Designers often get called in by clients to carry out a refresh of a residence they had worked on years earlier. It’s rarer to be asked back for updates by an entirely different client. But that’s exactly what happened in the case of a Beverly Hills home with interiors by Los Angeles firm Magni Kalman Design, which received an inquiry from new owners requesting a complete overhaul.
In the entry, marble wall tiles designed by Zaha Hadid for Citco wrap around the Caesarstone and plaster staircase, which is overlooked by an Alexander Calder work on paper. A 1970s Paul Evans center table greets visitors near the door, while artworks by Joan Miró (left) and Sandra Blow are displayed in the hallway beyond. Photo: Roger Davies
The first time around, the residents wanted everything clean and crisp, in keeping with the house’s boldly contemporary architecture by Richard Landry of Landry Design Group.
The new owners, an art-collecting British businessman and his wife, have different tastes and sought to give the place a more welcoming feel without compromising the Southern California style. “The husband was used to that English sensibility of layers upon layers,” says Magni Kalman principal Jason Kalman. “But this being Los Angeles, that aesthetic had to be stripped down to a certain extent while still making him feel comfortable and at home.”
A big part of achieving that was surrounding him with art from the couple’s notable collection, including works by 20th-century masters such as Alexander Calder, Roberto Matta, Joan Miró, Henry Moore, Hans Hofmann, Man Ray, and Salvador Dalí. “He’s a very seasoned collector, somebody who has a great eye for everything, from French glass to Surrealist paintings,” says James Magni, the other half of the Magni Kalman duo, who are highly regarded for light-filled projects that balance robust modernism and livability.
Architect Richard Landry devised the original architecture for the house, which includes expansive terraces and a pool area outfitted with Tribù furniture. Photo: Roger Davies
For starters, they made a number of changes to the interior architecture. In addition to softening some details, they broke down larger rooms into more intimate spaces and reoriented the family room to take advantage of the striking views.
Magni and Kalman left in place one of the home’s most dazzling architectural elements, the entry’s expanse of sculptural white marble panels by Zaha Hadid, their rippling relief pattern playing off the curve of the wall and stair. To complement that impactful gesture, the designers outfitted the space with an elegantly muscular Paul Evans table and graphic abstract works by Alexander Calder and Adolph Gottlieb. “There’s this nice juxtaposition,” says Kalman, who points out how this composition sets the tone for the rest of the home. “Brutalist furniture, with its texture and patina, elegantly counterposes what we see in the architecture.”
Walls upholstered in leather with stainless-steel inlays line the primary bedroom, with a Magni Home Collection bed is flanked by Fendi Casa lights installed behind bespoke nightstands with Lalique lamps. The chaise lounges are by Minotti, the curtains are of a Zimmer + Rohde fabric, and the custom carpet is by Sahrai. Photo: Roger Davies
Throughout the home, Magni and Kalman added appealing finishes and a certain earthiness to align with the husband’s tweedy, intellectual vibe. In the living room, they wrapped the marble fireplace in soft plaster, covered the seating in sumptuous upholstery, and installed a flat-weave rug to bring in just the right amount of warmth. A pair of vintage Gianfranco Frattini chairs upholstered in a soft blue de Le Cuona velvet join a tailored Magni Home Collection sofa and a woven-leather Poltrona Frau bench. As elsewhere, it’s the art that takes precedence. “A Robert Motherwell and a Hans Hofmann together are quite commanding, so everything else moves down the scale in terms of hierarchy,” says Magni.
“With an art program this impressive, we knew everything needed to be of a certain caliber while being slightly muted”
Jason Kalman
Given the museum quality of the art, Magni and Kalman felt it was essential to have vintage furniture with provenance and gravitas. They scoured galleries, auctions, and showrooms for important midcentury designs that they mixed with select contemporary pieces. “The homeowner wasn’t interested in having a lot of brand-new furniture,” says Kalman. “He didn’t put pressure on us by saying, ‘I need to have every single piece all at once.’ He wanted to take time to find the right ones.”
Paintings by Hans Hofmann (left) and Robert Motherwell highlight one end of the living room of a Beverly Hills home updated by designers James Magni and Jason Kalman. A Magni Home Collection sofa and side tables, paired with vintage Daum lamps, face a table made by Denise A. Tuite in the style of Diego Giacometti, who created the ostrich sculpture. A Poltrona Frau bench stands in front of the fireplace. Photo: Roger Davies
That patience paid off with discoveries such as the Edward Wormley chairs and Paul Evans sideboard that grace the dining room as well as an Ole Bjørn Krüger tile-top cocktail table and a T. H. Robsjohn-Gibbings chair installed in the family room. The mix of periods and eras comes together with just the right amount of friction with the contemporary architectural envelope.
It’s remarkable to see how a place that had been crisp and edgy could so gracefully transform into an elegantly understated home. “With an art program this impressive, we knew everything needed to be of a certain caliber while being slightly muted,” says Kalman. In the end, the results prove that design has no need to shout to make a bold statement.
A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2025 Spring Issue under the headline “Different Strokes.” Subscribe to the magazine.
