Siempre Viva

A designer's own home is often a masterpiece, full of collected furniture and objects and a pastiche of personal preferences. In renovating a 1940s West Hollywood bungalow that was to become his home for many years, Philip Nimmo took out all of the window coverings and opened the house to the outdoors, something he could easily do because the property was surrounded by towering hedges. One of his favorite pastimes being antiques shopping, Nimmo furnished his home with a combination of vintage and custom furnishings. In the living room, a 1960s Lucite low table is flanked by custom sofas and a 1970s chrome-and-leather armchair; Italian Deco chairs are paired with a 1940s French table in the dining room. With fireplaces in both the living room and master bedroom, Nimmo had the luxury of custom designing two wrought iron fire screens for himself, including the famous Ed Ruscha-inspired "Fire" screen. A lover of romance languages, Nimmo named his beloved home "Siempre Viva" - always alive.