From Emily: Two of my best friends in LA, Corbett and Leigh, have the most incredible home and it deserved its own full house tour. We met 14 years ago when we were set up by Brian’s cousin and became super close, really fast. We had our babies, traveled internationally, and did most of our 30s and now 40s together. Moving away from them was very hard (and I’m very excited to see them at the mountain house for New Year’s). Their house could absolutely be in a magazine, it’s just so stunning. Fun fact – Leigh Whannell is the creator/writer/producer of the Saw series, Insidious series, and most recently the incredible Invisible Man (with Elizabeth Moss). Corbett, an actress and lead parent, is the incredible design talent that renovated this home with no professional help (beyond us helping to style for some sponsored shoots). It was a FEAT and turned out more beautiful than I think anyone could have predicted (it was extremely dated with very bad finishes). So along with their three children, they get to live in this stunning home, and we get to hang out here, too. I can’t WAIT to shoot their outdoor kitchen that they just finished and we still need to finish, style, and shoot their kids’ rooms. It’s all truly epic. xx
Hi ya’ll! Ryann here to be your virtual guide through this stunning home. As Emily said above, this home is epic and could/should be in a magazine but instead, we get to share it here which we feel very lucky to do 🙂
What better place to begin than this completely show stopping kitchen? I am sure I am not the only one who was immediately struck by the metallic island. It’s precisely the luxe finish this kitchen needed to contrast with the cement flooring, natural wood tones, and modern fixtures. The marble countertop and brass island really warm up this space and make it so engaging to look at. My eyes seriously never tire of staring at this kitchen.
Aside from the big finishes that make such an impact, there are a ton of small details here that elevate the design. Like, I love the towel bar with hooks on the side of the sink counter for hanging dish towels. It is such a nice touch that is both thoughtful and practical. The leather pulls on all of the cabinet drawers are also very good and emphasized the natural, organic vibe that is happening here and throughout the whole house. It’s these little elements that help achieve the high-end, effortless California look :).
The windows behind the sink are accordion windows that open to the pool and have a bar on the other side. When Sara shot this, the exterior was being worked on so as Em said, we still need to go back and shoot that side of it–it’s insane. Stay tuned for that.
Now it is high time we talk about that stovetop. Your eyes are not deceiving you because yes, those burners are set right on top of the marble countertop! It’s obviously very cool and makes it so the entire kitchen is covered in warm, inviting wood cabinets. It takes integrated appliances to a whole new level. This is a fairly new design concept and even Em hadn’t seen anything like it before when the kitchen was finished a few years ago (and she even considered this idea for the Mountain House kitchen). So cool!
Also as I am sure you’ve noticed, this kitchen has great innovative storage, like this integrated spice rack. It’s in the perfect spot, right next to the stove for easy access.
Remember this dining room? We first revealed it four years ago and it’s been a favorite of ours ever since. As you can see it is a pass-through dining room that opens up into the kitchen. With an open concept like so, it’s so important for the spaces to feel separate yet in tune. In this case, the wood cabinets that match the cabinetry in the kitchen create a strong sense of continuity. But in general, you will see as we continue the tour that this home is one of the BEST examples of maintaining a similar style and vibe throughout. It’s really impressive.
By the way, the chairs are made from Crypton fabric, so they are extremely durable and stain resistant, which is obviously SO important for a family of five with small children (if you want a full review on them head here). Also please note how well the chairs contrast with the live edge wood table with gorgeous brass wishbone-shaped table legs. I think all black or wood chairs would give off such a different vibe here and I LOVE what the blush pink chairs do to the space. They obviously add color but also lighten up the room and add a playful, comfortable look.
That gallery wall is one of my favorites. For years, Corbett had been collecting seascapes and this wall became the perfect place to showcase them. As she and Em started putting the gallery wall together, some were framed and some were not, and it wasn’t fully coming together. That is until Em pulled three framed seascapes she happened to have, and they ended up working perfectly. The result is this awesome gallery wall that brings in a ton of warmth and texture and keeps the dining from feeling too stark or cold. For example, a large modern or abstract art piece could look cool here, but it could also make the room feel too much like a museum. The vintage seascapes add movement and a lot of soul.
Between the dining room and living room, there is this built-in cabinetry with shelving above that provides ample space for displaying art, books, and sculptures.
We revealed this living room in 2018 and I love that it still feels fresh, layered, and cool. The furniture is timeless (I spy Emily’s old Anthropologie coffee table), the choice to mix and match side tables gives the room a dynamic look, and even the pillow patterns are lively but classic. Oh, and if you are worried about an all-white sofa with three kids, you can read all about why they chose that color here :).
Even four years later, I still cannot get over that amazing wall hanging that MQuan customized specifically for that spot. It’s the perfect addition to this room and compliments the tone and color palette so nicely.
I know that this goes without saying but those leather sling-back chairs are amazing (and vintage, of course). They add warmth and so much soul.
Okay, say it with me: What. A. View. I will never get over this room!
This is possibly one of my favorite shots ever published on the blog. This room really nails the elevated but lived-in and inviting vibe. I just love the wood logs stacked high in that wall cut-out, plus there is something so intoxicating about a floor-to-ceiling window that provides so much natural light.
Next up on the tour is the family room which is very cozy and eclectic as you can see. There is so much to love but first and foremost, those shelves. They are custom and so gorgeous. I love that they went with an open shelving design with dark metal and wood. It keeps the space from feeling too heavy, connects it tonally to the rest of the house, and offers a ton of storage.
The sofa is also very good. I love that it is shaped almost like a semi-circle, so it becomes the most ideal conversation area. It’s also big enough for this family of 5 to snuggle up and watch TV together (and yes, there is a TV in this room, it’s just not pictured).
And no, you aren’t imagining things because yes, this room has been on the blog before. You might remember when we shot this room with that blue sofa above. The story behind that is Corbett had already ordered that green sofa for this room but it had a crazy long lead time. So in the interim, since the room was done sans sofa, we shot it for a partnership with Sixpenny. Both versions look really great and cozy, but I do love how the green sofa pops against the neutral carpet and light curtains. Plus the velvet texture gives this room even more depth.
Velinda, Emily Bowser, and Julie styled the shelves for the shoot and of course, knocked it out of the park. My personal favorite piece is that oversized hourglass, but I also love that they alternated between leaning and hanging the art within the shelves. It creates an intentional, layered look.
The wall-to-wall closed storage at the bottom of the shelving unit is so important. It’s a very smart addition (imagine all the board games, toys, books, kid supplies, etc. you can hide in there!) and that wood is seriously stunning.
The primary bedroom is one of our favorite examples of mixing natural, organic textures and tones, which is why we wrote a whole post about it here. The linen bedding, leather pendant light shades, wood accents galore, the faux sheepskin rug, and the leather-wrapped wood bench all come together to create an extremely layered look that still feels cozy and inviting.
The 4-panel mural is also epic (and vintage–can you believe it??), and further emphasizes the natural, “refined outdoors” vibe.
I have been coveting that armoire ever since I laid eyes on it 3 years ago. I still think armoires need to make a big comeback.
I imagine that view never gets old, so of course, floor-to-ceiling windows were in order. Waking up and sipping coffee here must be heaven.
I love the subtle impact that the art piece above the fireplace brings to the space. It’s perfectly modern but has a raw edge texture that aligns with the aesthetic of the room wonderfully (and frankly the entire house).
You guys. Suspending a mirror over the window in their primary bathroom is such a COOL design risk that fully paid off. The asymmetry is so good and the window cut-out is also unexpected in the best way and gives this bathroom so much beautiful natural light.
I love these little leather pulls. If you recall, the kitchen and family room have similar leather pulls which is a small, thoughtful detail that gives this home such an apparent sense of continuity.
This enclosed shower with glass windows is daring and so good. With such dramatic marble veining going on, there’s no way anyone would want to conceal all that beauty.
I haven’t seen that many indoor showers with wood flooring but BOY, isn’t it special?? This detail really brings home the organic, natural esthetic that Corbett was going for.
On the other side of the bathroom, they have this free-standing tub, an awesome wood cabinet for storage, and another lovely zellige tile wall. The zellige tile wall looks extra textured and nuanced because it was installed with darker grout, which highlights the different tones of each tile. Most people might go for a lighter grout that could blend in more, but I’m sure you can tell by now that Corbett is not like most people and doesn’t shy away from a design risk.
And this, my friends, is where I leave you. Bravo Corbett for designing a stunning home, and huge thanks Em for being best friends with such a creative and talented lady who lets us tour her fabulous home :). What part is your favorite? Sound off in the comments below, and have a great rest of your Tuesday. xx
*Design by Corbett Tuck with furniture/decor help from Emily
**Styled by Velinda Hellen, Erik Kenneth Staalberg, Emily Edith Bowser, and Julie Rose
***Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp for The New Design Rules
THIS POST WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED HERE.
