Velvet Hour

Parlor of Plum in Pasadena: Velvet Hour

Deep color, soft light, and a house for evenings

Set on a quiet street near the Arroyo, this 1920s house had tall windows, good bones and very little warmth. The owners wanted rooms for long dinners and late records.

We wrapped the living room in plum lacquer, recovered two vintage sofas in rose velvet and hung brass sconces at eye level. The bathrooms went terracotta from floor to ceiling. After dark, every room turns amber, and the house finally feels like theirs.

Photography by Wren Halloway