Two For One
Author:Abigail StoneTwo entertainment attorneys, partners in the same Century City law firm, turn to interior designer Tracy Gilmore to create offices that are reflective of their distinct personalities.
The grasscloth wallpaper is from Maya Romanoff. “It had a long lead time but it was worth the wait,” Gilmore says adding, “We decided to let the wallpaper sing and not add any artwork. When he’s sitting at the desk it forms a nice frame for him.” The 13 foot credenza was tailored to this attorney’s needs. "We spent a lot of time figuring out what was going to go where,” Gilmore recalls. The wood is maple with a custom finish color. The pulls are by Rocky Mountain Hardware. What’s up for Gilmore now that the offices are done? “I’m working on their homes,” she shares. There’s no better recommendation for good work than repeat business. “Clean, classic and comfortable are the three words I try and stick to.” Done and done.
Photographer: Gilmore Photography
“The Robot is from Titanfall, a videogame the client worked on. I think it adds a sly sense of humor to the space,” says Gilmore. One of the room’s biggest challenges — the structural wall the juts into the room — ended up being one of its most intriguing features, as is often the case. “It was this eyesore that everyone was pretty bummed about. We went through a laundry list of options — have the curtain go around it, cover it with mirrors or slender pictures — and then we found those climbing men sculptures at Arteriors. So it became a focal point and a conversation starter. It looks intentional and it adds movement and it’s fun to hear people’s interpretations: climbing the corporate ladder, being healthy, overcoming obstacles. We took lemons and we made lemonade.”
Photographer: Gilmore Photography
“The client actually found this desk. The wood is Peroba Rosa. It’s only found in South America. The ergonomics of retrofitting it to accommodate a keyboard and balancing it for the very long monitor arm and a hole to hide the wires was crazy. But he was very excited about it and I think it's so fun when a clients wants to play too,” Gilmore remembers.
Photographer: Gilmore Photography
Traditional, masculine and tailored were the watchwords in this office. “He wanted a memorable space that people would walk into and be wowed,” says Gilmore. The custom sectional is from Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams and is topped with pillows in fabrics by Cowtan & Tout. The hex table is from Noir. The stone-topped table was found at HD Buttercup.
Photographer: Gilmore Photography
For the other attorney's office, Gilmore began with pieces he had painted of his wife and son. “Because they’re so wild and bright, I knew that the rest of the room was going to have to be a little more calm and monochromatic with greys and beiges, very textural and monochromatic so that those pieces could sing,” says Gilmore, opening a door into the thought process of an interior designer. Framing the windows, a Lindsey Alker fabric found at Harbinger in Los Angeles.
Photographer: Gilmore Photography
Small details, like the trim on the curtains and the rosette carved into the desk’s leg, bring a subtle depth to the room. The table and the credenza, custom pieces, are from Custom Furniture Company. Gilmore also designed the chairs, which are covered in a heavy linen stripe from Schumacher, adding casters for movability. The woven blue and white grasscloth is from Cowtan and Tout. The office is almost completely devoid of wires. “He doesn’t even have a desktop computer. He works off his iPad,” says Gilmore. A hole, drilled into the desk, corrals the room’s cords. The Maltese Falcon statue which has been in all of this attorney's offices and is a nod to the classic film, here gets pride of place on a custom credenza.
Photographer: Gilmore Photography
"The first partner wanted something clean and calm,” Gilmore recalls. Because he is a fan of Australian photographer Peter Lik, Gilmore used one of the lensman's pieces as her jumping off point. Both the photograph’s color scheme — calming blues with pops of orange — and its zen calm are reflected in the room. “Since this partner didn’t get the ocean view, we injected the ocean into the room,” says Gilmore, pointing out the preponderance of azure and of natural, pale woods whose colors conjure up the seaside.
Photographer: Gilmore Photography
Unlike creative office space, professional offices often need to reflect a certain gravitas. Entertainment law offices straddle a particularly tricky line; their work is serious yet their clients and projects are fun and colorful. They’re also often located in drab high rises. These challenges didn’t even phase Tracy Gilmore of Gilmore Design Studio. She sailed right past obstacles and straight into the fun of working with clients she knew. “I’d worked with both of them before so it felt seamless and lovely to see old friends again,” says Gilmore. Though she tackled both spaces at the same time, the results were very different, reflecting each partner’s distinct personality.
Photographer: Gilmore Photography