Celebrity Designers Amanda Leigh and Taylor Hahn Say The Most Memorable Homes 'Reveal Themselves Over Time' – Inside The Textural World of House of Rolison

For Los Angeles-based development firm House of Rolison, every home begins with a story.

Founded by partners Amanda Leigh and Taylor Hahn, the firm makes it their mission to transform forgotten homes into real living spaces. By combining architecture, interiors, and development into a single practice that honors history while updating the space.

At a glance, it's easy to understand why their approach has attracted some of the biggest names in pop music, with Lisa of Blackpink among their illustrious clients. Their interiors feel cocooning and alive, with photos that you want to reach out and touch.

Going beyond California casual style, House of Rolison's interiors have a richness that you almost have to see to believe.

Homes & Gardens' News Editor, Sophie Edwards, interviewed the House of Rolison principals, Amanda and Taylor, in an exclusive Q&A, to get to the bottom of how they make spaces that sing.

In Conversation With The House of Rolison

Many of your projects center on honoring a home’s “soul” through respecting its history while updating it for modern living. How do you achieve this balance?

People often ask us how we know what to keep and what to change. The truth is, we don’t walk into a house asking, “What can we tear out?” We ask, “Why did someone fall in love with this home in the first place?”

Maybe it’s an arched doorway, incredible natural light, or the way the house sits on the property. Those are usually the things worth protecting.

From there, we think about how people actually live today. We want kitchens where everyone naturally gathers, primary suites that feel like a retreat, and technology that’s there when you need it but disappears when you don’t.

If someone walks through one of our homes and says, “This just feels right,” that’s our favorite compliment. We never want people thinking about the design. We want them thinking about how the home made them feel.

What is your opinion on interior design trends? Are there any trends you incorporate into your spaces or any you avoid?

We’ve learned that trends move much faster than houses do.

A home can take years to design and build. By the time it’s finished, the trend everyone was talking about has usually changed.

We think people sometimes get so caught up in making a statement that they forget they’re designing a home. Suddenly there’s an uncomfortable sculptural chair no one wants to sit in, a room full of objects competing for attention, or a space that photographs beautifully but doesn’t actually invite you to stay.

The same goes for the way homes are often styled. Sometimes you walk into a beautifully photographed house and immediately wonder, “Where would I actually sit with my morning coffee?” or “How would I have friends over here?” It feels more like a showroom than a home.

We don’t design or style for the photograph. We design for the person who’s going to wake up there every day.

Of course we want our homes to photograph beautifully, and we love pushing people to see new possibilities. Maybe the furniture layout isn’t what they’d naturally choose, or the material palette is more unexpected than what they’re used to. But at the end of the day, someone should be able to walk in, understand how to live there, and feel completely at ease.

To us, that’s what luxury really is. It’s creating a home that feels elevated without ever feeling intimidating.

That usually leads us back to the same things. Natural materials. Timeless proportions. Thoughtful craftsmanship. Spaces that feel calm instead of crowded.

That doesn’t mean we ignore innovation. We love products and technology that genuinely improve the way people live. We just don’t believe every trend deserves a permanent place in a home.

Your projects are guided by the principle that “the best spaces don’t shout, they unfold.” Can you speak more to this, and how you bring this philosophy to life?

We’ve all walked into homes where everything is trying to impress you the moment you open the front door. They’re beautiful, but sometimes they tell you everything in the first thirty seconds.

We think the most memorable homes do the opposite. They reveal themselves over time. You notice something different every time you’re there. Maybe it’s the way the afternoon light changes a room, a texture you hadn’t appreciated before, or the way one space naturally leads to the next.

We think the coolest thing someone can say about a home is, “I don’t know why, but it just feels good.”

To us, that usually means they aren’t fixated on one countertop, one light fixture, or one dramatic moment. It means every decision is working together so seamlessly that no single element is asking for attention.

Like a great piece of music, you don’t walk away thinking about one instrument. You remember how it made you feel.

That’s the biggest compliment we can receive. If someone leaves one of our homes remembering the feeling instead of just one feature, we’ve done our job.

Collaboration is one of your central values, embodied by the fact that Amanda and Taylor are partners in both business and life. How does your relationship and your distinct tastes play out in your projects?

Our partnership works because we’re incredibly different.

Amanda comes from a construction background, so her brain naturally lives in process. She thrives in chaos, loves solving problems in real time, and if it were up to her, we’d make a decision and be breaking ground five minutes later.

Taylor’s background is rooted in art, architecture, software, and programming. She naturally sees the bigger picture. She likes to think through every scenario, understand how every decision connects to the next, and make sure we’re building something that will still feel right years from now.

We joke that Amanda is always saying, “Come on, let’s just do it,” while Taylor is saying, “Let’s think about this one more time.”

That push and pull is where the magic happens.

Left to ourselves, our homes would probably look and feel very different. Together, they become something neither of us would have created alone.

Being married adds another layer. We know each other well enough to challenge an idea without challenging each other. There’s a level of trust that lets us be completely honest because we both know we’re working toward the same goal. The best ideas usually aren’t Amanda’s or Taylor’s. They’re the ones we arrive at together.

We genuinely believe that’s our superpower. Every decision is filtered through two completely different ways of thinking, and somewhere in the middle is where House of Rolison comes to life.

Natural materials and soothing colors are part of your signature style. How do you recommend readers style these in their own homes to achieve a layered, characterful look?

The biggest piece of advice we give people is to think about the home as a whole instead of shopping for individual pieces. The most beautiful homes feel cohesive because every decision is supporting the next.

We have a few rules we come back to over and over again.

Every room needs something that grounds it. It could be a dark chair, a bronze light fixture, a stained wood table, or even a piece of art. Without a little visual weight, a room can start to feel like it’s floating.

We’re also careful with rugs. A rug shouldn’t be the loudest thing in the room. It should support the furniture, not compete with it.

When it comes to color, we usually choose a direction and stay consistent. If we’re building a warm palette, we stay warm. If we’re building a cooler palette, we stay cool.

People often think layering means adding more colors. We actually think it’s the opposite. We’d almost always choose five different hues of one color over five different colors. Five shades of green. Five shades of cream. Different tones, different textures, different materials. That’s what creates depth without creating visual noise.

One of our favorite ways to create character is by mixing old and new. An antique cabinet beneath contemporary art or a vintage stool in a modern bathroom instantly makes a home feel like it has a story.

And then there’s our favorite rule to break. Don’t be afraid to do something unexpected.

Some of our favorite spaces pair materials people wouldn’t normally think to put together. We’ll mix different stones with contrasting tiles or combine textures that, on paper, shouldn’t work. Those moments of tension often become the most interesting parts of a home.

The key is that it still has to feel intentional. A little surprise gives a home personality, but it should never feel like it’s trying too hard.

At the end of the day, character isn’t created by buying more things. It’s created by making thoughtful decisions and creating a home where every piece feels like it belongs.

Emulate The House of Rolison Look

House of Rolison's interiors are all about inviting warmth and subtle texture. Here are our editors' picks for bringing that cozy, cocooning energy into your own home.

A storytelling approach brings House of Rolison's interiors to life, honoring the history while creating something new. Their spaces are a timeless testament to the power of decorating with your heart and soul.

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