The Storytellers

Author:Lindsey Shook

Cuff Studio designs a full-service home for a family in The Flats of Beverly Hills

We never tell a client how their home should be or look,” says Wendy Schwartz, cofounder of L.A.-based design and furniture company Cuff Studio. “Our approach to design is to give our clients the most beautiful version of their story and lifestyle, to help them best maximize their living spaces.” With this guiding principle, Cuff Studio dreamt up the perfect setting for a young family living in a 1920s Spanish hacienda-style home located in the Flats of Beverly Hills. The couple—both successful in their respective ca- reers—make family time an equally important priority and therefore desired a home compatible with everyday use.

The expansive 8,000-square-foot home—which took a year to fully remodel—includes the main residence, a detached guesthouse, front and rear grassy yards, a sparkling pool and a cabana. In what seemed almost like a premonition, Cuff Studio worked with the family to devise a comprehensive floor plan equipped with multiple environments that are ideal for sheltering in place. “In addition to lots of bedrooms and bathrooms, there is a large home gym, offices for the adults and work stations for the kids, a gracious area for guests and easy spaces for entertaining including an outdoor kitchen and active outdoor space,” says Schwartz’s partner Kristi Bender. “Other than a home theater or a wine room, the house pretty much has everything, all within the confines of a huge wraparound hedge and gates, which provide a type of privacy that is typical of the neighborhood.”

While grand in scale, the overarching design direction was to create an inviting home that lacked pretension. “Before the renovation, the house felt very dark and more typically Spanish, with lots of dark wood and expansive terracotta tile floors,” notes Schwartz. “Now it feels warm and lively, a place to gather, unwind and create forever memories.” A persistent palette of black and white dances throughout, creating a timeless style with moments of vigor, including custom pieces from Apparatus and Cuff Studios’ own collec- tion as well as unique lighting from Blackman Cruz. During the process, the clients developed a dynamic collection of art, “reflecting both the husband and wife’s roots and shared passion for women’s advocacy. Filling the walls with the work of both Los Angeles and New York artists, prefer- ably female, was a top priority,” Bender says.

“The vast clear blue skies above, white stucco walls, red roof tiles, curvilinear gables, arched windows and balconies along with modern and easy finishes, plus a true indoor/outdoor flow, make this home California through and through,” says Shwartz. These details, coupled with the exuberant interiors, tell an idyllic California story that most dream of. “Seeing the entire family truly enjoy the communal rooms, the front and back yards as well as their private offices and gym—it feels like we accomplished what we set out to do!”