Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Ryan Brown’s “Flip-Out-worthy” Pad

<i>By David A. Keeps</i>
Ryan Brown’s design sensibility has appealed to me since the first season of Flipping Out. His aesthetic mixes laidback California elegance with Los Angeles Regency and Asian influences. His chic projects usually feature a mix of styles, which I love. The home Ryan shares with his partner, Dale and daughter, Chloe was featured in the Los Angeles Times a few months ago and was recently named one of their top 10 stories of the year.
The living room is furnished in a sophisticated mix of vintage and contemporary pieces: A white-lacquered Art Deco side table sits next to a minimalist Italian sofa. A wooden-topped factory stool flanks a Danish armchair covered in a bold floral. Matching high-backed chairs sit across from an embossed leather ottoman on casters. Above it is Jonathan Adler's three-tier Ventana chandelier. On the small wall to the right of the bay window, another Brown touch: wooden paddles from European bakeries hung as art.
Ryan’s living room features Kelly Wearstler Trellis drapes, Jonathan Adler’s Ventana Chandelier, and a pair of high back chairs.
The opposite view: Daughter Chloe crosses the living room, with the elevated dining area in the background. Note how the crown molding at the ceiling juts out at the window and serves as curtain valances. "Molding adds instant warmth and character to a room," says Brown, who also connected baseboards and chair rails to vertical trim pieces, creating the appearance of paneled walls. "You can get it at a hardware store and just nail it up. It doesn't need to be real wood since it's going to be painted." Although Brown splurged on high-priced designer fabrics by Lulu DK and Kelly Wearstler elsewhere in the house, when it came to larger jobs such as curtains and Roman shades, he went to the Fashion District in downtown L.A. and shopped discount stores.
Ryan often uses rich neutral colors. I love the elegant warmth in this room. Little Chloe is certainly the cutest thing in the room!
On a vintage bar cart from <a href="http://www.lawsonfenning.com"> Lawson-Fenning</a> in Los Angeles, Brown creates a display that mixes a Buddha head, a branch of coral and two oversized lacquer candlesticks from West Elm that frame what appears to be a glass mosaic tile work. It's actually a painting by <a href="http://www.thehappylion.com/index.php?artist=wills&view=list"> artist Brian Wills</a>. The walls are painted with Sherwin Williams' Gauntlet Gray.
I love these West Elm Candlesticks! The coral adds nice texture, as well.
In the dining room, Brown covered the ceiling in bead board, which makes the space feel intimate yet casual, he says. The horizontal lines also echo the wall of cabinetry, which Brown created from three matching Chinese pieces, an eye-catching alternative to a built-in unit. He designed the table, which can seat 12. It's built on a base of reclaimed Douglas fir with a distressed walnut top by Ian Ferguson of [<a href="http://www.digitfurniture.com">Dig It Furniture</a> in Venice. "I always tell him to beat up table tops so I don't have to worry about them," Brown says. Though they look like antiques, the dining chairs are a cheat, Brown admits. "I was running out of budget so I got them from <a href="http://www.anthropologie.com"> Anthropologie</a> and recovered the seats."
The dining room features an amazing Sputnik chandelier and beautiful, rich cabinetry.
The Sputnik lamp hanging over the dining table was purchased at <a href="http://www.downtown20.net"> Downtown</a> in Los Angeles. "There's a bulb missing and people always notice," the designer says. "But I think that's part of its charm."
The family's chocolate Lab, Jordan, cruises through the kitchen. Brown designed a fretwork pattern for cupboard doors, giving the room the Chinese Chippendale look associated with Hollywood Regency style. The work also was done by <a href="http://www.digitfurniture.com">Dig It Furniture</a> in Venice. Note the top portion of the walls, which are covered in bead board running horizontally, coordinating with the marble subway tiles above the countertop.
I must say that my favorite rooms that Ryan designs are always his kitchens! I love the open shelving and beautiful finishes. Notice the fretwork on the cabinets.
A banquette style sofa from <a href="http://www.mgandbw.com/">Mitchell Gold & Bob Williams</a> in a kid-friendly floral print anchors the space adjoining the kitchen. Monchamp says the home nicely balances formal spaces with family areas. "We couldn't do anything too precious," he says. "We are not 'No, don't touch that' people."
Brown's improvements included new hardwood floor, doors and windows, which brighten the master bedroom upstairs. And the mix of décor? "The world is an art gallery," Brown says. "You can learn something new at every turn."
The Zen-Like Master Bedroom
The master bath gets the glam spa treatment with a <a href="http://www.sunrisespecialty.com/sunskirted.html">Piedmont skirted tub</a> purchased at <a href="http://www.livingsquare.com">Living Square</a> in Los Angeles. Hexagonal Mist limestone floor tiles are from <a href="http://www.annsacks.com/home.html">Ann Sacks</a>. The chandelier, which Brown repainted white, was 60 bucks. "A lot of the lamps in the house cost under a hundred dollars at flea markets and garage sales," Brown says.
This is such a great spot for a tub!
In the stairwell, he hung the 30-bulb Meurice chandelier, a Jonathan Adler design that can be found <a href="http://www.jonathanadler.com/shop/product.php?productid=17077&cat=387&page=1&initial="> online</a> for  $750.
A Fabulous Jonathan Adler Chandelier Hangs in the Stairwell
Chloe plays chef in her bright and cheery room, furnished from catalog resources such as <a href="http://www.potterybarnkids.com/">Pottery Barn Kids</a>. Brown and Monchamp wanted a beautiful house that was still kid-friendly. The living room sofa may be B&B Italia, but that doesn’t mean Chloe and her playmates are impressed. "They'll take every cushion and pillow off and throw them on the floor, then they'll jump on them," Brown says, nonplussed.
Miss Chloe’s room is cute and sassy.
The yard was relandscaped to include a mosaic tile pool, an organic vegetable garden and a lawn with a concrete paver path from <a href="http://www.artobrick.com/index.aspx"> Arto Brick</a> in Gardena. With extensive changes inside and out, the tab for renovations came to about $700,000. "I did it as inexpensively as possible to use the materials I wanted," Brown says, adding that without his industry sources the cost would have run $1 million.
So relaxing! I wish I were hanging out in this beautiful backyard today instead of taking harbor from this cold, rainy day.
Under a wood-framed arbor, Brown created an outdoor dining area with a 13.5-foot-long table and four teak benches for seating. A zinc planter and an aged metal votive holder add a touch of French country charm.
I adore the items Ryan chose for the outdoor dining area. The long, farmhouse style table, zinc planter, and candleholder look fantastic and add a bit of French charm.

Image Credit: The Los Angeles Times
Posted by twine at 8:20 AM
Labels: , , , ,

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)