Bedding We Like: The California Home of a Parisian Jewelry Designer

The California Home of a Parisian Jewelry Designer

Hortense Bonneau is a French jewelry designer who has called California home for the past 11 years. Hortense has always had a love of jewelry, but her professional career began as a photo editor before going back to school to learn how to make jewelry. Starting out, she worked under two designers as both a metalsmith and designer. Then after the birth of her daughter five years ago, she decided to open her own company, Hortense Jewelry, specializing in simple, delicate and timeless jewelry, and often collaborating with other companies. Hortense and her animator/sculptor husband currently live in Studio City, Los Angeles, where they’ve been for the past three years. The 1960s has become a strong influence in their style, inspired by the first coffee table they bought when they first moved to California – San Francisco to start – after 30 years in Paris. But Hortense also likes to mix modern with vintage, just as her jewelry takes a fresh approach. Many thanks Hortense, and Charlie Gressett for the photos! –Anne

Image above: Our bedroom is very simple. We bought our bed at Blu Dot on Melrose and the lamp at A +R on Abbot Kinney in Venice. I like the way it stands against the wall and the dark grey. I found the little pompon tassels in a clothing store for kids. It is a necklace but it became a necklace of our lamp. I like it around this lamp, and that it brings some color.

Image above: When we moved into this home 3 years ago, I decided to buy our chairs at Design Within Reach (these are the Eames). I wanted them to be all white but then I changed my mind because I fell in love with the other colors. We have 1 dark chocolate, 2 blue, 1 cream and 2 cafe au lait (light brown). I thought that it was really nice to have these colors all mixed around our vintage Danish wood table. I purchased the mid-century teak and iron Danish candleholders on eBay and the gold one is from one of my favorite stores, OK, on West Third Street in LA.

hortense-photo-1 — Click for more inside Hortense’s California home after the jump!

Image above: The first piece of furniture that we bought when we moved to California was this amazing coffee table made in the ’60s. We found it at one of our favorite furniture stores in SF, Modern Artifacts. I love this photo by Catherine Opie of surfers that hangs alone on our white wall. It is minimalist, a bit like how I wear jewelry––just one or maximum two pieces at a time without trying to be decorated like a Christmas tree. I love also that it looks clean and pure. And of course I love the association of these blue pillows from Cindy Ciskowski with the photo of the ocean, and our sofa that I designed.

Image above: My husband is an amazing sculptor. I love this piece in particular. I think that it is so strong and beautiful. He’s been working as a 3D animator for many years and he’s now working on a very strong collection of sculptures and paintings.

Image above: I love this chair that I purchased a year ago. It’s from Danemark 50 on Melrose in LA, another favorite store. It’s by the famous designer Hans J. Wegner. The owner of this store had four of them but only one had the name Hans J. Wegner, so guess which one I picked?

Image above: I love to shop for little objects or sculptures like this little bird on our kitchen bar. I like to put together little stories, like putting eggs next to the bird. OK is one of my favorite places to find things like this. I love ceramics as well and in particular these bowls made by a ceramist who used to live in LA. Unfortunately, she moved to India and had to stop her job as a ceramist. I am so afraid to use these bowls now, I don’t want to break them.

Image above: My office is where I spend most of my time. It is tiny and we had it made when we moved in. When I get tired, I like to look at these drawings from our daughter and my husband the the left wall. I just added an amazing drawing from my best friend’s son. He just turned 9 years old and is so talented. He did a sort of Superman with a sweet message in French: Pour Hortense-love (For Hortense-Love). I also just bought this little gilded porcelain cup covered in gold eyes from ceramist Helen Levi.

Image above: I love these little kitties designed for CatbirdNY. They are all new and I have heard that they already are doing well in the store. I like to design for other companies. I think that this picture is interesting because it shows the process: where it starts, and the product all done.