In searching for a new home, some people seek serenity. For Hollywood power couple Nanatchka Khan and Julia Bicknell, the vision was more boisterous: “We entertain a lot,” laughs Khan, the director of Always Be My Maybe and creator of multiple series including LAID, Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23 and Fresh Off the Boat. Khan and Bicknell, whose EP credits include Yellowjackets and Midnight Club, worked with realtor friends Heather T. Roy & Learka Bosnak of Douglas Elliman, who showed them a house that was still under construction. Khan and Bicknell immediately knew that the five-bedroom, seven-bath home in the Lake Hollywood neighborhood was exactly what they were looking for.
The couple were eager to infuse their creative spirit into the house through its interior design. “We wanted it to be functional and welcoming without sacrificing style,” Khan says. Comedian Ali Wong had raved about her experience with interior designer Martha Mulholland, who, coincidentally, was friends with Khan’s sister-in-law. “It felt like kismet,” says Khan.
Mulholland, who has a background in art history and historic preservation from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, worked in visual merchandising for Gucci and Tom Ford before transitioning to interior design. “That taught me to concentrate on creating memorable and immersive experiences that are beautiful but also meaningful so I’m very narrative-driven,” she explains. “What I do is determined by my clients and the space.” Her work coalesces around singular vintage and antique finds, furniture, accessories and lighting culled from local artisans and makers, rich paints and intriguing wallpapers. “I like to share what I’m passionate about, educating my clients to ensure they have a personal connection to the stuff in their home,” she explains.
Mulholland wanted to showcase the warmth and creativity she glimpsed in Khan and Bicknell. “It was clear from their answers to my questionnaire, their collections and their obsessions — bobbleheads, Dolly Parton, puzzles and cocktail culture — that they are fun and vivacious people,” Mulholland notes. “I wanted to give them a house that felt like them: comfortable, happy and welcoming.” Mulholland suggested they lean into color. “They really liked the idea of having different colors in each room,” she remembers. “So we definitely went for a more-is-more approach!”
Mulholland’s biggest hurdle was figuring out the purpose of each room. Witness what’s now the dining room. “It’s the first space you see when you walk into the house,” Mulholland points out. “They love having people over. So we wanted it to be a bit of a wow moment.” Clients and interior designer had aligned on yellow in the planning stages; Mulholland chose a historic paper from UK-based Adelphi Wall Hangings. “I liked the idea that it was from the 1920s and we’re seeing bit of Art Deco influences in design right now,” says Mulholland. She paired it with Florian Schulz’ double counterbalance pendants, a long oval dining table, and, at Khan and Bicknell’s request, chairs with red cushions. Mulholland washed the walls of a double height room with a grand fireplace and a large window with deep forest-green paint. Custom floor-to-ceiling bookcases, a curved-back vintage settee, a pair of deep swivel chairs, and a playful bar cabinet confirm it as the updated version of a traditional library, perfect for hanging out, reading and enjoying a cocktail.
She gave the screening room a jolt of electricity, playing homage to classic movie palaces, swapping its beige color scheme for vivid red seating, burnished gold accents, and a playful toile wallpaper that highlights Los Angeles’ iconic landmarks. Riffing off of Khan and Bicknell’s ebullience, she layered the home with playful touches, from the Fornasetti cocktail wallpaper that brightens a powder room, to the large assortment of brightly colored furniture gathered around the pool to the mural, hand-painted by Bicknell, that cavorts across the walls of their daughter’s room. “It’s a vital, exuberant house that they love to share with others,” says Mulholland. “It’s very joyous and very very very them.”
