Incollect Magazine - Issue 9

66 www.incollect.com Michael S. Smith Classic by Design by Michael S. Smith with Andrew Ferren Foreword by Shonda Rhimes © 2024 Michael S. Smith, published by Rizzoli International Publications, Inc. rizzoliusa.com and Amazon MODERNIST PAVILION HOLMBY HILLS, LOS ANGELES In the spacious living room of Michael S. Smith’s primary residence, which he shares with his partner James Costos, the designer created a series of intimate enclosures “to encourage people to stop and sit down.” To that purpose, he created an inglenook-style grouping around the fireplace, with a pair of custom sofas he designed based on Vladimir Kagan’s curvy midcentury models. A custom bronze lantern with a matte black patina, one of a pair by French artist Phillippe Anthonioz, creates a sculptural presence in the room and visually relates the ceiling to the room and creates a sense of intimacy. At right, a custom sofa stretches along the wall to define another seating group. The bronze Thread armchair is a limited edition work of collectible design by Mattia Bonetti, 2018. At the far end of the sofa is a plaster “African” end table by American designer John Dickinson, circa the late 1970s. The much coveted and widely collected tables were handpainted, resulting in an appealing handcrafted texture, and feature four primitive animal paws at the base of the legs. The designer’s art collection reflects his diverse interests and encyclopedic knowledge of fine and decorative arts. A school of Rubens painting acquired by Smith early in his career hangs behind the piano, at right, Gary Simmon’s Hurricane contains images of boxing broadsides announcing matches of Black boxers, including Rubin ‘Hurricane’ Carter. Simmons’s work addresses themes of race, identity, and social inequality. Photo by Roger Davies.