Name: Tim Campbell
Location: Silverlake — Los Angeles, California
Type: Tim designed and built the two-story, single-family home.
Years lived in: 10 — owned
Designer Tim Campbell believes in collaborating closely with his clients to bring out a home's "character, born from its history and the people who have passed through it." In Tim's own home, you can read his personal story. An eclectic contemporary art collection mixes with a Masai sword acquired directly from a warrior on the Serengeti in Tanzania and a few vintage art objects from an Amsterdam junk shop.
In 2001, Tim designed and built his home from the ground up. Over time, he's filled it with an impressive collection of furniture, textiles, and art from a wide range of eras. A puppy by Jeff Koons guards the library, while a Bill Jacobsen photograph hangs over the bed. Antique Turkish and Moroccan rugs are a warm, weathered counterpoint to Bertoia chairs and a minimal wood bed frame by German design house e15. You'll even find some Pottery Barn and Crate & Barrel in the mix — as Tim says, the best designers are "fearless and irreverent in every moment," whether that means throwing a Tibetan goat skin across the bed or putting side tables from a catalog next to carved stools from Cameroon.
Apartment Therapy Survey:
My Style: All things beautiful with an urban ethnic overlay.
Inspiration: My husband, my dog, nature, art, fashion, music, Andrée Putnam and Tadao Ando. (Not necessarily in that order. And it depends on the day.)
Favorite Element: Light.
Biggest Challenge: Finding the perfect in the imperfect.
What Friends Say: Hopefully that I inspire them.
Biggest Embarrassment: N/A
Proudest DIY: I built the deck in my backyard myself start to finish. It was a solid weekend's work but I still love it.
Biggest Indulgence: Thom Brown made-to-measure jackets. Art collecting.
Best Advice: Be fearless and irreverent in every moment.
Resources of Note:
PAINT & COLORS
- • Fireplace Paint Color: Benjamin Moore "Iron Mountain"
• Dining Room Paint Color: Benjamin Moore "Iron Mountain"
LIVING ROOM
- • Sectional: Rhoom Los Angeles
• Pillows on Sectional: Kravet fabric — custom pillows
• Round Side Tables: African Tables, Berbere Custom Imports Los Angeles
• Coffee Table: Antique Chinese Table (I don't remember where I purchased this)
• Rug: Antique Turkish Oushak, Aga John Los Angeles
• Tray: Guinevere Antiques London
• Skull: Junk shop in Amsterdam
• Turtle Shell: Empiric Studio Los Angeles
• Vase: Pottery Barn
• Glass Paperweight: Guinevere Antiques London
• Lidded Glass Urn: Guinevere Antiques London
• Wooden Chairs: Shelter Los Angeles (no longer open)
• Glass Side Table: Room and Board
• Planter: Flower Market Los Angeles
• Meteorite on Glass Table: Iron meteorite from the Campo Del Cielo Meteorite Field in Argentina
• Painting Across from Sectional: Attila Richard Lukacs "Love" oil on canvas, 1999, Diane Farris Gallery Vancouver
• Painting Behind Sectional: Masami Teraoka, AIDS Series, Geisha in Bath, wood block print, 2008, Catharine Clark Gallery San Francisco
• Painting in Stairwell: Jacquard Loomed Tapestry, Andy Diaz Hope in collaboration with Laurel Roth, Allegory of the Monoceros, 2008, Catharine Clark Gallery San Francisco
• Sculpture Above Fireplace: Junk Shop in Amsterdam — relic from a Catholic church
• Fireplace: Zero Clearance Pre-fabricated — not sure who makes it
• Sculpture Next to Fireplace: Al Farrow, Trigger Finger and Jaw Bone of Santo Guerro, 2009, Steel, shot, guns, bullets, bone and glass, Catharine Clark Gallery San Francisco
DINING ROOM
- • Dining Table: Shelter Los Angeles (no longer in business)
• Dining Chairs: Tolix Chairs from Paris — I bought them off the street at a shop in the Marais.
• Art Across from Dining Table: Travis Somerville, Sunday after Church, 2007, mixed media on canvas
• Artifact on Wall: Masai sword, purchased from a Masai Warrior on the Serengeti in Tanzania
• Tray: Berbere Custom Imports Los Angeles
• Candlesticks: Dutch, purchased at a junk shop in Amsterdam
• Vase: Crate and Barrel
• Item on Tray: African salt and pepper terrines and candle by D.L. & Co, Barneys New York
STAIRWELL
- • Horns: From a market in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
KITCHEN
- • Range: Wolf Range
• Countertops: Honed Carrera Marble
• Hood: Vent-a-Hood
• Cabinets: Custom
• Shelving: Los Angeles Dish Factory and Restaurant Supply, stainless steel commercial work tables
• Sink: Kohler, Faucet by Dornbracht
• Clock: Illy Coffee Clock
BEDROOM
- • Bed Frame: e15 Germany
• Duvet Cover: Tibetan goat skins
• Pillows: African fabrics purchased in Tanzania and Tibetan goat skins
• Side Table: Vintage Serge Mouille, JF Chen Los Angeles
• Task Lamp: Vintage Serge Mouille, JF Chen Los Angeles
• Rug: Aga John Los Angeles
• Vases: Crate and Barrel
• Console: Shelter Los Angeles (no longer in business)
• Artifacts on Console: deer horns, antique marble Buddha from India, beads from Africa, Ethiopian clay pots, partial limestone model of a Cathedral from France
• Painting Above Bed: Photograph, Bill Jacobsen, Untitled #4142, 2001, Rena Bransten Gallery San Francisco
• Painting Above Console: Forrest Williams, Buttress, oil on canvas, 2003, Marx and Zavaterros Gallery San Francisco
• Paintings Below Console: Photographs: Shelby Lynn Adams, Holiness Boy with Serpent Box and Poison Jar, Fahey Klein Gallery Los Angeles; Julie Pudlowski, Mother with Child dying of Aids, Africa, 2003; Painting, Travis Somerville, Grandma's House, 2009, water color on paper with black and white photograph, Catharine Clark Gallery San Francisco
• Painting Above Chair: Jeff Gillette, Alas Vegas, 2004, oil on canvas, Dirt Gallery Los Angeles
• Chair: Bertoia Butterfly Chair, Jules Seltzer Los Angeles
• Pillow in Chair: Tibetan Goat Skin
• Curtains: Kravet Linen
BATHROOM
- • Sconces: Industrial Vapor Proof Sconces from RAB Lighting
• Towels: Waterworks
• Sinks: Kohler
• Cabinets: Custom
• Painting: Timothy Cummings, Spotted Youth, 2001, acrylic on panel, Catharine Clark Gallery San Francisco
• Mirrors: Robern
• Apothecary Jars/Vases: Pottery Barn
• Stool: Antique Japanese Bench
• Rug: Moroccan purchased at a market in Marrakesh
LIBRARY
- • Dog Sculpture: Jeff Koons, Puppy Dog
• Chair: Bertoia Butterfly Chair, Jules Seltzer Los Angeles
• Painting: Taravat Talepasand, The Order of the Sun and Lion, 2007, mixed media, Marx and Zavaterros Gallery San Francisco
• Artifacts on Bookcase: Painting by Chester Arnold, Between Rounds, 2004, oil on panel, Catharine Clark Gallery San Francisco; wooden urns, Guinevere Antiques London; antique leather bound books, Guinevere Antiques London, African milk gourd, Serengeti, Tanzania
• Skull: Junk shop, Amsterdam
• Ottoman: Room and Board
OUTDOOR
- • Table: Crate and Barrel
• Chairs: Crate and Barrel
• Bust: Mecox Gardens Los Angeles
Thanks, Tim!
Images: Karyn Millet
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I love the art collection, but I have to say the first photo's my favorite. That's a GREAT shot of the pup.
love love love all the art in this home
Oh my word, this place is gorgeous! There is nothing ordinary or cookie-cutter here. Love the "Iron Mountain" color. So beautiful!
That is one noble dog! There is lots to enjoy in this place; lots to contemplate. I can imagine visiting this house & spending time in each room appreciating the art & objects & various textures. Especially love the spidery metal sculpture on the floor of the living room & the goatskin covering on the bed. I find all of the art slightly disturbing, magnetic, intriguing....The gray fireplace wall & the gray couch & the reddish rug in the living room are particularly delicious.
Is that Russel Brand in the sunrise painting over the bookcase?
Beautiful! So... matte! Great colors. The boots on top of a pile of books are disturbing. Unless they are unused boots, in which case it's just weird. Why would you want to rub all the stuff your boots have touched onto your books? Your boots touch... everything. It's really hideously gross what all they touch. You can get like e coli from touching that book. Or norovirus.
wow, so beautifully well done. I wish my house looked like this. excellent.
wow very slick eclectic home! love most of it! would've liked to see a more up-close shot of that graphic sambo art in the dining room area. I have a neighbor who collects the historical 'sambo'/blackface minstral memorabilia.
I feel like Ive seen this designers name on another tour shown by AT?
i loved the feature wall..wow so much to it!! really classy
Everything in this house is disturbingly beautiful to me. I love it, though I couldn't call it relaxing or serene. The art is phenomenal!
Like it quite a bit, and I'm a little embarrassed to admit that the photo of the living room shot from above (2nd in tour) had me wondering how they vacuumed swirly circular patterns into the wall-to-wall carpet. Cement. Duh.
Funny that the bulk of the art is not to my liking but that doesn't bother me a bit. This place looks like it'd be wonderful to come home to! Really well edited but full of beautiful objects and vignettes - not a dull corner anywhere, and none of it looks contrived.
Wow this is right up my alley. This sort of mix is what I hope that my home will someday achieve.
Wow Sussu paranoid much?
I'm in love with this home. Perfectly curated.
Wow, I didn't want this house tour to end! Perfectly mixed and measured.
I need the recipe.
Absolutely terrific! The overall effect is a warm, inviting home that reflects the style and taste of the couple who owns it. The rooms look real -- lived in, not styled to death -- and the relaxed aesthetic flows from space to space. A new favorite for me. Great job guys!
My NEW Favorite Tour!
Nice.
What a house!!
Love the wonderful art collection!
Yes, my new favourite too. Love everything about this house....although the kitchen looked a bit utensil-heavy for me, but we can work on that (wink*). Seriously though, colours, textures, light and shade, art collection and arrangement....just beautiful.
Love it.
In fact, you are making me reconsider my colour choices for our bedroom!
And please, tell me more about that bedcover... is it really a duvet cover or a bedcover? And where can I find one?
Love...
I'm a lover of grey too.
Your bedroom and living room look so modern yet cozy. Kitchen = awesome. I love the built in book storage.
The first photo is my fave. Love the wall color. very rich.
I love that paint color!
So...I'm sure the painting in the dining room isn't as overtly racist as it seems. Sambo's? Black woman seemingly in distress with a letter or something covering her mouth?
What's the story?
I loooove the balance between modern stuff and natural/simple stuff. It all works so well together.
Thanks for all the kind compliments. Its good to know that others love our home as much as we do. Some answers- the bed covering is a Tibetan Goatskin Bedspread hand-sewn from individual hides. The painting in the Dining Room is titled “Sunday After Church” by Travis Somerville- his work explores racism in America. More of his work can be seen at Catharine Clark Gallery. Yes it is not styled – this is how we live. All things beautiful work together…
Beautiful. I especially am impressed by the bathroom - most chic. Is that David in the garden?
Beautiful job, Tim. Definately at the top of my list of AT features. I think you have the perfect gray on your walls. Must copy you.
Love how the dark walls showcase your art. Did the fact that you live in sunny California influence your willingness to use such dark tones? I'm tempted to paint my bedroom dark but hold back because I live in a humid climate. Thanks for sharing your wonderful home!
The light in Southern California definitely influenced my choice of the dark grey in many ways but I so love grey that I'd use it in Denver or Portland or Miami. You should be the lightness in your home- so color can be strong or dark or seductive if that is who you are. Tim
The place is indeed gorgeous, and the art collection is to die for.
Wonderful choice of background and accent colors. Normally I don't care for those big industrial stairways, but this one looks great, the way it's juxtaposed with the art, etc. And I love the storage under the bathroom sinks and the cabinet handles chosen for that.
In the wrong hands, the industrial elements could seem really soul-less, but that's certainly not true here, with the combination of materials, colors and artwork combined with the more industrial elements.
As for the art -- I love having unusual art in my home, and I'm on the Left politically, but wow! this is some of the most in-your-face art I've seen in a while. You have to have guts to have most of that in your home.
When googling one of the artists (the one behind the Sambo's piece, which reminds me a little of Basquiat), I found this interesting article with more information on the homeowner's art collection: http://www.artltdmag.com/index.php?subaction=showfull&id=1225300155&archive=&start_from=&ucat=28&
love it.
my favourite shot is the kitchen.
This house is really beautiful. I love the flat gray walls and the pop of red.
The Sambo art is a little too "Hipster Racism" for me. Oh I know, we're so clever, so cultured, so above it all... but seriously.
Rich white people, you need to stop this ridiculousness.
i love that paint color.... we're moving, and i'm totally using it!! your dog and house and wonderful
The color of the wall in the bedroom is simply terrific.
I love this home. Every detail. I checked out Tim's web site... I would hire him in a minute. Very talented.
I love this home!
As a matter of personal preference, I don't care for open cabinets/shelving in the kitchen, but the home is wonderful nonetheless. I especially like the art and rug collections.
Super home! Where did you get the arm and fist lamp in the library? I love it!
I love the industrial warm and modern vibe your place has. The brown goatskin bedspread with the wall color of the built-ins and behind the bed are so rich and inviting. The pops of green and orange are brilliant too.
Blandwagon, nice try but I never said they couldn't or even shouldn't do it. I just think it looks contrived and unoriginal.
The lamp is from Elizabeth Street Gallery in NY. The place is amazing. This is the link to their site...
http://www.elizabethstreetgallery.com/
Thanks for all the wonderful feedback on our home. It's great to know that there is such a smart and sophisticated fellow art and design buff's out there who get it and look beyond the surface... and in the words of (most recently) Lady Gaga- in fashion (and design) you know you've been successful when you've caused a bit of controversy. Tim
Wow, this place is wonderfully inviting. I love it all, especially the kitchen.
Extraordinary home, in every aspect.
I have led art and architecture tours to seek out Ando. One of my heroes as well.
Aside from some of the art I think this home is really quite lovely. I especially like the serenity of your outdoor space.
A few months ago AT had a post and one of the art pieces was of a life-like little girl under glass. I found that disturbing too.
I would not want to eat next to such a disturbing image as the one in this post or relax in my living room with a poster of skinheads or brush my teeth in front of a picture of a child with sores on his face.
That said, your house your right to put whatever you want on its walls. I think your response to the critics was gracious. And perhaps there is indeed a positive underlying meaning to the art and when you look at it that is what you see and not the unpleasant aesthetics of the subject matter.
Even though I do not always find them aesthetically pleasing I applaud AT for posting things that are thought-provoking and out of the ordinary. At the very least it got me signed up to post a comment for the first time!
@Blandwagon: Perhaps if you had ever really experienced the word you can not seem to say you would not make so free with it.
Great confident sense of one's self. I loved the contemporary elements of the home, yet also appreciated the references to the classics and traditional decor. I am really taken with the bedroom shot, especially the painting and still life compositions over the console. The painting of the two men is FANTASTIC!!! THANKS FOR SHARING. YOUR CLIENTS ARE SO FORTUNATE.
shocking style!!
Is this a concrete floor in the living room? Beautiful. My favorite element in interior design. I stain, I tint, I experiment with it. See some of it here: www.interiordesignarts.com For best concrete acids refer to Kemiko products.
Great use of space, proportion and COLOR!
On page 101 the painting above the boots looks like Martin Machado's earlier art work (2004 to 2006) - www.martinmachado.com
is Steve related?