Studio MTN…
has offices in California and Idaho, but there is no divide when it comes to the firm’s design directive. In fact, these two localities have been instrumental in establishing the team’s distinct aesthetic language: a blend of rustic ranch style and sleek casual luxury, which it applies to high-end residential properties around the world, transforming them into tranquil yet sophisticated escapes. This sprawling 11,000-square-foot home in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, has been completely refurbished in line with this blended approach, allowing principal designer Sierra Fox to build each space piece by piece to create a canvas upon which she was able to articulate the clients’ personalities and interests, spotlighting their love of fine art and contemporary design with an emphasis on the handcrafted and the unique. Importantly, this is a family home, so Fox has struck a fine balance between open proportions and elegance, ensuring that rooms feel grown-up yet function as safe, child-friendly environments.
A decoratively paneled hallway sets a tone of auspiciousness and grandeur, as if you are stepping inside a manor house for the modern age. An extended double-width archway brings the main lounge immediately into view, ensuring that this first transitional space is as welcoming as it can be, affording an immediate immersion into friendly family living. The bench, crafted from dark mahogany and woven leather, is a contemporary spin on a classic Bauhaus silhouette, produced by the prestigious Paris-based furniture company Pierre-Augustin Rose. It marries effortlessly with the old-world charm of a herringbone parquet floor and the faded look of a large vintage rug.
Bathed in…
natural light, the lounge sets an inviting tone. A low-set dark wood coffee table serves as a focal point, drawing the eye towards the middle of the room. Here, a variety of sculptural seating options harness tactility thanks to neutral-toned upholstery cast in an assortment of rich materials, including thick linen, deep-pile boucle wool, and buttery velvet. In the background, a black marble fireplace enriched with swirls of amber and gold adds drama to the interior composition, creating harmony between hard and soft.
Fox has…
used craft pieces, fine art, and furniture to reinforce a strong sense of indoor-outdoor living, ensuring that the comforts of home create a visual connection to the beauty of the landscape. A striking chandelier in the form of a cascading oak branch is a case in point. The 18-foot light sculpture, crafted from iron by the UK-based artisans at Cox London, is entirely handmade and tumbles down through the house’s central curving staircase, casting a dance of leafy shadows on surrounding walls as the light changes throughout the day.
The earthy colors of this intricate light sculpture are matched with a palette of tonal creams and beiges in the living room for a balanced, nature-infused atmosphere that’s calming and relaxing.
The dining room…
leading directly off from the hallway, is what Fox calls “the pièce de résistance of the home.” A tribute to traditional craftsmanship expressed through fresh and stylish forms, it features an antique Mughal rug from Studio Woven, a set of sleek hand-cast aluminum Giac Side Chairs by De La Vega, and a two-tier Gaia light with solid glass drops by Ochre Gallery.
Completing this thoughtfully curated space are mid-century collectibles, including a Danish sideboard and a solid dark wood dining table sourced from local antique expert Galerie Provenance, a famous LA dealer that stocks everything from 19th-century Swedish bird bowls to Charlotte Perriand rarities. A standout feature is a hand-painted mural of rolling hills, winding rivers, and flourishing trees, produced on-site in soft pastel tones in a style that draws from the romanticism of 18th-century European landscape artists.
A once…
lackluster basement has now been transformed into what Fox calls a “moody speakeasy and (wine) library,” combining dark marble, mirrored surfaces, glass panels, and bespoke wooden cabinetry. A tasting area with an impressive bottle storage system has its own unique identity in the home, specifically designed to feel more exclusive to adults—thoughtfully planned, balanced, and vibey.
In the main…
bedroom, the purity of simple lines contrasts with the raw materiality of textiles such as linen, shearling, mohair, and silk, establishing a sense of timelessness that plugs into the philosophy of slow living. Indeed, Fox and her team like to mix things up with visually striking juxtapositions in order to create an optimal atmosphere for relaxation and creative thinking.
A case in point…
the en-suite bathroom fuses ‘warm’ and romantic elements—such as the cashmere-like silk wallpaper decorated with a lively garden motif by Fromental Design—with stricter, ‘cooler’ components like a boldly veined marble vanity and minimalist Tassel sconces by Apparatus, for a layered style that Studio MTN calls “dainty and moody.” The team has carried this style through to a study/office room where Apparatus’s industrial-looking Lariat pendant lights contrast beautifully with softer forms such as a gauzy window blind, a simple worktable, and a pair of stools covered in a bold floral print fabric.
The living room…
opens onto a terrace that doubles as a dining area, beyond which is a swimming pool and a raised level for sun lounging. A picturesque spot to unwind, the garden is also a place to explore, replete with secret pathways, rustic troughs, and no end of native plants to enjoy, from succulents to Californian sagebrush. Lovingly detailed both inside and out, this is a home rich in texture and artful touches, or as Studio MTN describes it, one that is “effortless, calming, comforting, refined, organic.”
Tap the look…
Photography: Shade Degges, Bliss Katherine
