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Tour a Modern Atherton, California, Home That Features a Striking Pink Sculpture and a Purple Dining Room

Zoë Sessums
·7 min read

Brigette Lau wasn’t looking for a new house. But when a friend told her she’d seen an Atherton, California, place that reminded her of Lau, a female leader in the venture capital tech space, she had to take a look. Lau toured the 11,000-square-foot residence—a new, contemporary build by Pacific Peninsula Group—and was sold thanks to the creek running across the property and its overall feeling of tranquility. “I loved it. There was so much foliage, not a lot of traffic,” she says. “It’s such a beautiful home.”

Soon, the standard thoughts and stressors about buying a house began to enter Lau’s mind (she was also navigating being a newly divorced mother of three). “I knew a thousand things had to happen for me to get it and I don’t know how it happened, but I got it,” she says. “It was magical. It feels like it was meant to be.”

To take on the interiors, Lau called on Edel Legaspi of Legaspi Courts Design. The two had worked together nearly 10 years earlier, when Legaspi was the project manager for Lau’s Martis Camp vacation home, so they already had a familiar rapport. Recently reconnected, Legaspi was inspired by Lau’s desire for something fresh. “I wanted to give her a home that was a true reflection of her and [would] provide joy and comfort to her and her kids,” says Legaspi. “It was a wonderful opportunity to reflect on who I am as a person and what I want as a space to live in,” adds Lau.

“When I walked her previous home, I didn’t see much of her personality,” Legaspi says. This new house, with its many windows and ample natural light, felt like “her new beginning,” the decorator adds. “When brainstorming the design…I created this narrative of Brigette and how her home can personify the various aspects of her femininity,” explains Legaspi, who found clues about Lau’s own taste in her closet, which brimmed with color and texture.

Tour a Modern Atherton, California, Home That Features a Striking Pink Sculpture and a Purple Dining Room

“It’s so important for me to be outside,” says Lau, who has plenty of room for it. The rich purple hue (custom upholstery in Perennials Swanky lavender luxe velvet) gets its place in nature too, as seen in the various pieces of furniture including RH Belvedere Double and Single chaises, a Paola Lenti Sabi Sofa, and Emissary Alex stools in a gunmetal finish.
Bright and light is the theme in the entryway, which houses a large painting by Tauba Auerbach; two custom hand-knotted area rugs by Marc Phillips, a Souffle Cocktail Chair by Kelly Wearstler, Infinity Nets (ABCDQ) by Yayoi Kusama, a custom plinth by Legaspi Courts Design, and a Guaxs Vase in Amber Cubistic Glass from Table Art. The art advisor for Lau’s home was Kimberly Chang Mathieu of KCM Fine Arts.
“The formal living room is like an art piece,” says Legaspi. “It isn’t a big room, but there are a lot of key pieces there.” Lau loves having girlfriends over for wine and settling into the soft seating. Some of the showstoppers include the Coup D’etat Studio Biomorphic Sofa upholstered in Silk & Sexy mohair from Holly Hunt, two Kimberly Denma chairs from Jean De Merry showroom (a Cerus armchair upholstered with long Mongolian Lamb hair and an Ares armchair upholstered in Mokum distressed velvet), a Hinterland Ecliptic coffee table, the Sitzengeblienene (Schlafmütze) / Staydowner (Dozy Devil) sculpture by Nairy Baghramian, the Reverence area rug by Fernando Mastrangelo, and the artwork Negative Entropy (Toyota Air Jet, double) by Mika Tajima.
In between the kitchen and living room, a Marmol Radziner custom Glencoe dining table is surrounded by Marmol Radziner Glencoe dining benches and Stephen Kenn Inheritance dining chairs, both upholstered with Spinneybeck Ducale Velour leather.
The soothing kitchen comes to life by way of an Ann Sacks tile backsplash and a Brendan Ravenhill Long Hood Chandelier. Three Lawson-Fenning Elysian barstools sit along the kitchen island.
The dining room walls weren’t initially painted purple, but something inspired Lau to take the bold plunge. “Edel knew what she was talking about,” says Lau, who adds, “I’m excited to start entertaining inside again.” The Kelly Lamb God’s Eye Table is surrounded by Gubi Beetle chairs upholstered in Knoll fabric and Holly Hunt leather trim detail. Hanging from the ceiling is a Gabriel Scott Luna Three Tier Chandelier that shines against the aubergine wall color, which is Wine Stain by Dunn Edwards.
The wine cellar came with the home, which was designed by Pacific Peninsula Architecture. “The architect provided us with such great bones to work with,” says Legaspi. The artwork on the wall is Double Jicky by Eileen Quinlan, and the wood bench is from Lau’s existing collection.
In the Atherton home, the abundant fireplaces provide another level of coziness. Two Lawson-Fenning Ojai lounge chairs and a Poltrona Frau Let It Be sofa, upholstered with Great Plains Lionheart fabric, surround two Stahl + Band L Series tables. The Moroccan wool rug by Marc Phillips and A+R Store Knit-Wit floor lamp lend another dose of texture and color.
While maintaining a certain sophistication, the home is not without creature comforts and plenty of spaces in which to relax. Here, the Minotti Hamilton sectionals upholstered in JAB Chivasso Chenille fabric take center stage, sitting below two Serge Mouille Three Arm Multi-Light Pendants. The MWE Klassik hook ladders in custom teal add a fabulous pop of color. The art above the fireplace is Extended Object by Tauba Auerbach and the copper art on the side wall is by Walead Beshty.
“I love the fur and the pink and the swinging sofa,” says Lau about her beloved primary bedroom, which is covered in Phillip Jeffries Sunset Silk Shale Pink wallpaper. “I already have wonderful memories of me and my kid jumping on the bed here—I love it so much.” The RH bedside tables and Kelly Wearstler Miramar table lamps surround the towering, textural custom headboard upholstered in Myung Jin Mirage taupe velvet fabric. The plush pink Eric Kuster Conran pouffe adds another moment of fun. The artwork on the wall is Louise, version 2 by Matt Saunders.
The luxurious wall treatment in the primary bathroom that creates a sort of painting of dots is Pierre Frey’s Djembe from Kneedler Fauchère showroom. The Bates & Bates under-mount sink in polished nickel and the Dornbracht Tara Faucet in a platinum finish make the vanity area shine. The Arno Declercq wooden pot vase with stud details is from Garde Shop.
In the entertainment area, the sleek Urban Electric Winston fixture hangs above the modern pool table by Alex Billiards Inc. The Lighthouse lamp by Established & Sons sits on the corner of the bar.
See the video.

As an avid supporter of the arts, Lau owns a collection of works by the likes of Kara Walker, Yayoi Kusama, Jacqueline Humphries, Mika Tajima, Tauba Auerbach, and Anicka Yi—to name a few. Legaspi therefore focused her design on how furniture and art could define each space. “We wanted the rooms to feel comfortable and not precious,” Legaspi notes. “The furniture selections ranged from organic, sculptural pieces to clean, modernist forms, all layered with soft textures and jewel-toned colors.” As for each piece of art on display, Lau chimes in: “You want it to complement and you want it to have its own personality.” Striking a similar note, Legaspi adds, “You don’t want everything to be a showstopper. I want someone to walk in and think, this is Brigette’s house.”

Though both women rave about every room in the house, it’s hard to pick favorites. Still, the descriptions of adored spaces, furnishings, and feelings share a theme: fun. From a hanging daybed in the primary bedroom (a Kardashian moment, Lau notes with a laugh) to a bold pink sculpture in the living room, Lau and Legaspi doubled down on mood-boosting elements. But overall, Legaspi adds, “[T]he spaces reflect Brigette’s femininity, strength, and multifaceted character as a mother and entrepreneur.”

The dining room walls weren’t initially painted purple, but something inspired Lau to take the bold plunge. “Edel knew what she was talking about,” says Lau, who adds, “I’m excited to start entertaining inside again.” The Kelly Lamb God’s Eye Table is surrounded by Gubi Beetle chairs upholstered in Knoll fabric and Holly Hunt leather trim detail. Hanging from the ceiling is a Gabriel Scott Luna Three Tier Chandelier that shines against the aubergine wall color, which is Wine Stain by Dunn Edwards.

Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest