by Phoenix, HSM team writer

You may feel like you have seen some of the beautiful homes that Home has to offer before, maybe in a movie or a magazine.

Well, you have.

There are a few examples of realistic spaces in Home’s virtual world. This is due in part to them having a real counterpart. The Hollywood Hills House, or the Stahl House, as it is known in the real world, was designed by Pierre Koenig. I was familiar with this house’s real world counterpart because of Julius Shulman, an iconic photographer, and friend of Koenig. Shulman was the photographer I chose for my final photo assignment in class. Shulman is noted for having taken the photographs that made the Stahl House an icon. The Stahl House is a mid-century-styled house. The developers at LOOT had to have loved this place for its architectural bones, as they stayed so true to its simplicity and elegance.

The Hollywood Hills space has been a top seller for a long time in Home. It is so popular a space that LOOT has created it as a club skin and a new night version of the original.  With that being said, I thought I would talk about some ways to decorate the space in keeping with the mid-century style. Home has a few designs that match the space perfectly. The modern furnishing period, from 1933 to 1965, generally describes mid-20th century developments in modern design, architecture and urban development. The styles are described as a mixture of Frank Lloyd Wright’s principle movement of organic architecture combined with Arts and Crafts classic lines as an aesthetic jumping point. So just about anything with modern in the title will do, but there are some items that fit the look of the period without the title.

If you are a fan of Mad Men, then you will be familiar with the look of this movement. Shag rugs, metal and glass tables, plastic chairs with metal, chrome feet and legs, leather sofas and couches with wooden legs. It was at this point in history that the sectional sofa was a trending must-have as well.

Architecture incorporated glass windows and walls to allow the outside in. Nature was one of the stars in many of the mid-century modern homes. The Architecture was the first star of the movement. Color was fashionable in furniture, accent pieces such as chairs and lamps. I did some shopping  in Home and discovered these pieces.

Furniture of that era was covered in fabrics like linen and tweed – durable but classic – which added to the character of the pieces. The look has been described as sleek and laid back.  The Summer House furniture is an example of this sleek look. It follows the design in shape.

Next there are the Lakeside Cabin furnishings, with the love seat and sofa in a mustard yellow. The Modular Sofa end, and center piece, as well as the Naugahyde couch, at $.49, work as well. Then there are the Leather sofas, from Lockwood’s Dream Island, and the Hillside House sofa in brown,  just to name a few more pieces.

For accent furnishings there are numerous tables and lamps, foot stools and ottomans, clocks and wall art that fit this style found in Home. There are the coffee tables from the Paris Modern collection, and the Luxury Weekend Lake House. Both of these tables are $.99.  Pictured here is the Futuristic table 1; alongside a real-world modern table. the home table is available in a bundle from the Planetland Personal space.

Home has a wide range of flooring available for the mid-century look too. I found a bundle of shag carpets at nDreams for $2.99 in several colors. The table pictured here is sitting on the yellow shag carpet from the bundle. Although you do not need lamps in the Hollywood Hills House, if you are after that authentic look, then you will want to check out the Giant Curved Floor Lamp, from mydeco. They also have wall art that will fit this style in the Copper Rose Wall Art hanging.

Mydeco has a pendulum clock, too and a room divider done in that sleek laid-back design, each piece is $1.49. In case you didn’t know, mydeco is a real world entity. They are the mydeco of the mydeco 3D room planners online that allow you to plan a room using their furnishing to get the feel of the space. They’re also UK’s leading online shopping site, for some of the most innovative furnishings.

Ligne Roset has a vibrant Sala chair at $1.99 from the modern period. Ligne Roset is also a real world, French Modern Furniture company. They have over 200 stores and 1000 retail distributors. So don’t just take it from me that these pieces fit the style, check for yourself. You can also find a Pop armchair with wonderful curves, showing that natural shape that modernism is also associated with. There are a few other really classic pieces to be found here. 

Finally I want to assure you that Home has modern furniture pieces for every room, even the bedroom. The Paris Modern Bed is one such piece. Regrettably, I was unable to find any other beds that were mid-century modern in design. If anyone else knows of one please let me know.  As far as pieces for the dining room go, there are a few options, starting with the Paris Modern Dining Table and chairs, both the head chair and side chair. The Lockwood Dream Island Dining table and chair and the upholstered high back chairs and table from the Tropical Estates Personal space.

There you have it, I hope I have given those of you that have this wonderful space  and love decorating some new ideas. Those that don’t have it I hope I have stirred your curiosity for the space and the ones to come. I hope you have a great time searching the shops, looking for that special iconic piece for one of Home’s iconic spaces. Believe me it’s bound to be in Home there. The developers have some really amazing items in Home with regards to spaces and furniture. I’m certain there are still more amazing spaces yet to come.

Stahl House trivia:  The house was featured in GTA San Andreas as a house you could buy and as a save point. That’s right, our own Hollywood Hills House is also in a major video game. There are a list of movies and TV shows this house has been featured in, everything from Adam 12 to Playing by Heart. Is it any wonder that something so fabulously well known made it into Home?  Awesome LOOT, just awesome!

I can’t wait to get my decorating hands on the new versions.

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One Response to “Hollywood Hills House: Home’s Mid-Century Icon”

1. FEMAELSTROM says:

   June 13, 2013 at 11:39 pm

   I grew up in a city near Hollywood and as a child would often go on family rides that included trips through Hollywood and I do love this place, always have and now that there are the new options, I think it is just the expansion of an already great and for me familiar place. I am gonna get the night version as I have already seen it and love it. Great homework and article.

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