Ome Dezin Restores a Googie-Era Hollywood Hills Home with Milanese Touches

Design duo Joelle Kutner and Jesse Rudolph of Ome Dezin have completed a sensitive renovation of a 1960s home in Nichols Canyon, Los Angeles, originally by architect Whitney R. Smith of Smith & Williams. The 3,300-square-foot residence, which had undergone two earlier renovations including a 1990s second-story addition, was reimagined with a light touch that preserves its Googie-era character while introducing Italian modernist references. Key interventions include opening the kitchen by removing a dividing wall, adding a sculptural spiral staircase with oxblood lacquer detailing, and installing an oversized pivot door with a porthole window inspired by Milan's Villa Necchi Campiglio. Furnishings blend low-slung pieces by Mario Bellini and Paul Frankl with artworks by Serge Attukwei Clottey and custom pieces by Willo Perron. The primary suite features dark-stained wood paneling and a spa-like bath with a stone soaking tub. The project also involved collaborations with friends and local makers, including plantings from Serpentine.