Winter in New York has a way of making Los Angeles’s indoor-outdoor lifestyle feel less like a fantasy and more like a calling. For Tom Quinn, founder of independent film studio NEON Rated, and his wife, fashion entrepreneur Celeste Wright, it inspired a move across the country. The couple purchased a 1950s hodgepodge house on the city’s Westside for its potential to seamlessly connect interior spaces with the backyard. “We fell in love with the climate in the area and wanted to live in a home that took advantage of the year-round sunshine,” Quinn says.
With the region's temperate weather as a clear guiding force, Quinn and Wright turned to fellow-former Brooklynites Zabie Mustafa and Neda Kakhsaz of Studio MUKA to reimagine the house, a patchwork of additions and eras, for year-round indoor-outdoor living. That meant stripping away the compartmentalized layout in favor of an airy open-floor plan that flows directly through to the patio. “Adding garage doors on the rear side of the house blends and blurs the boundary between inside and outside, which is such a California aesthetic,” Mustafa explains. “It’s close to the ocean, so there is a light breeze. It’s a perfect scenario.”
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When it came to material choices, the design team sought to reinforce the laid-back vibe, opting for humble European beech, quartz, Douglas fir plywood, and recycled plastics—all applied in a high-design manner. “This was a study on how far we can push these different materials,” says Kakhsaz. Next, they layered iconic modernist pieces, bespoke Studio MUKA furniture, and contemporary art to reflect Quinn and Wright’s personal styles and histories.
The result reveals itself immediately upon entry. The front door opens into the dining room, where a custom walnut table takes center stage. “It allows you to add more seats in a very seamless way,” shares Kakhsaz, noting that the homeowners host frequently. “When you’re not entertaining during the week, it sits there as a beautiful centerpiece, but then you have the ability to have a lot of people gather.” Studio MUKA’s playful Palan Chairs surround it, while Alvar Aalto pendants emit an atmospheric glow above. The adjacent fireplace is adorned with handmade ceramic plates by Makoto Kagoshima on one side and a Bower Studios mirror on the other.
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The light timber kitchen is the true heart of the home. Quinn, Wright, and their preteen son, Dylan, move easily between two seating zones: the sculptural Dirk van der Kooij Chubby Counter stools at the quartz-topped island, or the George Nakashima Straight-Back chairs around the limestone-and-metal breakfast table nearby.
The trio also clocks hours together on the pale-peach Cini Boeri for Arflex Strips sofa, screening films on the television that’s tucked into the custom entertainment console. Individually, they utilize the study, with its built-in desk, linen-covered pinboard wall, and 1940s Danish banana sofa. “We envisioned a living room that felt cozy yet serious about film—we’re a family of cinephiles and movie watching is a real ritual for us,” Quinn says. “At the same time, we wanted quieter moments built into the home: small nooks for reading, retreat, and slowing down.”
The calmness continues in the primary bedroom, where a full wall of blush-toned sheer curtains creates an ethereal ’70s look. A custom Douglas fir-and-leather bed serves as the focal point, dressed in a graphic goldenrod floral duvet by Makoto Kagoshima. The attached ensuite and walk-in closet feel spa-like, with natural wood finishes and skylights that bring in an abundance of daylight. “The steam shower deserves an honorable mention,” says Quinn. “It’s one of those elements that has completely changed our daily routine and elevated the home in a way we didn’t anticipate.”
Through French doors, Quinn and Wright’s bedroom opens onto a pebble garden, extending the suite into the landscape beyond. Mornings are spent lounging on a white metal Paul McCobb for CB2 patio set with coffee in hand; evenings call for the glow of a Muhly Studio Flecto firepit. Alfresco meals unfold on the deck, where a lively mix of 1994 Philippe Starck for Vitra Louis 20 chairs and Nickey Kehoe Cafe chairs flank a long travertine table. The house now has an effortless rhythm between indoors and out—one that makes their California dream feel fully realized.
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