Step Inside a Laid-Back California Home Filled With Organic Materials

When Moira and Kenny Gray walked into this Studio City, California, farmhouse with their real estate agent, they didn’t want to leave. “It was an immediate yes for us,” says Moira. They both wanted the same thing: “something that was completely turnkey but with the soul of an older home,” Moira says. “It was like finding a needle in a haystack.”

This house was built in 1936, but it had been overhauled by architect-designer team Ryan Perella and Sam Donnelly, so it was move-in ready and full of charming architectural details. Sam layered in all sorts of natural materials and gave the whole place a cool, California aesthetic.

Moira and Kenny work in creative fields — she’s a digital content editor and he’s a comedian and musician. “We bought most of the furniture with the house!” she says. Keep reading, and you’ll see why.

The fireplace is original, but Sam updated it with a new mantel and tile and painted the wood surround Dead Salmon by Farrow & Ball. The walls and ceiling are Cloud Cover by Benjamin Moore, a grayish white. “Bright white can make a traditional home feel cold, so we used a moodier hue,” she says. The jute rug is from Nordic Knots and the armchairs are from France & Son.

“This room sold us on the house,” says Moira, especially the arched enclave for the range; it’s covered in glossy subway tile from Bedrosians. The Grays also love the custom 9-foot white oak island, which gives them plenty of room for hosting, and the durable floor tiles. They look like slate but they’re ceramic, so they can take a beating. The pantry is painted in two Benjamin Moore colors: Odessa Pink and Garrison Red.

“Even though this spot is open to the kitchen, it feels cozy,” says Moira. Sam set it up with wallpaper from Scalamandré, a fluted table from CB2 and built-in storage. The Grays gather here with family and friends for games and casual dinners.

French doors with Juliet balconies overlook the backyard and flood this room with light. “Our cats love feeling like they are outside watching all the birds,” says Moira. The vaulted ceiling makes the room feel even more bright and airy. "The new vaulted ceiling upstairs matches the one in the original part of the house. We love that detail," she says.

The Morris & Co. wallpaper acts as a statement piece. “We didn’t need to add much art at all,” says Kenny. The leather armchair was a Parisian flea market find.

The marble tile floor, from Country Floors, looks like it could have been there forever. “The cream and grayish brown colors are more interesting than black and white,” says Moira. The custom white oak vanity was designed to look like a piece of furniture. The white wall tiles and freestanding tub add to the timeless appeal.

Exposed raw wood gives this bonus space lots of rustic charm. Kenny and Moira are in the process of turning it into a music studio for Kenny’s work. The beanbag sofa is from RH Teen, and the coffee table is from RH. The rug is vintage.