What makes a legend? If the luminary in question happens to be nine-time Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter John Legend, the answer is expressed most artfully in the 1960s Hollywood Hills house he shares with his wife, model Christine Teigen. A sophisticated update of midcentury modernism, the house reflects the spirit of a young couple putting their own distinctive spin on gracious California living. Follow CovetED and have a look inside!

“Our style is chic and tailored but also earthy and casual,” Legend says. To realize their West Coast vision of domestic bliss, Legend and Teigen turned to Don Stewart, of the L.A. firm Desiderata Design, whom they met through musician Kanye West, another Stewart client. “The first time we saw the house we were really inspired by the overall vibe,” Stewart recalls. “I told John and Chrissy that it reminded me of a Thai temple. That Asian influence was something they responded to, especially since she is half Thai.”

After gutting the 2,200-square-foot structure, Stewart reconfigured the space to maximize the loftlike living/dining/kitchen sweep that forms the heart of the house. No surface was left untouched as he sought to conjure a warm, natural ambience. The purposely limited array of materials and finishes includes rift-cut teak for cabinetry, bronze panels for the fireplace surround, a sea-grass wall covering in the master suite and basalt counters and floor tiles, the latter continuing onto the terraces—which are bordered by lush gardens that Stewart redesigned with succulents and wild grasses.

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INTUITION DINING TABLE
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The same aesthetic sensibility chosen for the outdoor spaces—call it earthy modern—informs the interior furnishings. Once again the emphasis is on tactile natural materials and simple forms.

In the living area, vintage leather lounge chairs by Osvaldo Borsani and Suekichi Uchida mingle with chunky cottonwood cocktail tables, an understated contemporary Italian sectional sofa, and an etched-bronze table by Philip and Kelvin LaVerne that inspired the design of the entry gate. The handsome mix also includes one-of-a-kind creations, notably an Alison Berger light fixture bearing handblown crystal pendants inscribed with Legend lyrics. Throughout the house, antique artefacts, among them painted wood panels from Thailand and Sri Lanka, reinforce the building’s Asian feel.

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For Legend, the surroundings have helped fuel his creative process. Several of the songs on his forthcoming album were recorded at the living area’s grand piano, which is wired to the high-tech home studio. “This house has all the qualities I strive for in my own work,” the musician says. “It’s subtle and beautiful, but it packs a modern punch.”

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