Oscar-nominated set designer Larry Dias’s professional life is always action packed. From Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl to The Hunger Games to Tom Hank’s current action film Captain Phillips, the California native knows how to create the perfect environment for thrills.
But at home in Los Angeles, it’s a different story. The 2,400-square-foot home Larry shares with husband Trey Shaffer is an ode to zen living. Larry bought the house — located in peaceful Laurel Canyon — 13 years ago with longtime friend, art director Chris Cornwell. At the time, it was a pink stucco structure with small rooms and narrow hallways. The duo torn down walls, added large windows and decorated with an eclectic mix of Asian antiques, modern furniture and hundreds of books. The result is a carefully curated home that’s the perfect escape from Hollywood.
peaceful Laurel Canyon street in a 2,400-square-foot home that resembles a modern cabin from the exterior. “When you get off work it’s a wonderful escape, but you can still be on Sunset in five minutes,” says Dias.
Ten years ago, Dias bought the fixer-upper with his longtime friend art director Chris Cornwell, who is currently at work on the new George Clooney film The Ides of March. “It was pretty much a pink and white stucco box with strange cut-up rooms connected by long, narrow hallways,” says Cornwell
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(Above). An Eames table flanked by two Swiss Kurt Thut chairs are located next to the entry way.
(Above). The massive built-in bookshelves are made functional by an industrial-style ladder Larry designed himself. The shelves house the couple’s impressive collection of books on art, film, travel, interior design and photography.
(Above and below). The kitchen features custom oak cabinetry and Emperador marble countertops. Larry and Trey, who love to cook, often host dinner parties for friends and family.
(Above). The main bedroom features an Asian screen as a headboard and two antique Japanese tansu chests as side tables.
(Above). Larry and Cornwell chose Portuguese limestone slabs instead of tile for the two bathrooms.
(Above): A corner office overlooks the Asian-inspired backyard, planted with bamboo and bonsai trees.
The living room with its large custom couches, Chinese root stools and a steel coffee table is great for large gatherings. Larry found the set of fifteen botanical prints from the 1800s while on location in rural Pennsylvania. An eight-foot retractable screen and a large projector hidden behind one of the frames turns the room into the perfect spot for movie nights.
• Ulrica Wihlborg
All photographs by Ulrica Wihlborg ©2013.
