{"id":235063,"date":"2017-08-13T19:00:22","date_gmt":"2017-08-13T23:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.1stdibs.com\/blogs\/the-study\/?p=235063"},"modified":"2021-12-15T07:56:19","modified_gmt":"2021-12-15T12:56:19","slug":"studio-william-hefner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.1stdibs.com\/blogs\/the-study\/studio-william-hefner\/","title":{"rendered":"William Hefner Picks Furniture for an Opulent Bel Air Mansion"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"The

The ballroom of Chateau des Fleurs in Bel Air, California, designed by Studio William Hefner. All architectural photos by Laura Hull and courtesy of the book Chateau des Fleurs<\/i> (Pointed Leaf Press)<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

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While it might intimidate some to select decor for a place like Chateau des Fleurs, architect <\/a><\/span>William Hefner<\/span><\/a> is unfazed. After all, he is the design force behind every detail of the remarkable family home, from cornices to faucets, sconces to trees.<\/span><\/p>\n

Along with his wife, Kazuko Hoshino (head of interior design at his eponymous studio), the twosome painstakingly created a modern-day manor house for a family on 10 acres in Los Angeles\u2019s tony Bel Air neighborhood. <\/span><\/p>\n

For rooms with impressive scale and details like ornate ironwork, black and white limestone floors, and paneled walls, pieces need to enhance the architecture and vice versa. <\/span><\/p>\n

While designing the home, Hefner took multiple trips to France to research the materials, flourishes and landscaping. However, we tasked him exploring just once source \u2014 <\/span>1stdibs<\/span><\/a> \u2014 to find the ultimate pieces for five distinct areas in the chateau: the entry, a bedroom and a bathroom inside, plus the loggia and pool area just outside.<\/span><\/p>\n

Graciously, he accepted the challenge. After all, who wouldn\u2019t want to play house here? <\/span>Herewith, he shares his vision for each of the spaces and explains his urbane and often surprising selections for them.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The Entry<\/b>
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Wanting a classic French stair, Hefner chose a double symmetrical style (the right side is shown above). He also laid down checkered limestone floors and used the 18<\/span>th<\/span>– and 19<\/span>th<\/span>-century technique of Stuc Pierre for the walls to give the space a luminous look. \u201cIt was inspired by the Picasso Museum in Paris and helped to create an outdoor feeling here,\u201d Hefner says. For decor, he chose \u201clarge-scale, ornate and interesting pieces to set the tone for the home.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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