Joey and Gerard’s France Meets California Mountain Cottage

Name: Joey Grana and Gerard Dislaire
Location: Mount Washington, California
Size: 1,200 square feet
Years Lived In: 2 years; Owned

A trip to Joey and Gerard’s serene hillside home will take your breath away and may leave you wondering: am I in California, or have I been transported to the French Alps? Joey and Gerard are both vintage and fashion enthusiasts, and their flair for creativity expands beyond their clothing designs and into their home, which effortlessly melds laid-back California style with European charm.

Vintage textiles from around the world, flea market finds, and charming handcrafted items (a cardboard home they built for their kitty, Beans, for example) dot their home, and lend an enchanting story to an already dreamy space. Gerard, a native of France, has brought a European flair to the house, especially in the lovely bathroom. The home itself is full of surprises, from its grand living room with its sunny half-moon window, to the outdoor patios (complete with built-in vintage wooden hot tub) where you can almost hear the laughter and tinkle of glasses from parties past.

Joey is the owner of the vintage clothing store Scout, located at 8021 Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood. He is also the designer of a clothing line by the same name, which will be relaunching this fall. In addition to that, he is also the co-founder (along with Richard Wainwright) of A Current Affair, a pop-up vintage marketplace. (The next pop-up event will take place on October 5 at the Cooper Building in downtown LA.) Joey also designs throws, scarves, kid’s ponchos, and baby blankets made from recycled cashmere sweaters, which he sells as blanketyblankblank.

Gerard teaches fashion at Woodbury University. He also teaches during the summer at the Idyllwild Arts Academy and the Palos Verdes Art Center.

My Style: We were very influenced by Mount Washington and its spiritual community, as well as the style of our house and the property. As this was our first house together, we edited down each of our personal styles and ended up with a specific selection of items that were meaningful as well as relevant to our aesthetic mix. Our common ground includes a lot of vintage elements, subdued colors, and vintage textiles. Our goal is a dreamy California cottage with a magical woodland vibe. Architect Richard Chapman from Middle+Off helped us rethink the layout of the house, specifically the kitchen, bathroom, and the staircase that needed to be more open and accessible. We also worked with interior decorator Annalise Mazonas.

Inspiration: Traditional french homes, vintage interiors, and vintage textiles: victorian paisleys, shipibo, quilts, ikats. A great source for vintage textiles is rarefinds.com.

Favorite Element: The giant half moon window in the living room overlooking nature and the canyon. When we first saw the inside of the house and that window, we knew right away that it had to be our home. Also, the open space and trees surrounding the house offer an incredible sense of privacy and seclusion.

Biggest Challenge: Re-designing our vintage home to suit our needs while maintaining the historical integrity and details. Also, our hillside garden!

What Friends Say: They find our house peaceful and magical. It is the perfect summer party house. The lower and upper decks double the size of the house. With candles everywhere, bistro lights and lanterns in the trees, the place becomes truly magical.

Biggest Embarrassment: All the little details that still need to be completed. Towards the end of the construction, we were so eager to move in that we agreed to finish everything after the move. Two years later, we are still missing baseboards in some places, several door frames, and finishes on windows.

Proudest DIY: Joey stripped the layers of paint from the giant half-moon window in the living room. It took him days and it still isn’t finished!

Biggest Indulgence: The upstairs bathroom. We wanted a very specific style and layout so we chose to resize the room, build an arch, replace the window, and pretty much re-create our fantasy bathroom in a style appropriate for the house.

Best Advice: Get good references!

Dream Sources: Flea markets, estate sales, Heath Ceramics and Tail of the Yak in Berkeley.

• Architect: Richard Chapman
  
• Upholstery: Cesar at Dynasty Upholstery
  
• Lighting: Ian at Practical Props in North Hollywood

PAINT & COLORS

• Behr: “Glass of Milk” except where indicated below

LIVING ROOM

• Tufted chaise from antique dealer

• 1930s leather chair from Paris flea market

• 19^th century French wooden side tables

• Thebes tools from eBay

• French church seats from Long Beach Flea Market

KITCHEN

• Vintage hanging light fixture from And Etcetera in South Pasadena, re-wired by Practical Props in North Hollywood

• Counter and floor tiles from United Tile and Stone

• Made-to-measure window (and through the house) from Revival Arts Restoration

• Kitchen cabinets hardware from Mother of Pearl & Sons Trading in Studio City

• Shaws Original apron sink from Rohl

• Madeira deck mount faucet from Vintage Tub and Bath

MASTER BEDROOM

• Reclaimed hardwood floor. Wood from District Millwork 917 E 3^rd St, LA. Floor laid by Nicky Shulman

• Wall color: custom

• French doors and windows color: “French Roast” from Behr

• 1930s nightstands from garage sale

BATHROOM

• Tub and faucet from D.E.A. Bathroom Machineries in Murphys, CA

• Tiles from United Tile and Stone in Los Angeles

• Vintage sink from Santa Fe Wrecking

• Wall paint: “Rainforest Dew” from Behr

GUEST BEDROOM

• Wall paint: “Mineral” from Behr

• 1920s bedroom set from Alameda Flea Market

OFFICE

• Daybed found on eBay

• Reclaimed hardwood floor. Wood from District Millwork 917 E 3rd St, LA. Floor laid by Nicky Shulman

WALK-IN CLOSET

• Made-to-measure by Kitchen Places

Thanks, Joey and Gerard!

(Images: Bridget Pizzo)

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