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Jessica Alexander; DESIGN: Kerry Vasquez Design
Although Bryan Smith has impeccable taste and has worked with some of today's top red-carpet stylists, including Kate Young, Elizabeth Saltzman, and Karla Welch, he's the first to admit that his strong sense of style doesn't translate to interior design. "All my places before this one weren't cute," the fashion PR specialist and founder of the eponymous firm BSPR admits to MyDomaine. "Think IKEA Malm beds and vertical blinds." To ensure his West Hollywood home avoided a similar fate, Smith called on the expertise of Los Angeles-based interior designer Kerry Vasquez.
Vasquez, who was inspired by Smith's background in the fashion industry, sought to bring an artful Parisian aesthetic to the laid-back Los Angeles abode. "The home has a very classic Old Hollywood vibe that I wanted to channel through a lens of classic European elegance," explains the designer. "I wanted the space to feel like a sophisticated yet relaxed oasis that read one-part Los Angeles, one-part Paris." Filled with furnishings crafted by local L.A. designers, curated objets d'art, and untamed houseplants it's certainly the perfect mix.
Keep scrolling to take a peek inside this Los Angeles-meets-Paris abode for a lesson in styling.
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Luckily for Vasquez, beautiful bones imbue the Los Angeles home with a certain European elegance. "The architecture is classic Old Hollywood, which reads a bit Spanish style," the designer explains. To honor the Spanish bungalow aesthetic, she chose materials that would have originally been found in the space like bronze, brass, and marble but in modern silhouettes, such as the contemporary black and brass sconces that flank the fireplace.
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Though the one-bedroom, one-bathroom home isn't expansive, whitewashed walls in Chantilly Lace by Benjamin Moore, the interior designer's go-to shade, make the space look and feel larger than it is. "No matter the square footage, I generally want to paint everything white to immediately brighten the space and make it feel bigger—and this home was no exception," notes Vasquez.
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The bright hue doesn't just open up the space, it also shines a spotlight on the home's stunning architectural details. "The living room has a gorgeous vaulted ceiling with an arched entrance into the dining room, but originally, everything was painted in Swiss Coffee by Benjamin Moore," recalls the designer. "No shade against Swiss Coffee, but to truly accentuate these lovely architectural details, they needed to be white."
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When it came to sourcing furniture and lighting, Vasquez turned to Los Angeles brands such as Croft House and Brendan Ravenhill, which are beloved by local interior designers. "There are so many talented furniture and lighting designers in L.A.," she explains. "I wanted to make sure we took full advantage."
Though many of the furnishings throughout the home are new, one vintage piece stood out to Vasquez. "The greatest find was the vintage wall unit from Sunbeam Vintage that fit perfectly on the wall between the living room and the dining room and also had the exact matte black legs I was looking for," divulges the designer.
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In styling the space, Vasquez drew inspiration from artfully curated Parisian apartments and Faye Toogood's Meditteranean vacation home. "I really wanted the home to feel like a curated collection of items where everything felt intentional and artful," she explains. "Even the bowl we chose to use for the centerpiece on the dining table captures this aesthetic."
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Though objets d'art lend the space that ineffable je nais se quoi, Vasquez certainly didn't overlook the home's walls. In the dining room, a photograph by Smith's friend Luke Gilford is a definite statement piece, however, getting it framed proved to be one of the most challenging aspects of the project.
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"The biggest issue arose when we went to have this gorgeous photograph custom framed—and the framer lost the print," explains Vasquez of the incident. "We ended up having to get another print made and framed and the framer upgraded us to museum glass for free to make up for the mistake."
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In the bedroom, sketches by Alberto Puras from Galerie Micheal Bargo adorn the walls, keeping with the home's artfully curated aesthetic. Completing the space is an untamed fiddle-leaf fig tree with branches that extend to fill a corner flooded with natural light.
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According to Vasquez, layered lighting is what sets a well-designed space apart from the rest. "90% of good design is lighting," explains the designer. "Which just means make sure you have various levels of light for the different tasks and moods you want to achieve." Here, wall-mounted sconces and task lamps illuminate the space.
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The room's relatively subdued color palette is punctuated by rich wood furnishings. "I wanted the space to feel masculine but still subtle and delicate," says the designer. "So, we chose more traditional wood tones like walnut and wove black accents throughout to achieve a more masculine aesthetic and then softened things up with the light pink tones found in the bedroom rug."
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The result is a home that exudes effortless elegance with influences from Parisian apartments and laid-back Los Angeles abodes. "My goal for this space was to create a well-designed place where I could unwind and feel at home," muses Smith. "Mission accomplished."