Southern Flare for California Fare

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Alison Palevsky delivers a Southern-inspired design for a popular food podcaster living in the Palisades

In the music room, the Mashad antique medallion rug is from Lawrence of La Brea, the coffee table is by Global Views and the sofa is a custom design by Palevsky Co. Photos by Paul Vu.

“Prioritizing both color and comfortability, my client expressed a great desire to blend her Texas roots with her more modern Southern California lifestyle,” says Alison Palevsky, founder and principal of her L.A.-based firm Palevsky Co about how she approached the design of a new build home in the Pacific Palisades. “Keeping this in mind, I set out to create a warm, inviting environment where she could raise her family but also do what she loves; cook, craft, podcast and entertain—all with a bit of Southern flare.”

A pair of Mazzega Murano Petal Chandeliers from GALLERIA VENEZIANI hang in the dining room.
The wallpaper was custom designed with Voutsa and the dining table and demilunes are a Palevsky Co custom design.
Photos by Paul Vu.

Stepping outside of her more modern approach to design, Palevsky and her team reveled in the opportunity to take a traditional direction. Her friend and client, Courtney Harrow, co-hosts a notable food and family focused podcast with her sister called Hey Sis, Eat This, so the kitchen and main spaces had to be suitable for recording and filming. Born and bred in Dallas, Harrow wanted the interior to reflect her a sense of the South through the use of color, pattern and vintage details. “Architect, Mike Holz, had already carved out the plans so it was my job to help define each space,” Palevsky recalls. “I did this by concentrating on layering colors, textures, wallcoverings, decorative fixtures and of course, some eclectic family heirlooms. I had to carefully balance the overall aesthetic to be sophisticated enough for a festive dinner party but livable enough for a young family desiring time together.”

The kitchen features pendants by Visual Comfort and barstools by Thomas Hayes. Photos by Paul Vu.
In the mudroom, the hooks are by The Citizenry, the fabrics are a mix from Rogers & Goffigon, Cowtan and Pindler and the hardware is by Forge Hardware. Photos by Paul Vu.

The 4,800-square-foot home needed to accommodate the family’s individual goals for functionality throughout. The husband required an office away from the excitement and the kids wanted a a space where they could hang outside of their bedrooms. Harrow dreamt of a spa-like bedroom suite equipped with an office area, walk-in closet and private terrace where she could escape after a long day. “The goals were endless and the space wasn’t so we had to prioritize and make use of smaller spaces with creative ideas like the small desk Holz added to the foyer of the primary bedroom,” she says.

In the family room, the rug is by Contempo Floorcoverings, the coffee table is custom. Photos by Paul Vu.
The bar features pendants by Visual Comfort and vintage Barware found on Chairish. Photos by Paul Vu.
A powder room features sconces by Hector Finch, Cole and Son wallpaper and a
vanity from Stone Forest. Photos by Paul Vu.

While the kitchen was the main character, the music and dining rooms play leading roles in this story, as they serve as pass-throughs from front entrance. So the design selections had to dazzle. “You can’t walk through this home without admiring the soft, blush wallpaper and vintage Murano chandeliers in the dining room,” she notes. “The wallcovering, which started as a painting, was a custom collaboration with George Venson of Voutsa who illustrated the Guinevere Chinoiserie pattern using our fabric swatches and inspiration images. The music room is very much an homage to the wife’s love for mustards, blues and embroidered fabrics.”

In the primary bedroom, the chandelier is the Riley Chandelier for Visual Comfort, the window treatment fabric is Scalamandre, the coffee table and table lamps are by Arteriors. Photos by Paul Vu.
A custom roman shade in the primary bathroom is made with textiles from Peter Dunham. Photos by Paul Vu.

Being the family entertains often and Harrow and her sister record episodes with notable guests in the kitchen, there needed to a level of sophistication and coziness that matched the message of the podcast. “The state of the art kitchen allows the wife to cook while the rest of the family stays nearby in the family room, which fully opens onto the outdoor terrace thus, creating the ultimate southern Californian living aesthetic they were yearning for,” says Palevsky. While she loves her new kitchen, when asked which moment in the home is her favorite, Harrow remarks, “There was a lot of texture and color in our childhood home including floral wallpaper on most walls and almost every room contained a beautiful antique piece from my great grandmother’s home, so the dining room is my absolute favorite in the house as the pink wallpaper takes me back to my childhood home every time I’m in there.”

All the outdoor furniture is by Janus et Cie, the marble tray is by Global Views. Photos by Paul Vu.