62 DIGS.NET
| 9.17.2021
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R E S T O R E D | W I L L I A M H E F N E R
OUR APPROACH TO design centers on our client's
dreams as well as their practical requirements," says
architect William Hefner of Studio William Hefner. It's
on this narrow line between the ephemeral and the
realistic that the firm performs their subtle, yet powerful,
balancing act, creating homes that manage the trick of
being both eminently livable and undeniably luxurious.
The clients, who are European and for whom Beverly Hills is a
second home, wanted something different and shared a photo
of an upside down pyramid house as an example. "We're looking
for something out of the box. We don't want a regular house,"
Hefner remembers them saying, giving the architect free rein to
interpret their desires. "Second homes are easier," Hefner admits,
"They don't have to be strictly functional, like the way your full-time
house has to be. It's more about entertaining and enjoyment."
Those qualities were very important to the clients. "They envi-
sioned having lots of guests for long periods of time," Hefner
explains, "If people came to visit, they weren't coming for a
weekend, they'd stay for a week or two." He observed that every
time he stopped by they were always outdoors. "So it was clear
that the outside had to be really well-considered." He knew, from
experience, that they'd want a modern house. "It's inconceivable
[to Europeans] that you would build a new house in a traditional
style," he says. And the home would need to be playful. "It wasn't
going to be one of those concrete and glass boxes with black
furniture," he says, "The wife loves lavender, pink and aqua."
"
