This Creative Couple's California Home Is Designed for Connection and Healing

Musicians Deena Robertson and Austin Bisnow are on the road a lot. So when they are home, they want to rest, create and soak in the quiet in their A-frame home. Located in Topanga Canyon in Los Angeles, a creative nexus that has at various times sheltered musicians Neil Young and Marvin Gaye and actor Robin Williams, it is a community that feels like a world apart.

"We're really close to things," says Deena. "We're 10 minutes to the beach, we're 15 minutes to Santa Monica, we're 30 minutes to West Hollywood." And yet, when they are home, there is serenity and proximity to nature. Nestled in a hillside with astounding views of the Santa Monica Mountains, Deena and Austin's home makes you feel like you are in the middle of a forest. "For people who move around a lot, and especially creatives, if you can create a space that actually exhales, it's such a game changer," says Deena. "I've been reading a lot about how we're our most creative when we feel safe, and that's what we really designed our house for. It has a sense of calming the nervous system and safety. It feels like the biggest hug."

The home was built in 1978 and, shockingly, had many rooms closed off from the spectacular mountain views. Deena and Austin renovated the space themselves, wanting to create a home with healing in mind. While Deena was recovering from cancer the couple thought about creating a space that could aid in that recovery. They imagined soft textures, the gentle patina of vintage furniture and natural wood that echoed the forest outside.

Deena grew up on a farm outside Toronto, and she watched how visitors would instantly find calm and a relief from the stress of their day-to-day lives there. She wanted something like that in Topanga Canyon. With no TV and plenty of inspiration outside every window, the home invites people to sit, play music, read and de-stress — just like the home where she grew up.

The A-frame's cozy, intimate mood is set right from the entryway with layers of beautiful wood and textural accents. A ceramic bell hanging outside the front door serves as their doorbell. Inside is a large piece of fiber art, one of many in the couple's home. The front door has a driftwood handle that was crafted from wood washed up on an L.A. beach after a big storm. Deena and Austin lightly sanded it then afixed to their front door. "It's really fun creating things that don't belong" says Deena of the couple's love of repurposing things.

Austin and Deena moved into the home in 2018. "It was the same year we got married and got our dog — it was a big year for us," says Austin.

"The thing that really attracted us was the view." Sketching their ideas rather than relying on formal plans, Deena and Austin took a totally DIY approach to their home, renovating it to suit their needs and focusing on the things that bring them happiness and calm, including organic materials, natural light and a connection with the landscape outside. The sound of owls outside, the moon glimpsed through skylights, all give this magical space a profound connection to the natural rhythms of life.

Deena and Austin have given over several of their home's copious nooks to musical instruments where they often have musician friends play during visits. One of the soothing qualities of their home is the predominance of wood. The couple initially consulted with a designer about their home but when she suggested they paint all of the wood in the home white, Deena says she knew they would need to move on. "We were like, 'Okay, I guess we're doing this on our own,'" she laughs.

The previous owners had cleared out all of their belongings except for the leather carrier used to haul firehood. Austin had seen it when the couple toured the home and asked the owner if they could have it. When they moved in, there was the leather carrier along with a note: "Welcome home." Now that cherished object hangs on the wall as art.

Deena and Austin considered how the smallest details could be tailored to create a soothing setting. For example, they even thought about how jarring the light in the refrigerator could be in the middle of the night. They used tape on the bulb to create a softer glow that matches the calming vibe of this minimalist kitchen.

Inspiration is always at the ready in this music room with countless gorgeous views. The different nooks throughout the property give the home its personality and charm — and they all offer something different. "Do you want to feel expansive? Then you go on the deck. Do you want to like feel kind of held? Then you go to the reading nook, and you're like kind of cuddled up," says Deena of the many emotional berths their home offers.

The guest room formerly looked out onto a concrete slab that was part of the driveway. When they transformed the space, Deena and Austin made sure that guests were given a more relaxing view. The space now has its own access to a scenic patio, and the indoor decor matches the woodsy surroundings with paneling, exposed beams and simple, organic styling.

Deena says that the one element she would recommend homeowners lean into if they want to create warmth, coziness and a healing living space is texture. Incorporating well-worn leather, sheepskins, cotton throws and artwork that incorporates texture can dramatically transform the mood of your space. The home's main living area has room for a cozy dining table, sofa seating and a wood stove to gather around. The dynamic light fixture adds dimension.

If texture is Deena's recommendation for people looking to replicate the home's organic vibe, then Austin's advice is less is more. "Ninety percent of houses just have too much stuff, because it's so easy to accumulate," he says. He and Deena have a project room for items in transition — pieces that need to be fixed or painted, or whose placement they’re still figuring out. It's a great way-station that helps them be deliberate about adding new items to their home.

All the calm and quiet of being surrounded by trees is woven into the design of this bedroom. The couple renovated the previous bedroom, removing cupboards and too-small windows to start from scratch. The bed — built into an alcove — faces a large window with a blind that can automatically open and close to block out the light.

The home's simple architecture helps to shine a spotlight on the spectacular surroundings. "You get excited to wake up," says Deena of the stunning bedroom view. "I used to be a night owl," she says, but things have changed. Now she's anxious to go to sleep, "so I can get up in the sunrise and [see] the mountains as the mist comes in. We call it Topanga TV," she says. Under the picture window, a long built-in bench invites quality daydreaming.

The upstairs bathroom was a tiny, dark space with no real connection to the outdoors. Austin and Deena remedied that by adding skylights and bringing as much brightness into the newly open and airy space as possible. Now it makes you feel wrapped in sunshine.

The couple preserved the 1970s vibe of their home while bringing in elegant new details, like this large shower room in their primary bathroom. They added a skylight to give the shower a connection to the elements. The bathroom is accessed through a hall from the couple's bedroom.

Deena and Austin's home faces a state park, which means that nothing will ever be built to obstruct their view — giving their home lasting impact.

"We started realizing how much it was affecting us and affecting our friends," Deena says of their home's significance. "What a gift it is that our parents can come and feel so at home. We're living such busy lives now that I feel so honored to have a place that anyone who comes feels like they almost get a soul massage."

The couple also made sustainability an essential part of their plan for outside and inside their home. "Our whole house, top to bottom, is very eco-friendly," says Deena. "That was a non-negotiable. We want to give the next generation a chance." When they moved into the home the backyard was essentially just a dirt hill. Over time they have transformed the landscape with trees, native plants and flowers.

It's impossible not to find yourself drawn into one of the many comforting, enticing nooks that lend warmth and coziness to Deena and Austin's home. From music nooks, to bathtub nooks to bedroom nooks, that intentional design of places that feel safe and comforting extends to the outdoors. The backyard is a series of wonderful discoveries: places to rest, places to dine, all harmonizing beautifully with nature. A cafe table is another one of the backyard's hidden delights. A gently curving wall helps to carve out the space and give an enveloping feeling.

The design of the backyard spa, like much of the home, was inspired by Deena's longstanding awareness of the connection between design and wellness. This gorgeous spa appears built into the hillside, giving it a natural feel. "You get to actually use the hillside," says Austin of how they incorporated this wellness space into the property.

A sauna is built into the hill beneath the cabin, with all the cozy appeal of a hobbit hole or secret hideout. The sauna is just one part of this spa area, which also features an outdoor shower, cold plunge pool and hot tub. When Austin first moved to Los Angeles he was couch surfing and stayed at a friend's home with an outdoor shower. It "blew my mind," he says. Now their outdoor shower is one of his favorite features in their home. Water from the shower is used to water their garden, displaying the kind of creative reuse and eco-consciousness that defines their lives.

They designed the path through the property very intentionally, says Deena. The path was built as a delightful meander rather than "the most direct way down to the backyard."

They planted with sustainability, sensation and scent in mind, with fragrant jasmine, Mexican marigolds and lavender. Making a pollinator-friendly and low-water garden was also essential. In addition, the couple planted hundreds of trees to give the backyard a sense of permanence, as if the beautiful landscape had always been there. Austin became such a regular at their local nursery and would buy so many trees that Deena remembers regularly fielding calls from the staff to update her on what he was bringing home.