas, describing his film-inspired approach, gleaned from years behind the camera. “So when I started this project, I envisioned them as characters on a set. For the couple, who met more than 20 years ago while studying acting at New York University, that naturally meant lots of bright colors, dramatic flourishes and references to his movies and favorite TV shows.
In developing the project, Howard and Thomas collectively termed their style of work “glamour organic”, that is, a fun mix of influences from old Hollywood, pieces vintage cheers and a laid-back California vibe. “We knew right away that the main color palette of the house was going to be pink and greensays Thomas. “I always joke that I only wear red colors, meaning colors that look good on red heads. I’m a redhead and Bryce is a redhead, so it works.” Most of the rooms are dominated by those tones: the mint-toned kitchen island is flanked by baby-pink cabinets, matching the breakfast table in custom terrazzo by Concrete Collaborative; a bubblegum-colored media center in the living room faces a U-shaped Joybird sofa in a darker shade of pink; a tranquil sage-green guest bedroom has grooved-wood accents on the wall; a wallpaper with a dinosaur print in color fuchsia charms next to bathroom vanity; and an olive-colored bathtub sits on a pink Venetian floor in the master bathroom. “Obviously you don’t want it to look like an Easter basket,” explains Thomas, “so we made it look like elevated and elegant, but a lot of fun.
Despite the sunny demeanor of the house, there was still plenty of room for drama. In the dining room, Thomas introduced touches of whimsy that she says reflect Howard and Gabel’s shared passion for movies: “Bryce calls it Ella Miyazaki’s room,” she explains, referring to the revered Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki. Thomas covered the walls with mural-like wallpaper by Schumacher, depicting a starry forest scene that Howard says reminds you of the mystical scenery of the forest of my neighbor totoro, his favorite Miyazaki movie. On the ceiling, Thomas commissioned artist and designer Cooper Reynolds Gross to install reflective brass panels that bathe the entire room in a luminous, golden glow: “We love this room because it reminds us of the kind of magical world we live in for our job,” says Howard.
The cinematic references, however, do not end there. Thomas added winks to Star Wars y Star Trek for Howard and Gabel, who are die-hard fans. (Howard has directed several episodes of the latest iteration of the first franchise, The Mandalorian). For example, on the rear facade of the house, Thomas commissioned a mural with two suns rising from the horizon —a tribute to the fictional planet Tatooine of the protagonist Luke Skywalker—, while a new Baby Yoda garlic holder, from the aforementioned rebootwatch the kitchen.
“Both Bryce and Seth adore Star Trek: The Next Generation and that kind of retro-futuristic lookadds Thomas. He incorporated that inspiration into the master bedroom, where curvy lines (in the form of a gently rounded lounger and plush padded headboard), flea-market finds, and a muted palette of dusty pink channel just the right amount of kitsch in the 1980s. “I remember growing up saying, ‘I’d love to live on the Starship Enterprise,'” recalls Howard, “There’s a softness in futurism of the world of Gene Roddenberry that is very attractive.
Also there are many objects and sentimental references throughout the house. For example, the tulips, from the summer they fell in love in Amsterdam—Howard had welcomed Gabel into his bedroom while she was enrolled in a Dutch acting workshop—are now blooming on the walls of the guest bathroom. Or the little canvas that Thomas made for Howard for his 40th birthday, embroidered with her and Gabel’s nicknames for her children. “He’s like a jeweler,” jokes Howard. “A jewelry box and a sandbox, all in one.”
Article originally published in AD US.
Translation and adaptation of Fernanda Toral.
