Judy Kameon and Dana Bauer
The firm’s design team works closely with clients and collaborators to create one-of-a-kind outdoor spaces for dining, lounging and exploring at the residential and commercial scale. Their bespoke outdoor spaces promote a dynamic and fluid relationship between architecture, interiors, and landscape.
Projects range from the 10 acres estate garden oasis at the Parker Palm Springs to the maximally planted retail campus Platform in Culver City to a jewel-box cactus courtyard for Isabel Marant.
If 2020 was about survival and perseverance, 2021 will be the year of...
Radical optimism.
How has the pandemic affected your work now that people are even more inspired to live their lives outside?
The pandemic has definitely brought attention to the deep connection between individual wellness and planetary health and a recharged commitment to environmental stewardship. We are seeing a huge increase in the value placed on outdoor spaces, both public and private.
Congrats on the recent story in Architectural Digest. Elysian Landscapes designed the garden at Chet Callahan’s gorgeous historic manse. Your firm has been working on larger urban scale projects too recently. How do you see the connection between these different projects and what do you bring from your experience with one to the other?
There is an ongoing dialogue between our private and public projects. Our residential work allows us a certain freedom to experiment with new systems, materials and plants, and as builders, we are hands-on from start to finish. Our commercial work offers the opportunity to collaborate with multidisciplinary teams and impact a wider audience. In the end, all of our projects relate to the same human scale, which is the great unifier.
How would you describe your design style in three words?
Bold, voluminous and choreographic.
What is the secret to a sublime outdoor living space?
Bringing attention to detail with every layer. Gorgeous hardscape, inviting furniture, good lighting, and abundant planting.
What are you currently obsessing about?
Sustainable design, access for all to green spaces, and our latest projects. Nature is a constant source of inspiration - snow on red rocks, the adhesive properties of the mollusk foot, the beach in winter, and the California sunset. Improving the quality of public space and the pedestrian experience in Los Angeles is at the top of our list.
Designed in 1964, the Sun Lounger still feels completely fresh today and is a whimsical take on the classic poolside chaise. We love the oversized wheel and Mediterranean blue finish.
LOCUS SOLUS LOUNGER by Exteta >
A great small-scale firepit that you can easily move from place to place, and because it uses bioethanol, it burns clean. We can imagine having multiples of these scattered around a garden for an outdoor event.
BRASERO FIREPIT by Gandiablasco >
Its swooping curves and graphic silhouette make this Arm Chair a great statement piece. A chair that would feel equally at home sitting by a mid-century pool as it would on an urban rooftop.
LOCUS SOLUS ARMCHAIR by Exteta >
Inspired by stones smoothed out by the wind, this generous daybed is a perfect perch for an intimate conversation, a Sunday hangout with the newspaper, or a weekend nap.
Two for one! A cocktail table that transforms into an informal seat with the addition of a cushion offers elegant flexibility.
A grown up take on the 1970’s bean bag is fun for people all ages.
Also, do you have a favorite recipe, a new hobby, a go-to playlist, something that you’re currently doing at home that keeps you sane?
We’d love to share a little personal story as well. Dana and I are both obsessive cooks, constantly experimenting and expanding our respective repertoires. Every year, I tackle the good problem of what to do with the mountain of grapefruit our Oro Blanco tree produces. I make marmalade, candied peel, sorbet, and Dana’s favorite, Vin de Pamplemousse, a grapefruit infused aperitif which has become our house cocktail. We are making a big batch this year in the hopes of being able to share it with many soon.
