A Hollywood Energy Couple’s Dream Home, Constructed to Entertain

In looking for a brand new house, some folks search serenity. For Hollywood energy couple Nanatchka Khan and Julia Bicknell, the imaginative and prescient was extra boisterous: “We entertain a lot,” laughs Khan, the director of Always Be My Maybe and creator of a number of sequence together with LAID, Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23 and Fresh Off the Boat. Khan and Bicknell, whose EP credit embrace Yellowjackets and Midnight Club, labored with realtor associates Heather T. Roy & Learka Bosnak of Douglas Elliman, who confirmed them a home that was nonetheless beneath building. Khan and Bicknell instantly knew that the five-bedroom, seven-bath house within the Lake Hollywood neighborhood was precisely what they had been searching for.

The couple had been desirous to infuse their inventive spirit into the home via its inside design. “We wanted it to be functional and welcoming without sacrificing style,” Khan says. Comedian Ali Wong had raved about her expertise with inside designer Martha Mulholland, who, coincidentally, was associates with Khan’s sister-in-law. “It felt like kismet,” says Khan.

Mulholland, who has a background in artwork historical past and historic preservation from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, labored in visible merchandising for Gucci and Tom Ford earlier than transitioning to inside design. “That taught me to concentrate on creating memorable and immersive experiences that are beautiful but also meaningful so I’m very narrative-driven,” she explains. “What I do is determined by my clients and the space.” Her work coalesces round singular classic and vintage finds, furnishings, equipment and lighting culled from native artisans and makers, wealthy paints and intriguing wallpapers. “I like to share what I’m passionate about, educating my clients to ensure they have a personal connection to the stuff in their home,” she explains.

Mulholland wished to showcase the heat and creativity she glimpsed in Khan and Bicknell. “It was clear from their answers to my questionnaire, their collections and their obsessions — bobbleheads, Dolly Parton, puzzles and cocktail culture — that they are fun and vivacious people,” Mulholland notes. “I wanted to give them a house that felt like them: comfortable, happy and welcoming.” Mulholland urged they lean into shade. “They really liked the idea of having different colors in each room,” she remembers. “So we definitely went for a more-is-more approach!”

Mulholland’s largest hurdle was determining the aim of every room. Witness what’s now the eating room. “It’s the first space you see when you walk into the house,” Mulholland factors out. “They love having people over. So we wanted it to be a bit of a wow moment.” Clients and inside designer had aligned on yellow within the planning phases; Mulholland selected a historic paper from UK-based Adelphi Wall Hangings. “I liked the idea that it was from the 1920s and we’re seeing bit of Art Deco influences in design right now,” says Mulholland. She paired it with Florian Schulz’ double counterbalance pendants, an extended oval eating desk, and, at Khan and Bicknell’s request, chairs with pink cushions. Mulholland washed the partitions of a double peak room with a grand fire and a big window with deep forest-green paint. Custom floor-to-ceiling bookcases, a curved-back classic sofa, a pair of deep swivel chairs, and a playful bar cupboard verify it because the up to date model of a standard library, good for hanging out, studying and having fun with a cocktail.

She gave the screening room a jolt of electrical energy, enjoying homage to traditional film palaces, swapping its beige shade scheme for vivid pink seating, burnished gold accents, and a playful toile wallpaper that highlights Los Angeles’ iconic landmarks. Riffing off of Khan and Bicknell’s ebullience, she layered the house with playful touches, from the Fornasetti cocktail wallpaper that brightens a powder room, to the big assortment of brightly coloured furnishings gathered across the pool to the mural, hand-painted by Bicknell, that cavorts throughout the partitions of their daughter’s room. “It’s a vital, exuberant house that they love to share with others,” says Mulholland. “It’s very joyous and very very very them.”