CSQ What excites you about LA?
Jamie Bush Los Angeles has finally hit its stride becoming a highly relevant, culturally important touchstone as it pertains to art, design, food and culture in general. Moving here 24 years ago from New York, I feel I have grown up alongside this maturing city and what I saw as raw potential so many years ago is now being realized as one of the most dynamic cities in the world.
CSQ What is your favorite project that you’ve ever finished?
JB That’s a hard one. I’ve had the good fortune of working on so many amazing homes over the years with some great clients but I would have to say my Beverly Hills Estate would perhaps rank up there as my favorite.
CSQ You’re a modernist architect, are there any other styles of architecture that you enjoy? Why?
JB Yes, I love and appreciate many architectural styles such as Art Deco, Shingle Style, Beaux-Arts Classicism, Greek Revival, to name a few. Being trained as an architect you learn that ‘styles’ are not made up aesthetic bubbles but organically grow out of a whole host of factors such as location, socio-economics, politics, natural resources, technology, etc. When you understand the history behind what made an architectural style emerge from a certain time in history you can better appreciate it’s visual and hidden beauty.
CSQ Why did you select this project?
JB For me, The Liddel, the vision from developer Palisades, was a ‘tour du force’ of a complete design idea fully realized. Palisades is a real estate development and investment firm committed to an original, design-led approach to crafting expressive and sustainable models of urban living. My decision was a combination of highly educated clients, an incredibly talented team of architects, contractors, landscape architects, craftsman, a beautiful site, a healthy budget and most importantly we were listened to and allowed to create what we truly envisioned for The Liddel.
CSQ What was your goal for this project?
JB My goal for The Liddel was to create an elegant modernist home respecting it’s mid-century roots but creating a new language which speaks to what it is to live in Los Angeles in 2016.
CSQ What was your inspiration behind this project?
JB I was inspired by mid-century Italian designers such as Gio Ponti and Carlo Scarpa, as well as contemporary minimalist architects such as John Pawson, to create a dialogue between sculptural furnishings in a reductionist setting.
CSQ What did you find difficult about this project? What was most rewarding?
JB Since the client (Palisades) completely entrusted me with the overall design of the project, it forced me to up my game, and in doing so, we custom designed dozens of pieces for the house including rugs, lighting, upholstery pieces, case goods, etc. which was incredibly gratifying to see come to life.
CSQ What was your favorite place (rooftop, wine room, etc.) to design for in this project?
JB The study was the anomaly in the house, a crotched veneered mahogany “a bento box” luminous wooden jewel of a room.
CSQ What other projects do you have coming up?
JB A historical mid-century organic modern treasure on the Carmel coast to be published by Architectural Digest this summer, an expansive rambling rustic modern farmhouse over four hill top acres in Los Angeles, a handsome modern mountain retreat in Lake Tahoe, as well as a new luxurious condominium complex in Nanjing, China.
For more information visit theliddel.com
