Pitched high in the hills of Los Angeles sits Tara Subkoff’s whimsical mid-century modern home. The artist, filmmaker, and designer purchased the house not long after her now three-year-old daughter Grace was born. When she saw the transference of light in the fern green, jewel box home that looks out onto the expanse of Griffith Park, she knew it would make the perfect mother-daughter abode. “I wanted to create for my daughter my childhood dream of living in dollhouse.”
Solitaire Open Top Ring in Pink, Baguette Open Top Ring in Pink, Solitaire Linear Ring in Pink, Solitaire Linear Ring in White, Trillion Linear Ring in White, Trillion Open Top Ring in Pink, Halo Pendant in White, Blue Moon Pendant
How did you select the interiors and art for this house?
“When I was really young, I worked for my cousin’s art gallery in Beverly Hills. People would come in and say, ‘I just bought a red couch. I need a red painting to go with it.’ I always found that so depressing. I thought, ‘You should have bought the painting first and then chosen the furniture around that!’
For this living room, I wanted to bring the outdoors inside. In New York, I had made a cherry blossom sculpture for my Chelsea home. Over the years, I’d also purchased several pieces of art from Taylor McKimens. The cactus [of McKimens] I bought at Art Basel inspired me to make the connection back to the tree I’d made. It just made sense for the artist to make this tree for this particular house.
Sculpture by Taylor McKimens, Curtain by Victoria Fu
The tree gives the room a very Dr. Seuss meets Alice in Wonderland vibe.
“Yes! When I had Grace and knew that it would be the two of us living here, I thought I have to have a very girly house. I believe that if you truly love something—a piece of art, a vase, a chair—you can make it work. That’s how I think about everything in my house. I never worked with a designer because everything in here is so personal or speaks to me in some way.”
How has your daughter influenced your style?
I’m more relaxed now in my style—I would say I gravitate towards bohemian things with casual elements. When I was younger, I was very into 1920s to 1940s styles—Marlene Dietrich was a huge inspiration to me aesthetically. But I think there has always been an effortlessness to my taste because I’ve always had a strong sense of my femininity and feminism. What I mean is that I believe that by embracing femininity, women actually become stronger and that’s when there’s a flow from your ‘self’ to your space to your style. I want my daughter to feel that strong sense of self, and it’s been fun to see her already developing her own style and taste.
What do you collect or enjoy building a collection of?
I have always loved collecting clothes and jewelry and things that have history and can be passed down. My parents were antique dealers, so it’s in my blood. I particularly love seeing antique wedding dresses because you know there’s a story behind that dress. The same goes for jewelry. I have a lot of antique pieces but when you give any piece of jewelry you are creating a narrative with the person you’re giving it to.
How has your style influenced your ability to make and create art?
I have a hard time thinking about separating any part of myself in that way. For instance, these egg-shaped candle holders [picks up votive]—I am now making a perfume artwork for a gallery in New York inspired by these. I also have an art film that will be installed at The Hole gallery this fall that will incorporate the space into the installation. I am a very tactile, visual person, and I am constantly exploring ways to connect the outside world with the personal, inner one.”
TARA'S FAVORITES
