HOLLYWOOD COMES HOME

In Los Angeles, designer-to-the-stars Peter Dunham reimagines a Georgian-style estate for a couple in the entertainment industry, marrying cosmopolitan glamour and decorative special effects.

- ALISA CARROLL

"If you've ever wondered where your dreams come from, you look around. This is where they are made." This invitation to imagination is offered by filmmaker and magician Georges Méliès in Hugo, the movie inspired by the life of the legendary French auteur Méliès, a pioneer of early cinema, transformed movies at the turn of the 20th century with the innovative, enchanting visual effects he created in his Paris studio.

Like Méliès, designer Peter Dunham bridges the magic of Paris and Hollywood. Raised in the City of Light amid artists and writers, Dunham could be imagined as the precocious urchin in Hugo, spending his teenage years much like the character, combing his arrondissement for decorative riches and treasure hunting at fabled French auction house Drouot. Today, as one of Los Angeles's leading design talents, Dunham brings artistry, curation, and charm to the homes of industry luminaries. His clients include Oscar-winning producer Steve Tisch and actresses Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Drew Barrymore—a testament to their belief in Dunham's ability to brilliantly conjure a world within a frame.

“I picked this color for its richness, because so much of the house is light and white and airy,” says Dunham of the library’s nautical-blue walls (Newbury Port by Portola Paints).

The dining room's custom JeanCharles Moreux-style chairs, dressed in azure velvet, surround Regency mahogany dining table. OPPOSITE: Fragrant Sally Holmes roses and potato vines wrap the columns of an outdoor living room.