Mary Alice Haney is the go-to person for fashion advice. As the editor-in-chief of the curated shopping site ThisNext.com and a fashion editor for publications including Harper’s Bazaar, Allure, GQ and Domino, she’s known for making quick and confident calls when it comes to clothing. But when it came to revamping her 1930s Spanish-style home in Pacific Palisades, she called in reinforcements.
Luckily, her cadre of girlfriends comprises women as skilled and stylish as herself. Hillary Thomas heads up her own interior design firm in Brentwood. Another friend, designer Kristen Hutchins worked under Kelly Wearstler before branching out on her own. In the four years since Haney bought her house, she has worked with Thomas and Hutchins and to make it her own—a place for both her busy office and plenty of play space for her two young boys.
Hanley and designer Thompson took a road trip along Palm Beach’s Dixie Highway hunting for antiques to revive the home’s Spanish spirit. Finds for the living room included these Foo dogs. Fireplace installation: RSR Iron Works, Gardena, 323-418-9921; Ottoman fabric: vintage, Suzani, Uzbekistan.
“At first, I always think I want an all-white room, but then I see patterns and colors that I can’t resist. I’m constantly inspired by what’s going on on the runway,” says Haney. For the dining room, that meant a chocolate ikat fabric for the chairs and an antique chandelier for added sparkle.
Blue tableware adds a pop of contrast to the table and chairs’ cream and chocolate color palette. Dining chair fabric: China Seas, Quadrille, LA; Dining chairs: Ebanista, LA
Haney’s art collection spans eras and genres, but each piece helps her express her personality. In the living room, the glittering Santiago de Compostela by Damien Hirst speaks to her love of pattern and color while another work from one of her current favorite artists, Lisa Yuskavage, captivates with soft charcoal lines and visions of female power and sensuality.
