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Elle Decor | Jan 2023

Elle Decor | Jan 2023

CHEERFUL WALLPAPER AND ARTFUL TOUCHES MAKE FOR THE SUNNIEST CALIFORNIA PIED-À-TERRE

Design insiders Joe Lucas and David Heikka branch out and layer up.

BY DAVID NASH

After swapping Los Angeles life for a dream property up in California’s Santa Inez Valley, aesthetes and design industry insiders Joe Lucas and David Heikka realized they still needed a pied-à-terre in the city so they could conduct business a few days a week.

“We really wanted to have a little more calm [in our lives] and found a great home in Solvang, but still needed something in West Hollywood because it’s close to my office,” says Lucas, who owns Harbinger, a popular interior design showroom. “It’s really hard to find something that’s charming and has outdoor space, but we got lucky.”

joe lucas david heikka los angeles home
The exterior of the Spanish-style hacienda.
Karyn Millet

As it turned out, luck came in the form of one-half of a 1926 Spanish-style duplex on a quiet tree-lined street nestled in the heart of the city. The 1,850-square-foot, three-bedroom, three-bath stunner had exactly what they were looking for, including three distinct outdoor spaces. And, while stylistically they could have dropped in most of the furnishings from their previous home, which was built in a similar style and era, only a few key pieces of furniture and a stack of favorite artworks made the cut. “I secretly think Joe wanted another project,” laughs Heikka, who is vice president of retail at Parachute Home. “It was like the seven-year itch— but it’s helpful he has both a design business and the showroom, so we were able to hit the reset button.”

“The other thing is that we have the new house too, so a lot of special pieces went there,” adds Lucas. “And some others [we considered bringing over] didn’t fit, so we definitely snagged a few favorites from the showroom—we joke that everything in our home is inventory.”

joe lucas david heikka los angeles home
A sunny breakfast nook, just off the kitchen.
Karyn Millet

While their aesthetic is definitely an exercise in compromise, they agree the term eclectic is entirely too cliché to utter. “It’s layered and definitely collected,” explains Lucas. “I’m known for using a lot of pattern and color, and David is usually much more subdued—but what we’ve done here really works.” It’s an assessment Heikka is quick to agree with. “Another word I’d use is textural. For me, the wallpaper in the dining room is more like a texture than a pattern, and I’m attracted to texture—it allows me to live with a lot of pattern in a way that’s comfortable.”

Using their collective design savvy—and plenty of product from Parachute and Harbinger’s well-curated family of vendors—the duo has outfitted the part-time home to reflect their fun-loving and relaxed urban lifestyle.

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