I recently met up with designers Tim Campbell and Tanis Paul at the Greenwich Hotel in New York to hear about the evolution of Studio Tim Campbell, a Los Angeles firm with a client list that includes Diane Keaton (the studio won an award for the Beverly Hills facade remodel and restoration of one of Keaton's fabled projects). Campbell recently expanded his presence from LA to New York City, with a new NYC interior design division led by Tanis Paul ("interiors became a natural progression as our clients began asking for a cohesive design vision; we can now completely shape a space from start to finish," he says). In his 25 years in the business, Campbell has focused on immaculate renovation projects of historical properties in Los Angeles and farther afield (he has rehabbed structures by Luis Barragan, Richard Neutra, and Lloyd Wright).
Campbell walked me through photos of his own home in Silverlake, which he built completely from the ground up in 2001 (see photos by Karyn R. Millet, below). To see more of the designer's work, go to Studio Tim Campbell.
Above: A pair of minimalist wood chairs from Shelter in LA front the fireplace, which is painted in flat-finish Iron Mountain from Benjamin Moore.
Above: The living room's red Oushak carpet was one of Campbell's first purchases when he moved to LA.
Above: The skull on the coffee table returned with Campbell from a recent trip to Tanzania; the coffee table is a Japanese antique from the 1700s.
Above L: Campbell's culinary space is a real working kitchen. Above R: The dining table is flanked by steel Tolix chairs.
Above L: Campbell purchased the throw pillow fabric on a trip to South Africa. The photo above the bed is by Bill Jacobson.
Above: A portrait by San Francisco artist Timothy Cummings hangs in the bath; the rug is an antique Campbell purchased on a trip to Marrakesh.
Q & A with Tim Campbell
RM: What are the biggest influences on your own style?
Campbell: Travel, art, fashion; they are a barometer of where we all are culturally.
RM: What is your favorite travel destination?
Campbell: Africa. My last trip was to Tanzania.
RM: How do you approach a restoration project compared to designing a new structure?
Campbell: With reverence.
RM: Who are your design icons?
Campbell: Andreé Putman and Tadao Ando.
RM: Do you have a signature scent?
Campbell: Bois d'Argent by Christian Dior.
RM: Do you have an essential gadget?
Campbell: Definitely my iPad.
