ARTISTIC INHERITANCE

The owner of this Los Angeles home has filled it with design classics and a collection of art by her grandfather

- JULIET BENNING

For Sheila Bouttier, inheriting a large collection of artwork was a blessing that prompted not only a new home but also her business, Galerie Provenance. As the only grandchild of the late acclaimed American artist Benjamin Abramowitz, Sheila and her husband Brett are the custodians of many of his works and decided that, as well as needing more room for their two growing children, they wanted a spacious new home to display the artwork. The collection, spanning 70 years, is managed by Sheila and her mother, Susan Rosenbaum. ‘As the catalogue is so vast and varied it became my mission to find a way to display it,’ Sheila says.

Keen to keep the children in the same school, the couple didn’t move far from their previous 1930s Los Angeles abode. ‘It had always been Brett’s dream to build his own home, so we began searching for a plot of land. We found one at the bottom of a cul-de-sac that was tucked away, had plenty of great spaces for the garden, yet was close to the things we needed,’ says Sheila.

The book California Homes by Studio William Hefner turned out to be the key to unlocking the couple’s architectural goals. ‘I bought it for Brett’s birthday because we loved the homes in it. When we realised they were all the work of one architect we knew he would be the ideal candidate.’ With William Hefner commissioned, Brett threw himself into achieving his vision, deliberating over the finest details. ‘Brett had previously considered architecture as a career choice so he pored over the plans. He had a strong vision for many of the design elements in the house, for example he knew he wanted to open the front door and see straight through to an outdoor fireplace,’ Sheila explains.