Elaine Culotti bought a SoCal mansion in 2010 with the aim of transforming the place into a bastion of high design and rock and roll swagger that could be used for everything from concerts to charity events.
She tasked herself and eight designers, including famed mannequin man Ralph Pucci, to create a style that seamlessly interwove stately Tudor construction with looming Gothic arches and slick contemporary materials – LA’s Golden Age meets Jimmy Page.
When Culotti began the gut rehab, she realized she was continuing a tradition of revelry established nearly a century ago. The house was built in 1926, and the first owners were “pretty big partiers”, Culotti explains. “During Prohibition they hid all their booze under the floor boards”, and when Culotti had the floors redone, she discovered “liquor bottles, ancient beer cans, and a glass Clorox bottle filled with vodka.” These days empties are put to a better use: when Culotti throws an event, the kitchen’s modular chandelier is reconstructed out of bottles from the brand of beer being served. One man’s trash is another woman’s marketing opportunity.
Nor is the house of rock a stranger to stars, past and present. The voices of Frank Sinatra and former owner Kathryn Grayson (Show Boat star and paramour of newspaper mogul William Randolph Hearst) once echoed throughout the wood-paneled corridors – corridors where you’re now likely to bump shoulders with Christina Aguilera and other contemporary A-listers.
"LA'S GOLDEN AGE MEETS JIMMY PAGE"
Scroll down to see what happens when rock and roll smashes headfirst into high design and classic architecture.
Design Bureau
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Du Chateau Floors Presents
$20 million Santa Monica property
8 renowned interior designers
State-of-the-art recording studio
TOUR THE HOUSE OF ROCK
GREAT ROOM
Fixtures
Highlights
- Frank Sinatra and Kathryn Grayson’s performance room
- Parquet flooring from DuChateau’s Palais Collection
- The Lucite Schimmel piano pipes up to the third-floor recording studio
- Check out the neon sculptural take on a "log in a fireplace"
Camelia Skikos cocktail dress, gloves by Gaspar Gloves
DINING ROOM
Fixtures
Highlights
- Inspired by Tina Turner’s chain mail dresses
- The curtains were hand-cut into Gothic arches
- The base of the table is an ancient library table painted matte black
Black silk dress by Mike Vensel, shoes by Charles David
KITCHEN
Highlights
- The chandelier is constructed out of beer bottles that can be swapped out for different liquor sponsors
- Du Chateau’s European oak table is smoked, limed, wire-brushed, and finished with hard-wax oil
- Thermador supplied cooking, refrigeration, and ventilation products
Black bralet by Agent Provocateur, suede and feather skirt by Adolfo Sanchez
MASTER BATHROOM
Fixtures
Features
- Design inspired by Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks
- Kohler’s Abrazo tub is built into steam shower with their color-change showerhead
- The ceiling is covered in mirrored tiles – a disco ball, deconstructed
- Hardwood surfaces are Davos wood from DuChateau
White silk gown by Mike Vensel, heels by Christian Louboutin
BEDROOMS
Kyle Schuneman
KellyBaron
Fixtures
Highlights
- Selma Hayak’s brother, Sami, designed the master bedroom in celebration of contemporary Mexican design
- Kyle Schuneman’s guest bedroom was inspired by the band Scissor Sisters
- KellyBaron’s adjoining study features metalwork from Gentner
Iconic producer/mixer Jack Joseph Puig and Tyler Barth of Blue Microphones outfitted this one-of-a-kind studio
RECORDING STUDIO
Jack Joseph Puig
Tyler Barth
Fixtures
Highlights
- Acoustic design by JSX Audio and Jack Joseph Puig
- Wiring and integration performed by Audio Perception
- Equipment provided Vintage King, Blue, Waves and SSL
- Custom-built studio furniture by Sound Construction
Featured Partners
DuChateau Floors
Elaine Culotti
Ralph Pucci
Sami Hayak
David Bromstad
KellyBaron
Susan Cohen Associates
Kyle Schuneman
Antonio Ballatore
Gentner
Jack Joseph Puig
Vintage King Audio
Blue Microphones
Kohler
Maytag
Thermador
Photo and video shot on location at
House of Rock in Santa Monica, CA
Site, Story and Video
Photography
Models
Photography Tech
Hair
Makeup
Wardrobe Stylist
Prop Stylist
Music
Renata Rakasha, John Lou Miles
Sloan Wolf, Vice Suicide, Vohla +
Jennifer @ Photogenics Media
Jossi "Boyz" Bieber
Candice Birns at Rex Agency
Samuel Paul at Jed Root
Leila Baboi at Glue Agency
Roxanne Knouse
¡VAMOS!
