Meet the Parents

Designer Garrett Hunter brings a light touch and a big heart to a historic Los Angeles renovation for his mother and father.

- ANNA FURMAN

Growing up in the Houston suburbs, the designer Garrett Hunter would take architectural J tours while on vacation with his parents, artists Rhonda and David Hunter. The trips left a deep impression, inspiring Garrett to pursue a degree in interior architecture at the University of Houston before going on to work for local designer and furniture dealer Pam Kuhl-Linscomb. He launched his eponymous studio in 2009, working across interiors, architecture, furniture, lighting, and product design for private clients including art collectors, tech titans, and the odd celebrity. And, now, Mom and Dad.

When Garrett decamped from Houston for Los Angeles in 2020, his parents followed suit two years later, happily downsizing to a three-bedroom house abutting Runyon Canyon in the Hollywood Hills. Rhonda, now the director of operations for her son's studio, found the property with the help of an architecturally focused real estate agent. "It felt familiar, albeit with a distinct Los Angeles vibe," she says. "And perhaps most important it was perfectly situated to take equal advantage of nature and city views. It has a nestlike feeling, being up in the trees."