Romanek Design Studio

How to explain the raging popularity of Hans J. Wegner’s AP-19 chair, a matched pair of which commands a corner of this Los Feliz, California, living room? “The Papa Bear chairs hold a very dear place in my heart,” says Brigette Romanek, designer of the renovated 1920s home. “These structured pieces, with their strong, beautiful lines, have such a presence wherever they are installed and have become part of design history.” Romanek plays with opposites here, letting Wegner’s organic curves sing against a chorus of repeated squares and rectangles — notably in Poul Kjærholm’s PK80 leather bench, discovered, like the Wegner chairs, on 1stDibs. “This family is made up of design enthusiasts who know the classics and have a high level of respect for the process,” Romanek adds. “On top of that, they were just flat out fun.”