“A library is a place where you can lose your innocence without losing your virginity.” – Germaine Greer
BEFORE | LIBRARY
One of these things is not like the other, and this room stuck out from the rest of this chic Hollywood Glamour home in the hills of Bel Air. Our client has great style and we concurred that this room was due for a complete over hall. Time to say good bye to the faux finished red walls, brown couch and other random items and turn this room into a showpiece that matched the vibe of the rest of this beautiful casa.
AFTER | LIBRARY
The first decision was to go bold with a change of color. My absolute go to for modern updates is Fine Paints of Europe due to its flawless and smooth finish. Black Lac was the way to go, and we decided to cover the entire space to completely transform this library. The ceiling was covered in the faux finish as well. Fresh white paint and crown molding give an this room even more clout. The brown sofa was replaced with a re-invented vintage sofa upholstered in natural linen. Vintage club chairs are reborn in salmon velvet, an obsessive hunt for this elusive color finally came to fruition through an old vendor I had used many moons ago. We moved the multi color hooked peacock rug into the kids playroom in the basement, and laid an all white cow hide in its place. A dramatic change that keeps the room soothing and helps show off the treasures within instead of competing with them.
BEFORE | OVERALL ROOM
A custom bobcat pillow is the perfect touch of pattern on a neutral sofa. Shelves become individual galleries when grouped by color and well edited objets d’art. A mix of the client’s existing items and exposed book spines blend beautifully with some of our latest vintage finds. Our brass elephants have found the perfect home!
One of the things I was most excited to do was to add doors to the bottom of these endless shelves allowing for hidden storage, and making a huge impact as they became an architectural feature. Custom doors were inlaid in perforated quatrefoil sheeting and finished off with vintage brass hardware from the one and only Liz’s Antique Hardware, one of the best resources in the country for one of a kind pieces as well as reproduction hardware.
An oversized vintage brass Moroccan tray that we picked up at an Antique Fair in Atlanta makes the perfect coffee table.
Eclectic and well traveled is the vibe of this luxurious library. Since it can be seen in the background from the front of the house, it now blends effortlessly instead of standing out like a ‘red’ thumb! I would love to curl up in here with a juicy book once the kids were off to bed. Adults need a place of their own too, Laissez le bon temps rouler!
XO,
D.L.
Artist / designer Deborah Rhein has been a fixture on the Los Angeles design scene since 1991. Crafting from home, she developed a line of hand made picture frames, which turned into a full-scale decorative, accessories business. Her product designs include lines of highly lauded belts, jewelry, and handbags, embroidered pillows, and a variety of other unique home and gift ware. 
