This LA Home Unfolds Like a Boutique Hotel – But it’s the ‘Anti-Open-Plan Open-Plan’ and 3 Paint Color Rule That Make it Feel Like Home

Open-plan living might be the default in modern homes, but making it feel good – calm, connected, and not just one big, echoing space – is a much trickier brief.

In this Studio City, Los Angeles home, designer Gianpiero Gaglione has taken a more thoughtful approach, creating a series of beautifully defined zones that flow effortlessly, yet never feel sprawling or chaotic.

Designed to unfold like a boutique hotel or a well-loved members’ club, each space reveals itself gradually. And at the heart of it all is a deceptively simple idea: restraint. Built on a palette of just three paint colors and grounded in natural materials, this house design proves that less really can do more.

When Gianpiero joined, the project was already well underway – but something wasn’t quite clicking.

Although the framework had been established, the interiors lacked a sense of identity. 'The architect had already worked on the home and had effectively designed the entire interior too, but our client just didn't feel connected to it,' Gianpiero explains.

'So we kind of stripped it down and started again,' he continues. 'Working closely with the client, we designed a home that feels new, yet at the same time is rooted in tradition and has classic appeal – kind of like it was always this way'.

Home to a family of five, the house was once rooted in a more traditional style, but has since been completely reimagined into something lighter.

'Early on, when we first signed onto the project, the clients shared a folder of magazine clippings with homes they liked. Studying the images, I gathered that the style they were drawn to was not particularly 'country' or 'modern'. They appreciated homes that had a timeless appeal; that were calm, warm, and charming,' he says of the brief.

Drawing on his studio’s background, Gianpiero approached the home as he might a boutique hotel – not in how it looks, but in how it feels. 'The home was designed to unfold gradually, revealing its character over time. Nothing announces itself; instead, the focus is on nuance – how a space feels as you move through it, and how it welcomes you back again and again.'

Crucially, that sense of flow is carefully balanced with moments of separation. The layout – reimagined into an L-shape – allows for a natural division between lively, social areas and quieter, more private zones.

'The aim was to create spaces that feel settled and welcoming, where layers unfold naturally, and daily life is not only accommodated but embraced,' Gianpiero says. 'Comfort and elegance exist side by side, held in balance through restraint, texture, and proportion.'

Generous in scale yet never overwhelming, it’s a home designed to adapt to the rhythms of family life, whether that’s hosting a lively gathering or retreating into quieter moments.

If there’s one space that truly brings the idea of an ‘anti-open-plan open-plan’ to life, it’s the kitchen and family room. 'Originally, the kitchen was located where the breakfast nook is now, which is far too small for a home this large, and it was all closed in and felt incredibly cramped,' says Gianpiero.

Beyond that, the main living area was previously divided into two to accommodate a separate screening room – a layout that felt at odds with how the family actually wanted to live.

'We essentially removed all the walls to create one large room, which I think is the most successful living space we've ever designed. It just works,' he adds.

'There are just so many spaces and vignettes within the room; the breakfast nook, the kitchen counter, the bar counter, the large sofa or armchairs, so many places to sit, congregate, and enjoy each other's company,' he continues. 'That idea of creating a space where everyone can feel comfortable and close, but not crowded, I think, is hard to balance.'

Instead of relying on walls, Gianpiero used more subtle cues to create a sense of order and intimacy within the open-plan space.

'You'll notice there are beams on the ceiling, this really helps to define the space, and section off where the kitchen ends and the lounge begins,' he says. 'It's a subtle detail, but it works wonders. Personally, an open plan room that doesn't utilize the ceiling to this effect can just feel like a huge sprawling mess. I like my mess contained.'

Rather than one singular area, the space is broken into a series of smaller, considered moments: a breakfast nook tucked into its own corner, double kitchen islands for designated cooking and dining, a bar neatly slotted beneath the stairs, and multiple seating arrangements that allow the family to gather in different ways.

As Gianpiero explains, 'stepping through the striking chamfered portal, you enter the kitchen, breakfast nook, and main living space,' a transition that immediately sets the tone for what is, in many ways, the heart of the home.

While the architecture establishes the flow, it’s the materiality that brings warmth.

Natural stone surfaces, from veined marble to handcrafted zellige tiles, introduce movement, while solid wood millwork grounds the space. These are materials chosen not just for how they look, but also for how they feel and wear over time.

Tucked just off the kitchen, the breakfast nook offers a softer, more intimate counterpoint.

Here, Gianpiero has introduced a touch of subtle pattern. 'The client emphasized her desire for calmness – she wanted the home to feel calm throughout, but at the same time, she is very much drawn towards fun, playful patterns; she just doesn't want them all the time. So our use of pattern and contrast was really limited to specific rooms and areas, that ultimately, you could close the door to and stop the noise,' he explains.

It’s a space that feels intentionally cocooning – whether for slow mornings or casual family meals.

Moments of personality are woven in just as thoughtfully.

'This stairwell in the main lounge used to be walled off,' he continues. 'This immediately struck me as such a waste, because the light from these windows is just wasted illuminating the stairwell, with the original lounge being incredibly dark. We removed the stairwell wall and part of the upstairs floor to create a large atrium that allows for light to flood the family room and really makes that room so much brighter and airier, especially in the mornings.'

'Under the stairs, we designed this super cute home bar, with wine storage. The father collects wine, and this was a must-have for him, so we gladly obliged,' Gianpiero shares.

'The main sitting area TV wall with the fireplace[to the right of the staircase] was a tricky thing to design, because we needed that wall to have a lot of activation, but it still needed to ground the room,' he explains. 'So we purposefully designed it to look like one large piece of millwork.'

That carefully designed millwork is hiding an unexpected surprise.

'The cabinet doors to the right of the unit are fake, and actually lead to the powder room,' Gianpiero explains. 'It's a cute little detail that many people will never see. I chose to hide this within the millwork and make it look like a cabinet, because I needed the TV and fireplace to feel central to the wall and centered in the room.'

Just beyond the main living space, the joint mudroom and laundry room offers a moment of contrast – a space where the home’s otherwise restrained palette gives way to something richer.

'Walking through the door to the left of the millwork, this leads you to the mudroom beyond,' Gianpiero explains. 'This room went through multiple iterations, really depending on the wallpaper and countertop stone. We had options of this room in blue, green, and orange, but ultimately we landed on purple.'

'In part, it was because of the wallpaper that our client was super keen on, but the main reason was because of the stone,' he continues. 'For the flooring, we had another selection pencilled for this and waited months and months for it to arrive. Actually, the whole project was pretty much finished, and last minute, we chose this purple and mustard checkered zellige tile combination, which worked a treat.'

Looping back toward the front of the house, the mood shifts once again.

'Upon entering, the entry lobby is semi-triangular, with one side of the triangle leading to the formal lounge and bedroom wing beyond,' Gianpiero explains. The formal living room is perhaps the grandest room in the home, thanks in part to its vaulted ceiling and a touch of symmetry.

'They wanted a home that had enough flexibility to work for their lifestyle; with formal areas that speak to that sense of symmetry, order, and are a little more dressed up, family areas that feel calm and composed,' Gianpiero says.

'Walking through the formal lounge, you immediately hit the bedroom corridor, though the first room on the right is the home office,' Gianpiero explains.

Designed as a calm, contained environment, the office leans into a slightly deeper, more enveloping palette than the main living areas.

Soft blue millwork wraps the room, creating a cocooning backdrop for a built-in library and a generously scaled desk positioned to take in the garden views beyond. Pattern is then introduced subtly through the wallpaper, adding texture without disrupting the room’s sense of order.

'Then we have the bedrooms, which all have a walk-in closet and an en-suite,' he continues.

The family has 3 young daughters, and each of their bedrooms has been tailored to their unique personalities and touches of whimsy that 'speak to the playful, fun nature of the family.'

'They're all uniquely designed, and we worked closely with each girl to select their fabrics, furniture, paint colors, and lighting, even styling and art, so that it really felt like their rooms. And let me tell you, they have very different tastes,' he adds. But that wasn't without a challenge.

'We started the project in 2021, and the planning process took over 18 months,' he continues. 'By the time it came back online, the bedrooms we had designed for their children were outdated. Especially for the youngest, who was likely 8 when we started the project, and 13 when it finally finished!'

Tucked at the end of the bedroom wing, the primary suite feels like an extension of the rhythm of the rest of the house and continues the calm palette.

Generous in scale, the room is designed as more than just a place to sleep. 'The bedroom is huge, with a full working fireplace and a separate lounge/library area,' Gianpiero explains.

On one side, the bed is framed by windows and soft, tonal layers – natural linens, textured textiles, and warm wood tones – creating a calm environment.

On the other side, a dedicated seating area introduces a more relaxed, lived-in feel, with comfortable upholstery and views out to the garden, offering a place to read and unwind.

The primary bathroom continues the serene theme.

'I really love the layout of the bathroom, because each of them has its own half-separate walk-through closets, separate stalls, separate vanities – sharing only the large steam shower and tub. It's really an ideal setup.'

Visually, the room leans into the home’s soft, tonal palette while natural materials like marble and wood introduce texture. The large walk-in shower, framed in stone, becomes a focal point, while the freestanding tub is positioned to take advantage of natural light.

For a home of this scale, Gianpiero chose to pare the palette right back, building almost the entire interior on just three paint colors.

'The house is 90% one of these three Farrow & Ball colors: White Tie, Off-White, or Bone,' says Gianpiero of the color scheme of the whole house. 'So the main entry lobby is, Bone, and this is the same color as the guest bedroom upstairs. The off-white is the color used for the kitchen cabinets and main TV wall millwork, and is also used in the master bedroom millwork,' he explains.

'So there is definitely a consistency used throughout to harmonize and simplify materials. We have real stones, real woods, even the wallpapers are actually paper with block prints on them. Most of the fabrics are made from natural materials, because the client was very keen on the specified materials, with an aversion to plastics in any form,' he adds.

'For the exterior of the home, we opted for calm, clean, and quiet,' Gianpiero says of the backyard.

'Because the floor plan is in the shape of an L with most of the rooms facing the inside of the L and towards the incredible back garden, which has a full-sized tennis court, basketball court, swimming pool, and jacuzzi – it's really a dream setup,' he explains.

'I think for sure, the home captures a laid-back California lifestyle, yet at the same time, the owners are quite keen on British sensibilities, so there are a few nods to British patterns and colors,' he adds.

What makes this LA home so compelling isn’t any single moment, but the way everything works together.

From the carefully zoned ‘anti-open-plan open-plan’ living space to the restrained three-color palette, every decision has been made with how the home feels in mind, not just how it looks. Nothing is overly decorative or attention-seeking, yet every room carries depth through a sense of calmness.

When asked what he hopes people feel when they walk into the home, Gianpiero says, 'That they wish they lived here, I certainly do.'

Love beautiful design ideas, expert advice, and inspiring decor trends? Sign up for our newsletter and get the latest features delivered straight to your inbox.