KEEPING IT REAL

Anthony Barillo, a highly-experienced developer in Los Angeles, has deep knowledge of interiors and renovations. We caught up with him as he was finishing work on his own home to talk about his experiences working with clients and get his three pro tips on elevating your interiors.

In which ways was developing your own home different from the homes and properties you work with during your 9-5?
Developing my own home was much different than working on the properties I redo for work. The main reason was that I was the one completely in the driver’s seat. I got to make every decision and make a home that didn’t fit one specific style but combined parts of all of my favourites to create a home that feels just so right to me. Seeing the final product come together has been such an incredible experience. My neighbours actually came over and asked me to redo their home in the same style as mine, which is a project I am just about to finish and can’t wait to show you all the results.

Walk us through the brief, specifications or underlying themes for your home.
Neutrals, Neutrals, Neutrals! I am just so in love with taupe and beige, especially when combined with a plethora of plants and greenery. Some would say my home is ‘organic modern’, but I truly have trouble identifying an exact style because I did whatever felt right to me, with no real style parameters.

The colour palette is fantastic. How did this take shape?
My Best friend Brett gets all the credit for this one. He owns an incredible Poke restaurant chain named Sweetfin, and in all of his locations, the design is absolutely impeccable. One day, while we were lounging by his pool, we brought out the Portola Paints colour wheel and started playing with combos. We settled on mixing Portola Roman Clay in the shade ‘Patagonia’ with Portola’s gorgeous darker “French Beige”. This colour combo has created the perfect ambience and backdrop to my home, which makes it always feel warm and inviting.

We have to talk about details and hardware. How did you come across Buster + Punch?
Brett gets all the credit for this one too! I am so glad I went with his recommendation because, throughout this renovation, I have fallen in absolute love with everything that Buster + Punch makes. Everything adds a level of style and sophistication that you truly can’t find with any other brand…not to mention how much your switches seem to elevate any space they’re in.

Which B+P pieces did you choose and why?
I ended up changing every single outlet and switch plate to Buster + Punch. I used a few different finishes throughout. All of the bathrooms have steel plates and switches. Throughout the rest of my home, I used the black plates paired with the brass switches. The combo looks absolutely incredible. I am so ecstatic with how they came out.

We firmly believe details are the foundation for a design, project or space. What are your thoughts?
I couldn’t agree more. I am OBSESSED with the details. Down to even the tiniest items. Even before my photoshoot, I sat and looked at my console table and rearranged it probably fifteen times. Details elevate a project to the next level when done correctly.

In your experience of real estate, what are the three things to invest in when it comes to the home?
 When it comes to Real Estate what makes a home more valuable, the three things that people should invest in are:
1. Quality workmanship. One cannot expect to hire the cheapest contractor to do the job and expect the results to come out flawlessly. I had to learn this the hard way on my first renovation of my NYC apartment.
2. Invest in quality, one-of-a-kind pieces over cheap fast production furniture and accessories. For example, instead of just going to one of the home shops in Los Angeles, I hired an antiques consultant who helped source all my ancient limestone planters, the limestone fountain and all of the antique Turkish, Moroccan and Indonesian vessels and jars to use as decor. These details, paired with all Buster + Punch switches, have made my new home stand out more than any others I have seen published recently.
3. Quality plants. The days of faux plants are over. Real, easy to take care of, exotic house plants elevate a home to the next level. I think people are afraid of the maintenance of plants, but if you get really great, drought-tolerant plants that are easy to take care of, they look so much more elegant and luxurious than plastic leaves that collect dust.

project / ANTHONY BARILLO
photographer / NILS TIMM