Key Highlights
- Scout Willis transforms her historic Normandy-style cottage into a whimsical and adult playground.
- The house is designed with hosting in mind, featuring playful and functional spaces like the vaulted living room ceiling painted Peignoir pink.
- Commune Design’s Roman Alonso and Geoponika worked on creating a unique garden that integrates outdoor living areas seamlessly.
- Willis infuses the home with personal touches such as custom headboards, velvet textures, and vintage finds.
The Chapel of Love: A Storybook Home Comes to Life
Scout Willis has always been a dreamer. Her Hollywood home, lovingly dubbed “the Chapel of Love,” is a living testament to her whimsical and creative spirit. Walking through the front door, one is immediately transported into a fairy tale setting. The vaulted ceiling, painted in Farrow & Ball’s Peignoir pink, accentuates the unique architecture and adds a playful touch that makes every room feel like a scene from a music video.
Designing an Adult Playground
The process of turning this historic 1920s cottage into a home that reflects Willis’ personality was anything but straightforward. Working with Roman Alonso of Commune Design, they stripped ceiling beams to reveal original wood and subtly revised windows to create more airflow. The kitchen and closet were also renovated; the latter transformed from a second bedroom into a functional space for her rescue pup, Grandma.
Alonso guided Willis in making transformative decisions, from choosing tiles for the checkerboard backsplash with green concrete counters and chartreuse linoleum floors, to custom-designed pieces like a “sun” headboard and a side table that doubles as a dog crate. Willis herself scored lace yardage at Mood Fabrics, backed it with green chiffon, and created a charming shower curtain.
A Garden of Wonders
The garden, designed by Geoponika in collaboration with BK-AJP Landscaping, is perhaps the most eccentric feature. A giant eucalyptus tree anchors the space, which includes a brick sunken lounge and patio furniture by Walter Lamb for Brown Jordan from Den. A teakettle by Mackenzie-Childs adds to the whimsical charm.
Willis’ friend calls this garden “flirty architecture,” where conversation flows between outdoor dining tables and a brick daybed, offering a magical vantage point called “gnome vision” when submerged in the conversation pit. This design not only enhances the beauty of the space but also invites interaction and playfulness.
Personal Touches and Functional Spaces
In every room, Willis has infused personal touches that reflect her love for LA history and her creative process. The living room features a custom cocktail table made from blue quartzite and cherrywood, serving multiple purposes as both an entertaining surface and workspace. In the dressing room, she has created a surreal space reminiscent of a 1930s department store closet, complete with a playful headboard and vintage brutalist lamp.
Willis’ desk in the cozy attic offers stunning views out the window, while the custom-made headboard upholstered in Casa Almacén velvet creates a cozy retreat.
The entire home is designed not just for aesthetics but also for functionality, making it both an artistic haven and a functional space for hosting.
Willis’s home is more than just a place to live; it’s a reflection of her creativity and a whimsical escape from the mundane. As she settles into this unique piece of architecture, she finds connections between its layered history and her own work, creating a spellbinding environment that feels like stepping into another world.
