Katey Sagal and Kurt Sutter's Eclectic Los Angeles Home Combines Red Walls and Guitars Hung Like Art

The Married with Children and Sons of Anarchy stars worked with designer Vanessa Alexander to design their new Hollywood Hills home“We always have a red room wherever we live,” Sagal says. In the den, the furniture is the clients’ own. Interior design by Alexander Design, landscape architecture by Chris Sosa, and construction by Hill CCM.Katey Sagal and Kurt Sutter—actors known best for Married with Children and Sons of Anarchy respectively–weren’t planning on moving. Their midcentury-modern Bel Air home, built by a student of Frank Lloyd Wright, was the type of property some would-be homeowners spend decades waiting to hit the market. But concerned about wildfires and feeling a pull toward more eastern neighborhoods in Los Angeles, the couple enlisted a realtor to come over just to give a ballpark estimate of what, hypothetically, they might be able to sell for. The number was appealing, and the realtor knew a likely buyer. In the end, the listing sold quickly in a quiet pocket sale.The couple are longtime art collectors. One of their favorite pieces, by South African artist Hugh Byrne, hangs in the entryway. A view from the red room looks out onto the home’s redesigned yard by Chris Sosa. All of the furniture is the clients’ own. The unexpected real estate transaction gave the couple the chance to move back to one of their favorite neighborhoods, a lush pocket of the Hollywood Hills near Runyon Canyon. And while the move was meant to bring them closer to their adult children, they were also intrigued by a 1923 English estate-style property designed by architect Arthur Roland Kelly, who notably designed the Playboy Mansion. “We loved the bones,” Sagal says. “It was very different from our midcentury house, but we loved the vibe and the history.”Another view of the living room shows off the plasterwork on the fireplace. Coffee table by DUSK, lounge chair by Osvaldo Borsani, and the painting (right) is by Carole Laroche. Convex Sunburst Mirror in the Style of Gilbert PoilleratCB2 Venus Brass Arc Floor Lamp with White Marble BaseSagal and Sutter in their living room. “Everybody in the family is musical,” Sagal says. Rug is clients’ own; sofa is Stahl + Band with a Larsen fabric. The bench is the clients’ own and the artwork is by Richard H. Campiglio. UK Metro Light Ltd Perforated Flush MountConvertible Lounge Chair P40 by Osvaldo Borsani for TecnoSagal and Sutter collect art and are passionate about interior design, so they didn’t initially plan to work with a decorator. “We have some very cool pieces and [in the past] have just put it together ourselves,” says Sagal. Certain spaces, particularly the living room, however, were proving difficult to decorate. Sara Gilbert, a friend and actress, recommended her own interior designer, ADPRO Directory designer Vanessa Alexander of Alexander Design. “I saw a picture of Vanessa’s own home and said, ‘Yeah, I want that,’” Sagal says.“We have all our guitars hanging because they’re like pieces of art,” Sutter says. All of the furniture in the den is the clients’ own. A powder room receives a pop of color from a brightly patterned wallpaper. The vintage stool is from Galerie Provenance. What appealed to the couple was Vanessa’s eclectic taste, which mirrored their own wide-reaching trove of art and furniture. “We’re not people who say, ‘Oh, now we’re in a Normandy home, we need to get all old French furniture,’” Sutter says. “We’ve collected a lot of different pieces over the years and we like mixing things up. And Vanessa is great at finding the linchpins that tie it all together.”The 1923 home designed by Arthur Roland Kelly has thoughtful details like curved archways. All of the dining room furniture is the clients’ own. Scalloped Wood Bowl Set by Sarah Sherman SamuelQuince Dover Wool Shag RugAnd for Alexander, the project was an appealing one because of the treasures already found within the home. “They have a world of collections from many years of traveling, a very eclectic life of things that they brought to the house. It was this incredible jumping-off point,” the designer says. From there she focused on channeling the couple’s taste, which had “an edge and a grit” to it that she wanted to explore. The living room is an expansive, sun-dappled space whose notable features include exposed wood beams and French doors leading outside. Alexander livened up the more traditional architectural elements with a Stahl + Band sectional upholstered with a velvet Larsen fabric inspired by textiles from Cameroon. “Both of them are willing to take chances with things. They’re not safe people,” says Alexander of Sagal and Sutter. “So it was fun to do a contemporary piece and cover it in something really different.”Alexander helped transform the kitchen from all white into something with more “edge” that she felt aligned with the homeowners’ taste. The cabinets are now painted Benjamin Moore Crownsville Gray, and Alexander added a custom brass backsplash behind the range. The stools are vintage Pierre Jeanneret from Galerie Half, the walls are painted in Shaded White by Farrow & Ball, and the vintage pendant is from Bloomberry. The stairwell’s landing is the ideal place to show off some of the couple’s art collection. Artwork (right) by Michael Ornstein. Other spaces Alexander helped reimagine include the couple’s primary bedroom and the kitchen, now Sagal’s favorite place in the home. “It was an all-white space and didn’t really go with the flow of the house,” she says. “Vanessa came in and really guided us to color and materials.” Improvements included painting the cabinets a moody Benjamin Moore Crownsville Gray, building a custom oak butcher block, and installing a striking custom brass backsplash behind the range. “Raising three children, I’m kind of tired of cooking, but now I sort of want to cook again a little bit,” Sagal says.The primary bedroom feels cozy due to subtle dormer windows and wood paneling. The headboard and nightstands are custom; the chair is a 1930s Jindrich Halabala; and the linens are from Jenni Kayne and Andina. Lulu and Georgia Kisling Accent ChairCB2 Encino Organic Cotton Stonewashed Velvet Throw PillowThe primary bath feels more like an aerie with its lush view of treetops. Sutter says the couple historically has never stayed in one place for long. “We get to a place, we fix it up, we love it, we get bored, we move,” he says with a laugh. But in contrast, this home stands as a sort of culmination of their many years of collecting and what they’ve learned about design along the way. “We just passed our five-year anniversary in it,” says Sagal. “And we’re not selling.”Sutter and Sagal in the garden of their Bel Air home. One of the home’s outdoor spaces acts as a second living room. Sofa and lounge chairs from Stahl + Band; the coffee table is custom. The home’s largest project was the installation of a pool in the backyard. The daybeds are custom and upholstered with Sien + Co fabric. Not a subscriber? Join AD for print and digital access now.Sign up for our daily newsletter to get the best of design in your inbox.Juliet Izon is a New York City and Hudson Valley-based freelance food, travel, and design writer. She studied English Literature at Trinity College before holding staff positions at Bauer Publishing, Niche Media, and Modern Luxury. Follow her on IG or check out her website. ... Read More