Good vibrations
Interior designer and the home’s owner Michaela Scherrer’s self-designed leather slip-covered sofa is flanked by Cassina tables.
Decorative French Regency mouldings, skirting boards and window treatments have been stripped from the building, creating a sense of lighting and spaciousness.
Vintage finds take on new life in the space and sit well with Scherrer’s philosophy of creating spaces that radiate good energy.
Wild flowers from Scherrer’s garden brighten up the kitchen.
Saarinen tulip tables are a favourite of Scherrer’s and are found throughout the home.
The concrete bath cantilevers under the floor to create a sense of proportion.
A bright and breezy bathroom.
A vintage Rietvalt desk is home to trinkets, old family photos and mementoes.
The sprayed-on Tex-coat finish was sand-blasted away and re-stuccoed for a clean finish. Wild flowers replace the previously formal garden.
Designer pieces merge comfortably with old treasures.
A splash of colour against the netural palette of the home.
Scherrer has made the most of the antique windows she worked hard to procure in Los Angeles.
Geometry mingles with nature.
Near the Rose Bowl stadium in the city of Pasadena, just northeast of Los Angeles, the mega-wealthy and sometimes famous, sun themselves beside glittering pools in the palatial grounds of a vast assembly of mansion houses.
Pasadena is known for its early incarnation as a resort town, which was established before the Great Depression. This has left a legacy of grandiose, often Spanish-styled homes. Once holiday destinations, these are now primary residences.
Here, modestly sized abodes are few and far between, but there is a secluded plot in the neighbourhood, divorced from its parent mansion in the 1960s, upon which a former aviary is now the residence of interior designer Michaela Scherrer.
The previous owner converted the 146m² sanctuary into a home in the 1960s. A 42m² guest house was added and the highly social landlord’s vision – he was a major player in the local amateur theatre scene at the time – saw the nest adorned with all the theatrical frippery of the neighbouring palaces.
“He turned it from a Spanish box into a French Regency style,” says Scherrer, who took ownership of the property in 2001. “I removed all of the fuss and the topiary, in exchange for a more modern, organic style.”
While there were no structural changes needed, addressing the former landlord’s penchant for DIY home improvement projects provided a major challenge for Scherrer.
In stripping back the layers of faux-character, unattached baseboards were discarded, the damage from an electrical fire discovered hidden inside a wall was repaired and floorboards were reinstated where gaping holes existed.
The exterior of the house was sandblasted and re-stuccoed in a clean, natural white plaster finish.
Throughout the house, Scherrer installed steel-framed windows to match the original ones and says that, at the time, entire building lots of antique windows were being sold for scrap in Los Angeles. Committed to saving the iron beauties, she made the trek to downtown Los Angeles every day, begging the demolition yards to let her purchase the windows, then loading them onto her truck.
In the process of rectifying the modifications made to the two-bedroom Spanish home, Scherrer began to understand its essential structure and what she calls the ‘vibes’ that the building emits.
“I believe everything emits a vibration. Objects made with love will hold the vibration of love,” she explains. “Through intention and selection of things that radiate that energy, (this) helps to shift the energy in the space and aids the overall well-being of the inhabitant. It is also vital that everything is balanced.”
Scherrer took a holistic approach to the interiors and the transformation she has achieved means the former avian sanctuary, found hidden amongst a gathering of mature trees, has lost none of the reclusive nature of its original design.
Indeed, for Scherrer, the peaceful spot provides a chance to recharge from her busy interior design practice. “I love what I do and I am in a constant phase of creating beauty,” says Scherrer. “My space is my retreat, I need to be in a space that allows that to happen.”
The balance Scherrer speaks of is evident in the harmony of layering and texture throughout the home. Her neutral scheme creates a serene canvas for the flotsam and jetsam of objets and furniture she has collected over time.
Here, designer pieces sit comfortably against pre-loved treasure and attention to detail is evident in every aspect of the space.
Vintage Saarinen tulip tables are a favourite silhouette and are matched with Scherrer’s self-designed sofas, draped with bespoke leather slipcovers and peppered with washed leather cushions from her own range.
Scattered throughout are leather-covered recycled fleece-filled ottomans, sourced from Los Angeles company Dosa – which required a high degree of patience as Scherrer stayed on a wait-list for four years to secure them.
The commitment to finding the right pieces is made easier by Scherrer’s relaxed approach to interior design. Living in the home throughout the renovation, she says the experience of creating her own space differs little from her approach to a client’s space.
“Either way, I look at the space and feel what energy needs to change. I decide how to transform it and lighten it, how to create a peaceful and holistic environment.”
