Julia Newman of Julia Adele Designs embraced the challenge of downsizing a home in Playa Vista, California, blending contemporary and traditional styles. Despite the smaller space, the focus was on showcasing the clients’ extensive antique collection. Balancing the light and modern atmosphere while highlighting the cherished antiques was a key aspect of the design process.
In designing a sun-drenched home in Playa Vista, California, Julia Newman of Julia Adele Designs sought to seamlessly blend contemporary and traditional styles for her downsizing clients. With a focus on showcasing their extensive collection of antiques, Newman opted for a neutral color palette to keep the spotlight on the art and antiques. The entryway served as a perfect canvas for special finds, featuring carefully chosen statement pieces like a framed landscape painting and a richly colored wood end table. Building spaces around these focal points, Newman aimed to create a cohesive feel throughout the home.
The living room, anchored by a remarkable antique rug with vibrant colors, including bright pink, cranberry, and teal, became a central point of design. To balance the bold hues of the rug and maintain cohesiveness, Newman introduced a neutral sofa in easy-to-clean chenille. This approach allowed the antique collection to shine while adapting to the light and contemporary atmosphere of the new space.
In the sun-drenched home in Playa Vista, California, designed by Julia Newman of Julia Adele Designs, the built-in shelving presented an opportunity to showcase the clients’ personalities and collections. Specifically, it highlights their Lalique pieces and colored glass Galle collection. Given that the clients only brought their artwork, rugs, and antique décor, Newman sourced several pieces, including her favorite—the Calligaris dining table.
The Calligaris dining table stands out for its unique design, creating the illusion that the top is floating on the legs, imparting a sense of incredible lightness. Newman appreciates the table’s user-friendly nature, as it gives the appearance of marble but is, in fact, ceramic with tempered glass. This choice subtly reflects the park square outside, providing a harmonious connection with the surrounding nature from the dining room.
In the sun-drenched Playa Vista home designed by Julia Newman, every element reflects a clean, simple, and detail-oriented approach. The dining room’s light fixture, a past piece from Hubbardton Forge, symbolizes this design philosophy—clean and simple with intricate details. Handmade to order in Vermont, the light fixture showcases a long tradition of expert craftsmanship, aligning with the overall aesthetic of the home.
The bar area becomes a focal point with a captivating mirror that serves as a transition into a modern, lighter lifestyle. This mirror, carefully placed to enhance the art pieces in the living room, features gold frames that echo those of the artworks. Each element is thoughtfully curated to create a seamless transition between spaces, emphasizing the importance of flow in open floor plans.
Moving to the kitchen, Newman’s skillful selection of elements creates a cohesive connection with other rooms. The blue velvet stools echo the living room’s accent pillows, the marble backsplash ties into the dining table’s marble look, and the pendant lights complement the dining room light. This intentional design ensures a harmonious flow throughout the interconnected spaces.
Julia Newman’s design of the primary bedroom in the Playa Vista home revolves around an antique rug, and she ensures that other elements in the space are neither too heavy nor distracting, allowing the rug to stand out. Thoughtful details, such as a solid walnut wood frame for the bed, a marble-handled nightstand, and reframed multi-generational family profile photos, add a personal touch to the room.
Merging antique and contemporary finds required careful thought and planning, but Newman’s success is evident in creating a space that not only showcases her clients’ passions but also meets their day-to-day needs. The clients express that their art collection and antiques are more appreciated in this modern space than in their traditional home. They find the home to be functional, comfortable, and deeply personal, with every element imbued with meaning.