London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Aug 23, 2025

Is There Such a Thing as Too Much Glamour? Not in Beverly Hills!

Is There Such a Thing as Too Much Glamour? Not in Beverly Hills!

Oliver M. Furth rolled with the pandemic punches to give a young family their ultimate urban oasis.

It was pre-pandemic when the Los Angeles–based interior designer Oliver M. Furth’s clients approached him about updating their new home in the coveted flats of Beverly Hills. The couple had recently relocated from New York City hoping to capture the same urban charm but in a less chaotic environment.

“The husband and wife are both from California,” Furth says. “And after living in Manhattan for two decades, they felt it was time to come home.”


The couple rented for a while before stumbling upon the two-story Georgian-style property set on nearly half an acre in the heart of the 90210 zip code. “Beverly Hills is a garden city, but the flats are really urban—you’re only four blocks from all the shops, so everything is really walkable,” he adds. “They consider themselves New Yorkers, so incorporating that urban feel into the design was important to them.”

A view of the pool on the half-acre property in Beverly Hills.


The home was built in 1929; its original style was still somewhat evident, but it had been remodeled a number of times over the years, and many of the period details had been covered up or removed entirely. Still, it had great bones and plenty of heart. “Oliver was very eager to keep what we loved—its charm, which reminded us of our apartment in New York City—and make it livable and current,” the homeowners explain.

“We were looking at a sort of Paul Williams aesthetic,” says Furth, referring to the famed Los Angeles architect who once designed homes for Frank Sinatra, Barbara Stanwyck, and Lucille Ball. “So I used [that era] as a point of reference for restoring some architectural gravitas to the home.”

But even the best-laid plans can go somewhat awry: During the 10 months Furth spent renovating and outfitting the home, the world changed. “Initially, there was a very structured foundation for the design, but, as we began the installation, we decided to be a bit more playful based on the current state of events,” he says. The result is a colorful, functional, and family-friendly retreat from the uncertainty gripping the world. “It has enough space that we can all find our own area and not be on top of one another,” the homeowners add. “But the elements meant to draw us together—like the den downstairs with the giant pink sofa—are never far away.”

Entry Hall
Designer Oliver M. Furth mixed modern and contemporary pieces in the entry hall, including the vintage Philip Arctander Clam chair from J.F. Chen, a BCW Adjustable Mushroom table from Blackman Cruz, and artwork such as Mark Reigelman’s My American Cousin.


Furth began with a nod to old Hollywood by laying the Carrara and Nero Marquina marble checkerboard flooring, which extends throughout much of the main level. The staircase—one of the home’s original elements—was given more prominence when Furth chose to ebonize the steps, adding to the graphic quality of the space. “We uncovered the balustrade and banister, which were both original, then custom-built all the paneling on the walls to highlight staircase,” he says.

Sitting Room
Furth selected several antique Fritz Henningsen pieces, including a black chair and ottoman and a red leather chair (circa 1930), along with an antique William IV mahogany and leather chair, all from J.F. Chen. He also sourced a vintage Vico Magistretti chrome-and-ebonized cocktail table to anchor the space.


Playing with contrasts of color and textures, Furth created the ultimate lounge space worthy of a Fifth Avenue penthouse. “I gave the walls this beautiful Manila Hemp grass cloth from Phillip Jeffries—with its ‘Triscuit’ texture—and set it off by lacquering the ceiling in Pratt & Lambert’s high-gloss lacquer in Gun Powder.” He then juxtaposed the custom upholstered “lipstick pink” Romo Linara linen sofa against the antique Mashad rug to accentuate the New York vibe the homeowners wanted.

The homeowner’s collection of objects and artwork—including a Jean-Michel Basquiat Cabeza screen print—creates the final, personal layer. “The ceramic Love light fixture by Ryan Mennealy was a gift from the husband to his wife—the cutouts are made up of dots and dashes that spell the word love in Morse code,” Furth says.

Kitchen
With its enlarged footprint, the kitchen is a favorite spot for the family to come together. The checkerboard floor is a perfect complement to the custom cabinets in Benjamin Moore’s Black Satin high gloss and the white subway tiles. The hand-painted Roman shade is from Porter Teleo, the seats are vintage Bride’s Veil counter stools from Galerie Twentieth, the Lariat pendant is from Apparatus, and the appliances are Wolf.


What was originally five rooms and a service staircase is now a place where the family can hang out and entertain. “The existing country-style kitchen had been redone in the ’80s, complete with hand-painted tiles depicting farm animals,” Furth adds with a laugh. “It was the joke of the project because it’s definitely not a country house.”

The designer extended the marble checkerboard flooring into the space and clad the walls in white subway tile. “Thanks to Oliver, our kitchen is the hub of our home and also the sexiest and chicest room,” the homeowners say. “Not a person comes into our home who doesn’t comment on it—it’s not often you see a black lacquer kitchen, especially in L.A.”

Breakfast Nook
Arne Jacobsen Lily armchairs from the 1970s add a pop of color. A Quincy chandelier from Circa Lighting hangs overhead, and the custom shades were designed with World Linen fabric and Samuel & Sons grosgrain trim. The Devil Head vase by Luke Edward Hall was acquired from the Future Perfect.


“This is a casual place for the family to gather,” Furth says of this light-filled breakfast area. “There’s a big banquette to hangout on, a bulletproof concrete table, a television—so between kids, dogs, food, and red wine, everything can happen in here.”

Furth had the vintage table updated with a custom top by Concrete Cat and upholstered the custom banquette with faux leather and had it put on casters. “I always think about what might happen a decade from now, so if you remove the banquette the room could serve an entirely new purpose,” the designer notes.

Dining Room
The vintage Ole Wanscher rosewood dining table is from J.F. Chen, and the molded plastic side chairs are from Design Within Reach. The chandelier from Hubert LeHall was one of Furth’s first purchases for the project. An antique Chinese sideboard and Davis Allen for Knoll Exeter spindle chairs add to the room’s glamour. Another of the homeowner’s statement-making Basquiat screen prints is flanked by a pair of contemporary Cross Globe table lamps from CB2.


“It’s pretty glam in here, but it’s a realistic glamour,” Furth says of the home’s dining room. “There’s an antique table and rug, sconces we found in Paris, and an Astrolabe chandelier, but the chairs are Eames—they’re plastic and can take a spill. I didn’t want anything to feel too precious or fussy. We wanted people to feel comfortable, not only physically, but emotionally.” For the wall color he chose Farrow & Ball’s Brinjal and had a matching custom high-gloss lacquer made for the ceiling.

Living Room
The family’s Ping-Pong table sits atop a vintage Mahal rug from Lawrence of La Brea. Seating includes an antique 19th-century Regency bergère from J.F. Chen and Wonky dining chairs by Matthew Day Jackson from the Future Perfect. Artworks by Mark Fox, Mark Reigelman, and Marilyn Minter are hung throughout.


“This space was heading in one direction—we had plans for beautiful hand-painted silverleaf wallpaper and fancy curtains—but the pandemic was in full swing and we switched gears,” the designer recalls. For this family, the change in direction meant setting up their Ping-Pong table in the center of the room, but the utilitarian room is also perfect for large dinner parties.

In contrast to the some of the more colorful rooms, Furth chose a combination of Farrow & Ball’s All White flat and high gloss for the walls and ceiling. “This room is flooded with light from three different directions all day, so we embraced it,” he says.

Formal Powder Room
The White Peonies wallpaper is by Design Alliance, the Anette swing-arm sconces are from Circa Lighting, and the antique faux bamboo Italian ottoman is from J.F. Chen.


Furth outfitted this space, which serves as the main powder room for guests, with gilt brass and gold fixtures and accessories in homage to 1930s glamour. “The client’s favorite flowers are peonies, so we blew up this pattern,” he says of the dramatic wallcovering. The custom circular wire mirror, with handmade ceramic beads by Marie Christophe, was commissioned by the husband as a gift for his wife.

Primary Bathroom
A paneled tub from Carter Hardware creates a spa-like elegance in the space. The Ann Sacks marble herringbone tile floor is the perfect contrast to the cabinetry painted in Pratt & Lambert’s Gun Powder. Next to the tub is a Double Tier Cloud side table handmade in Los Angeles from B Zippy.


“This was another little warren of rooms that we busted open to put a tub right in the center,” the designer says of his client’s dream bathroom. “There’s a tight language to this home that’s repeated throughout, with all the marble, shiny lacquered cabinets and walls, the very clean ivory linen window shades, and gilt brass and gold fixtures.”

See More of This Sophisticated Beverly Hills Home

Living Room : In addition to the Ping-Pong table, two orange chairs by multidisciplinary artist Matthew Day Jackson bring another moment of levity to the living room. The English table and stool are both antiques, as is the carpet. The two artworks on the wall are by Mark Fox, while the photograph on the floor is by Marilyn Minter.


Sitting Room : This room exudes the New York atmosphere the clients sought. Furth selected several antique Fritz Henningsen pieces, including a black chair and ottoman and a red leather chair (circa 1930), along with an antique William IV mahogany and leather chair, all from J.F. Chen. He also sourced a vintage Vico Magistretti chrome-and-ebonized cocktail table to anchor the space.


Kitchen : With its enlarged footprint, the kitchen is a favorite spot for the family to come together. The checkerboard floor is a perfect complement to the custom cabinets and the white subway tiles from Daltile.


Kitchen : The custom cabinets are in Benjamin Moore’s Black Satin high gloss. The seats are vintage Bride’s Veil counter stools from Galerie Twentieth, the Lariat pendant is from Apparatus, and the appliances are by Wolf.


Secondary Powder Room : Adjacent to the kitchen, the half-bath is a seamless extension of the larger room’s design. “As a variation of the black-and-white marble flooring, we did stripes in here,” Furth says. The Carrara and Nero Marquina rectangular tiles are from Walker Zanger, and the cabinetry is painted in the same Benjamin Moore Black Satin high gloss found in the kitchen. Illuminating the space are Mercer wall sconces from Circa Lighting.


Stairwell : An Agnes 10-Bulb Chandelier from Lindsey Adelman is as much a work of art as the homeowner’s 19th-century Japanese woodblock prints that Furth had framed to line the walls. The white paint throughout is a combination of All White High Gloss and Flat #2005 from Farrow & Ball.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Bunkers, Billions and Apocalypse: The Secret Compounds of Zuckerberg and the Tech Giants
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Comcast’s Cable Spin-Off
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
Finnish MP Dies by Suicide in Parliament Building
Outrage in the Tennis World After Jannik Sinner’s Withdrawal Storm
William and Kate Are Moving House – and the New Neighbors Were Evicted
Class Action Lawsuit Against Volkswagen: Steering Wheel Switches Cause Accidents
Taylor Swift on the Way to the Super Bowl? All the Clues Stirring Up Fans
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Apple Expands Social Media Presence in China With RedNote Account Ahead of iPhone 17 Launch
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Cambridge Dictionary Adds 'Skibidi,' 'Delulu,' and 'Tradwife' Amid Surge of Online Slang
Bill Barr Testifies No Evidence Implicated Trump in Epstein Case; DOJ Set to Release Records
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
The CEO Who Replaced 80% of Employees for the AI Revolution: "I Would Do It Again"
Emails Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Character.ai Bets on Future of AI Companionship
China Ramps Up Tax Crackdown on Overseas Investments
Japanese Office Furniture Maker Expands into Bomb Shelter Market
Intel Shares Surge on Possible U.S. Government Investment
Hurricane Erin Threatens U.S. East Coast with Dangerous Surf
EU Blocks Trade Statement Over Digital Rule Dispute
EU Sends Record Aid as Spain Battles Wildfires
JPMorgan Plans New Canary Wharf Tower
Zelenskyy and his allies say they will press Trump on security guarantees
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Escalating Clashes in Serbia as Anti-Government Protests Spread Nationwide
The Drought in Britain and the Strange Request from the Government to Delete Old Emails
Category 5 Hurricane in the Caribbean: 'Catastrophic Storm' with Winds of 255 km/h
"No, Thanks": The Mathematical Genius Who Turned Down 1.5 Billion Dollars from Zuckerberg
The surprising hero, the ugly incident, and the criticism despite victory: "Liverpool’s defense exposed in full"
Digital Humans Move Beyond Sci-Fi: From Virtual DJs to AI Customer Agents
YouTube will start using AI to guess your age. If it’s wrong, you’ll have to prove it
×