Hollywood Interiors: Style and Design in Los Angeles by Anthony Iannacci
This
oversized, weighty, sumptuously printed tome begins to lure the reader into the
fantasy of Hollywood immediately through its Oscar-gold endpapers. Focusing on
only 19 homes, author Anthony Iannacci showcases prime examples that epitomize
“a relentless celebration of the individual.” The houses are located throughout
the Los Angeles area, says the author, though no specifics are given in the
text. And, with the identities and professions of owners kept secret, what confirms
the Hollywood-ness of the designs?
Iannacci’s premise is that the
specificities of the designs—their individual and idiosyncratic (my word)
nature—are what define the Hollywood scope. “This interest and investment in
creating a cult of the individual and the city’s collective exaltation of
talents and personality quirks is at the core of Hollywood’s soul,” he writes.
Each home is given an introduction prior to at least 10 pages—some more than
20—of beautiful photography with brief captions. The idea is immersion. In the
author’s words, we are “seduced” by the images.
Most of the projects are renovations
of homes from the 1920s to the ’60s, which bring a nice melding of old and new.
Houses by familiar historical names—Stiles O. Clements, Ralph Carlin
Flewelling, Harwell Hamilton Harris, John Lautner—alongside anonymous
mid-century, Mediterranean, and Tudor homes, have been lovingly designed by
familiar contemporary names, such as Rose Tarlow, Paul Fortune, Chu Gooding,
Commune, Kelly Wearstler, Linda Brettler, and the late Steven Shortridge, among
others.
One fairly consistent trait among
the wide variety of design styles is an emphasis on art collections—each with
an individual collector’s touch. This individuality of vision further impels
curiosity about the owners. There are no hints beyond the Emmys seen in the
cover image that may reveal true Hollywood industry connections. Inquiring
minds want to know more, but Hollywood always has its secrets.
