An Irish interior designer creates an unexpectedly un-Californian vibe for her American YouTuber client …
If you want to go behind the scenes of Hollywood’s latest blockbuster or see your favourite television stars in action, Burbank in California is the place to be. Recognised as the media capital of the world, Burbank is named for David Burbank, a Los Angeles dentist who established a sheep ranch there in 1867. He also sold a right-of-way to the Southern Pacific Railroad, thereby enabling the railroad to reach the area in 1874, after which the city began to grow. Its rapid growth during the 1940s and the urban expansion of the LA metropolitan area led to it becoming the motion picture centre of the world, with the Walt Disney Company, Warner Brothers and NBC all locating their television and movie studios in Burbank.
It’s no coincidence that Burbank is now where many creative young video entrepreneurs want to live. The city is home to James Rallison, founder of YouTube channel TheOdd1sOut, with more than 19 million subscribers. When Irish interior designer Grania Murray (she moved to the US in 2013 and established her practice in LA) responded to a request to help him transform the fireplace at his new Burbank address, she had no idea that she would end up working on the YouTuber’s entire house. “From the beginning, I got a great kick out of our conversations. By the time we had sorted the problematic fireplace, which had a rather Flintstones appearance, James and I had devised a plan for the living spaces, which really reflected his own quite quirky style,” says Murray.
In the living and dining space, the oak table and chairs are from Crate and Barrel, the huge pendant light by Eichholtz. The Madagascar Raffia wallcovering is by Phillip Jeffries. The orange velvet Mario Bellini sofa is from Eternity Modern, and the sisal rug from Annie Selke.
The orange velvet Mario Bellini sofa is from Eternity Modern, and the sisal rug from Annie Selke. The sofa appeared in the Netflix series Succession.
The ten-foot wide fireplace consists of four granite slabs supplied by Stoneville, with leftover granite used to line the bookcase. The Samsung television has a print of The Hunters in the Snow by Pieter Bruegel the Elder featured on screen. The coffee table is by Arhaus, the blue velvet swivel chair and the charcoal bouclé sectional sofa are both by Restoration Hardware. The leather armchair is by Eternity Modern and the pendant light by Lumens.
The ten-month long project began with beautifying the living room, starting with the once unattractive fireplace. Murray had to think big, such was the scale of the space – a 17-foot ceiling with, as Murray says, “a helluva pitch”. She built a fake wall 20 inches from the working fireplace and had four huge granite slabs craned in. Either side of the monumental stone centrepiece, she created two bookcases in wood veneer, which serve as brilliant acoustic panels. As a nod to her Irish connections in the interiors world in Ireland, she chose paint colours from Clements & Moore’s Historical Collection by Kraftsmann for the tongue-and-groove ceiling and throughout the house.
The studio/office features wood veneer wall panels, a sofa from Crate & Barrel, and a coffee table from Restoration Hardware. The armchair is from Eternity Modern. The skull is from the owner’s collection.
The rear exterior of the Cape Cod-style house, with faux shutters, bamboo decking, pergolas from Hansø Home and sailcloths from Wayfair. The furniture is a mix, from Williams Sonoma and West Elm.
The young YouTuber and his friends are true party people, Murray delivered a house for year-round entertaining. The dramatically moody dining area, with its Crate & Barrel dining table and chairs, and Succession-style Bellini sofa, is perfect for cocktails and dinner. The outdoor deck, with pergolas and sails, is made for lunches and late night drinks in the garden. The outdoor space originally contained a stables – a relic of bygone days when movie stars brought their own breed of glamour to the neighbourhood – which Murray converted into a tiki bar.
The bed is dressed in various shades of plain linen by Parachute. The bench and rug are by Joybird, and the bedside lamp by West Elm.
PHOTOGRAPHED BY TIM HIRSCHMANN
DESIGNER’S EYE: GRANIA MURRAY
Named “Influential Woman in Design” by Luxe magazine, Murray also recently completed a refresh of the Cellar Bar at The Merrion.
In the well-appointed powder room, a moody wallpaper (a client favourite) was sourced on Etsy. The snake mirror is from Pottery Barn, with the basin from Wayfair.
A vignette of the living room with acoustic wood veneer wall panels: “They mop up noise, look great and style beautifully,” says Murray. Instagram @studiograniamurray.
