California Rustic

The house

A Mediterranean-style house in Los Angeles, reworked over a year by the mother-and-son team of Kathleen and Tommy Clements alongside Waldo Fernandez. Big windows flood every room with light, and the whole place leans toward calm: a rustic, clean California ease rather than anything showy.

Rustic, but edited

The bones are earthy and tactile: worn wood, weathered textures, vintage light fixtures that feel inherited. In the living room, two broad sofas face a substantial fireplace, heaped with pillows in vintage textiles. An antique Turkish rug, a 19th-century French chaise and teak stools by Pierre Jeanneret give the rooms the patina of a collection built slowly.

The gallery inside

The neutrals are a deliberate stage for serious contemporary art: Barbara Kruger, Richard Prince, Raymond Pettibon and Sterling Ruby, plus a Tracey Emin neon and a James Turrell light piece that greets you at the entry. Unexpected flashes of teal in the kitchen and green tile in the baths keep the calm from tipping into beige.

Why it works

Restraint everywhere, so the few loud things can be loud. Natural materials and faded textiles give warmth, the antiques give history, and the art gives the house its pulse. It looks effortless because every piece is quiet on its own, chosen for texture and age rather than trend.

Want every piece broken down? Read Kendall Jenner's house, recreated with Amazon finds, or browse more rooms in Shop the Room.