Design Inspirations · April 21, 2024

This Family Moved From L.A. to Baltimore for One Really Good House—That They’d Never Seen in Person

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When the painter that designer Robin Heller hired offset heard most the colour-blocked plans for her principal sleeping accommodation, he told her he’d live back the adjacent twenty-four hours to help her paint it white over again. “He definitely idea I was insane,” she says.

Robin’s big ideas didn’t stop in that location. Because she wasn’t but design her family’second dream dwelling—the 4-sleeping accommodation ranch is a creative lab for her aptly named companionship, Surrounded past Color

Home Tours photo
Ojai Bed, Lawson-Fenning; Linen Bedding, Parachute Home; Apertivo Hour together with Earthly Delights Paint (on walls), Backdrop; Art (over bed) by Meg Lipke.

Just a few years ago Robin was working equally a communications professional for brands such equally Lucky mag, Rolling Stone, Madewell, too J.Crew. She made the pin to interior pattern in 2021 afterwards completing a few of her ain habitation renovation projects. “My concern is even so a babe, but this family has been a muse for me,” Robin says. “It’sec variety of the showroom of my run at the minute.”

She was living inward Los Angeles alongside her family unit at the fourth dimension, when her hubby, Noni, discovered the perfect belongings—inward Baltimore. They hadn’t fifty-fifty seen it inwards individual, only they knew. Plus Robin’second entire family is inward the area. “He showed it to me, too nosotros both were like, holy moly, this is the one.” They set a FaceTime tour of the menage and pose in an offer right at that place. Two months afterward, they moved inwards amongst their boys, Liam (eight), Lev (six), too Harry (nine months); 2 dachshunds, Zippy too Bug; as well as a bearded dragon named Jason. 

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Cobalt paint marks the doorway in close to the dwelling’s transitional spaces.

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Vintage Table; Paul McCobb Origami Chairs, 1stDibs.

Buying without a physical walk-through is ever a chance, but luck was variety to the Hellers. “We loved it then much from the instant nosotros walked inward,” Robin says. “It was peradventure even ameliorate [than we hoped].” The redwood outside, mahogany panels, in addition to curved walls—none of which are mutual inwards the neighboring properties—drew them inward, just the dwelling’second history (a brace of shipbuilding brothers constructed it in 1951) made the bargain fifty-fifty sweeter. The one thousand was a bonus, besides. Because of the droughts in L.A., they had Astroturf at that place. Here, they take iii sprawling acres of grass and trees.

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Bejmat Tile inward Biscuit too White, Wow Design; Towels, Dusen Dusen; Aml Pine Stool by Frama, Good Neighbor; Basic Faucet, Phylrich; Basis Linoleum Cabinets inwards Pistachio Linoleum, Reform; Citrona Paint, Farrow & Ball.

As much as they loved their novel house, it wasn’t perfect. The starting time affair they did was renovate what would be the older boys’ bath to split up the awkward Jack and Jill setup into 2 private areas. In what’sec immediately Liam’second ain space, ii tones of zellige tile embrace non solely the flooring merely creep all the mode upward the wall. “My tilers hated me,” Robin says, laughing. 

Home Tours photo
Akari 44-Inch Lantern, Noguchi; Vintage Armchairs; Hide Side Table, Hem; Custom Coffee Table, Sherwood Kypreos; Pompidou Acrylic Candlestick, Jonathan Adler; Palo Sofa, Hem.
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Hood Chandelier, Ravenhill Studio; Custom Table, Waka Waka; Case Study Side Shell Stacking Chairs as well as Case Study Furniture Side Shell Stacking Chairs, Modernica.

Even before starting on the bath, infusing a personal bear upon throughout the family was a must. “We started hanging fine art right away,” Robin says. “It was the beginning matter nosotros wanted to make.” Noni picked upwardly an art-buying habit from his begetter, whose collection includes everything from Hockneys to Picassos. In the Hellers’ abode, in that location’s a heavy Japanese influence thank you to the trips the pair accept taken together (including their honeymoon), and pieces from artist friends like Colleen Herman fill inwards the residue. 

The primary living surface area is a minor gallery for many of the distich’s favorite pieces of art as well as article of furniture. “I detest to kill the drama, but Noni in addition to I never disagree on blueprint—nosotros actually honey the same stuff,” Robin says. “This room speaks to our personalities as a couple.” The pieces to a higher place the fireplace accept been collected from auctions over the years. All of the chairs are mid-century vintage. The coffee table, which Robin dubs the workhorse of the room (together with is ofttimes covered inward Legos or puzzle pieces), is a custom creation past L.A.’s Sherwood Kypreos. The about essential piece inward the room is on the ceiling. “I needed that 46-inch Noguchi lantern front end in addition to eye,” she says. “When you lot come upwardly the driveway at dark it looks similar there’s a moon hanging inwards our living room, and it’sec just so beautiful.”

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Hektar Lamp as well as Soederhamn Sofa, IKEA; Custom Sofa Cover, Upstate; Paintings (top left as well as centre) past Colleen Herman; Seta Wicker Table Lamp, Crate & Barrel; All Wood Stool, Hem.

In the family room, more usually called the “necktie-dye couch room” inwards this family, one could fence that fifty-fifty the IKEA sectional is a work of art. “We had this Soderhamn sofa for eight or 9 years as well as it’s been cracking,” Robin says. “We’ve swapped out the legs a dyad of times, only when we moved hither, I had this vision of tie-dye.” She turned to her friend Kalen Kaminski, who runs a creative studio called Upstate, to take that thought to life. The custom comprehend was mitt-dyed inward swirls of xanthous, pink, blood-red, together with blue that cleverly disguise messes. “There’s likely ketchup too dirt somewhere on at that place,” Robin says alongside a express joy. “But my kids cannot destroy it.” Matching curtains hang behind the sofa on oxblood rings and a Pepto-Bismol pinkish rod, all pulverisation-coated inward custom shades. Every vivid color inwards the room was meant to convey balance to the moody walls swathed inwards Farrow & Ball’sec Down Pipe.

Home Tours photo

Home Tours photo
Puffer Chair, Hem; Oversize Cloud Linen Gauze Throw, Parachute; Peekaboo Acrylic Console, CB2, Down Pipe Paint, Farrow & Ball.

A lighter grey-blue covers the nursery, which has a calming effect on both Mom in addition to babe. “I feel the most comfortable inwards this room,” Robin says, adding that they pass a lot of sugariness time here every bit a family unit, frequently over coffee inwards the early on mornings. Of all the infant-soothing pieces inward the infinite, Robin highly recommends the crimson pleated sconce mounted over the glider to all novel parents. Her littlest is mesmerized past it. “It’second like he’second staring into infinite,” she says. 

Home Tours photo
Armless Cloud Chair, Restoration Hardware; Woven Shag Throw Pillow, Urban Outfitters; Woven Ottoman Basket, Target; Natural Changing Table, Etsy; Flynn Wall Sconce, Serena & Lily.
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Matin Wall Sconce, Hay, Babyletto Kiwi Electronic Swivel Glider Recliner, West Elm; Normann Copenhagen Bit Stool, Good Neighbor; The Wave Crib, Nestig; Irregular Checkerboard Rug, Lulu as well as Georgia; Parma Gray and Bancha Paint, Farrow & Ball.

The grown-ups’ room is transfixing inwards a unlike style. Big blocks of colour wind about the walls too ceiling in oversize checks—the impress her painter was and then unsure almost. Robin doesn’t follow trends when it comes to article of furniture or fine art, simply paint, she says, tin live more of the instant, so she went all inward. She recalls several occasions when her clients got cold feet the dark earlier a big paint projection, simply she ever encourages them to merely make it. What’sec the worst that can pass? “I was inwards daze right later on, just forthwith I dearest it,” Robin says. “It’second then cozy to wake upwardly inward a warm hug of these colors.” There’s no going dorsum to white walls straight off.

Home Tours photo
Chair, Hill Studio; Katherine Plaid Cushion, Heather Taylor Home.
Home Tours photo
Nelson Saucer Bubble Pendant Lamp by George Nelson for Herman Miller, Lumens; Paul McCobb Shovel Chair, 1stDibs; Topanga Table Lamp, Lawson-Fenning; Stardust in addition to Palo Santo Paint (on ceiling), Backdrop.