The New Neutral...Interior Design

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Grubb and Rueb opted for a neutral color palette as the backdrop for the entire home, including here in the living room. From there, they added layers of interest via texture in the fabrics, pattern in the pillows, and even the wood grain in the zebrawood coffee table. Various vignettes throughout the home showcase pops of color not only through accessories but also through natural wood finishes. The views in the home are so impressive that Grubb and Rueb didn't want the interior of the home to compete with them. By establishing a neutral color palette, they allowed the sweeping views of Hollywood to take center stage. The dining room is one of the few rooms where a bolder color tends to dominate the look, shown in the custom-made dining room chairs.

The living room was one of the first rooms the team tackled. Neutral-toned furnishings in various textures and tan hues, including a custom-made sectional swathed in Nairobi chenille and a tufted suede bench, complement the room’s amazing view. Even the stained wood pieces, such as the custom-made zebrawood coffee table, function as doses of neutral color, says Grubb. “People forget that the stain on the wood is color,” he adds. “It’s an opportunity to add interest to a room.”   A few of the walls were painted Gentleman’s Gray by Benjamin Moore rather than the entire room, a trick Grubb likes to apply to many of his residential projects. “By painting only one or two walls one color, it gives the room a chance to breathe,” he says. “It emphasizes the color more.”   The neutral furnishings and wall colors were purposefully chosen for the young bachelor, who, like many homeowners, may want to change the look of his home in a few years. “What’s great about what we did with this room is that the client can paint the wall and add new pillows and someone will come over and say, ‘Wow, you redid the room,’” explains Grubb. “The neutral color palette allows you to make changes later and create a whole new look. That’s the beauty of it.”  The home’s base color palette flows seamlessly from room to room, including into the master bedroom and dining room. Here, neutral tones in olives and slate blues are complemented by bolder pops of color via accessories such as the custom-made dining room chairs by Zanchez Upholstery or the artwork above the master bedroom headboard. The designers took advantage, though, of one room’s playful purpose and incorporated bolder doses of color. The pool room’s white walls and exposed wood ceiling and beams serve as the perfect backdrop for a bright orange sofa from Crate & Barrel, a custom-made ottoman by Zanchez Upholstery swathed in a Kravet fabric, and a patterned rug by Modern Rugs. In the end, the client loved the result, which Grubb and Rueb say is the best compliment. “He loves being home,” says Grubb. “We created an environment that he wants to be in.”

AUGUST | SEPTEMBER 2012

For architect Christopher Grubb and interior designer Jamie Rueb, the project was rare. Most of Arch-Interiors Design Group’s clients come to them with a home in need of design or structural help, not to mention most clients have existing furnishings—artwork, antiques, furniture—that they want to incorporate into the finished product.

 So when a twentysomething bachelor approached the Los Angeles–based firm for help furnishing and decorating his completely empty circa-1942 Hollywood Hills home, the duo was understandably excited. “It really was a start-from-the-beginning opportunity,” says Grubb.

“He only had a few inspiration images, too,” adds Rueb, who says those photos, from magazine spreads and online galleries, consisted of lots of grays and blues. “The home was originally really drab. He wanted it to feel sophisticated and masculine. Luckily, he purchased the home [originally built by an architect] in great condition, so there was no remodeling work needed.” 

 With a blank canvas, the team drew up several schemes ranging from intensely modern to more transitional for their client to mull over. In addition to creating a sophisticated and updated look for the interior, Grubb and Rueb’s goal was not to compete with the home’s expansive and breathtaking views of Los Angeles. “You can literally see the Hollywood sign from his windows,” says Grubb. So the pair chose darker, neutral tones in the grays and blues the client had requested, keeping the view the focus of each room. When the team presented their schemes, they were surprised, though, when their client chose one with bold pops of color brought in through various accents and decor. “He really reacted to the brighter colors,” says Grubb. “It really resonated with him.”

 So the duo ran with the design, keeping the base of each room—wall colors, flooring, and most of the furniture—neutral but adding bold doses of color throughout each space via artwork, accessories, soft goods, or statement pieces. The homeowner kept the original wide-plank oak flooring, which ran throughout the entire home; paired with dark blue, tan, gray, and olive tones, it creates an aesthetically pleasing look.

LEFT: The pool room's light walls and natural wood beam ceiling serve as the perfect backdrop for bolder pops of color brought in by the tangerine sofa and patterned rug. 
ABOVE: The wide-plank oak flooring was original to the home and worked well wit