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Jon Hutman isn’t sure how to define Nancy Meyerscore.
Ironic, given that he all but invented it.
But when pressed,Hutmandescribes the Nancy Meyers angle as classic, timeless, and comfortable.
A casual elegance, if you will.
Jon Hutman has designed the sets for movies likeThe HolidayandSomething’s Gotta Give;he stands in his 1920s home in Santa Monica.
We didnt want it to feel like a trendy LA cafe.
We wanted it to feel like you were a main character in a rom-com.
So they went straight to the source and asked Hutman to design the space.
Katie Maloney and Ariana Madix at the opening of their sandwich shop Something About Her in West Hollywood, California.
Our original vision for this space was very much European cafe meets Nancy Meyers, Maloney says.
He really turned it out amazingly.
Adds Madix, A lot of it is classic, cozy, timeless, but also somewhat expected.
Like Ive seen elements of these things in other places, but Ive never seen all of them together.
(Just dont mention that to Hutman.
I really hate this coastal-grandma thing, he says.
That wasnt the idea.)
So, just like Madix and Maloney, I wanted to go straight to the source: Hutman.
Glamour: Lets start with Something About Her, which was inspired by Nancy Meyers movies.
What was your design inspiration for it?
What were you looking for?
We got shut down by the studio on a Friday.
We love Nancy Meyers movies.
Is there any way you could help us with this place?
I had just become unemployed, and I was like, Sure.
So I met these women.
I had no idea who they were.
I did not watch reality TV.
And they could not have been nicer.
We walked into this little empty shop on Robertson Boulevard that was literally four blank white walls.
They had a Pinterest page and some pictures.
And I came back to them and said, If you like this, how about this?
It took off from there.
They wanted to serve sandwiches, tea, and wine.
The idea was to find something that was romantic, inviting, and feminine but also fresh.
How would you define Nancy Meyerscore?
When you hear that term, what does that mean to you?
Well, I dont know whatcoremeans.
It means aesthetic, in this context.
This was Gartens first kitchen renovation in 25 years.
There is an aesthetic, whichlook, I really hate this coastal-grandma thing.
That wasnt the idea.
The idea was, Where does an educated, sophisticated, successful woman live?
When somebody buys a house in the Hamptons, its their second house.
Its like, where do I go to breathe?
Where do I go to relax, and what does that look and feel like?
Before we went to the Hamptons, Ina Garten was doing it at the Barefoot Contessa.
Meryl Streeps world inIts Complicatedis in Santa Barbara, and its the West Coast equivalent of that.
It is aspirational, but its comfortable.
Elegant has always been a little stiff and uptight.
Any tips on how to get that vibe?
When I design a set, it always starts with the container of space.
So rather than getting a few little objects and knickknacks, you start with the space.
You build it out with some kind of architectural detail, which can be clean and modern.
It can be a little bit beachy; it can be classic colonial Georgian.
It can be whatever your vibe is.
For me, places turn out better when you embrace the architecture thats there.
Its subtle, but theyre different.
What are the differences?
It was his own house.
Anybody can find a tchotchke.
The challenge is to not overclutter it up and to find the essential elements which live in the space.
It was really fun.
The next-door neighbors did each others houses, and it was cheap, accessible makeovers.
At a certain point its like, Fine, as long as you dont cook.
But I dont want pot roast in my bedroom.
You know what I mean?
Thats my new reality show: putting the walls back in.
We need defined spaces.
It will be a mess.
Be simple and limit the number of aesthetic choices, whether its the furniture or the fabrics.
Keep it clean and simple, and make it personal.
I thought, There needs to be color there, and they need to be images of women.
Theres something about her that draws you to her.
That was some representation of Katie and Ariana and the spirit of the world they were creating.
That made it personal.
The newest version of Ariana Madix?
Stronger, freer, andyesricher.
Because its all about merch.
I want what Nancy has.
People love the movies, the sets, and Nancys aesthetic because itsher.
Thats what people connect with.
You know what I mean?
My grandmother had a very specific design style, which has trickled down to everyone in the family.
Theyre in conversation with each other.
Somebody could walk into each of our homes and know were related somehow.
I think that is 100% right.
Nancy was really into this Belgian decorator, Axel Vervoordt, whos very well-known.
He takes ancient pieces but uses them in a modern way.
Each piece becomes a piece of sculpture in a big, open, modern space.
Its this eclectic mix, but the design process is to find what inspires you.
You dont just copy it, right?
How do you make it yours?
So lets say you’re decorating a living room.
You have four blank walls.
Do you start with the rug, the couch?
Whats the first thing?
Start with the things that are least flexible.
You cant havethemost important painting withthemost important rug withthemost important furniture.
Do you see what Im saying?
There has to be a visual hierarchy.
If everything is shouting at the same volume…its like in a symphony.
We have to build the room around these chairs.
There are no rules.
Im just describing for you in general how the process works for me.
Where can you find things that are personal and not too low-quality?
Well, there are a couple of things.
And believe it or not, you heard it here:Etsy.
And I do this for a living.
So one rule is if youre going to order online, double-check that they pay for the return shipping.
Dont be afraid to order four things and return three of them.
Go toart.com, and its unbelievable.
Art is a great way to be personal and build a style and a palette.
There used to be a feature.
Do you remember a magazine calledMetropolitan Home?
Its definitely before your time, because I can tell youre young.
It was a little bit more urban, and they had this feature called High Low.
I freaking loved it, and that was before the internet existed.
Now its so easy to go on Pinterest and get lost.
But find the room.
Not the 100 rooms.
Or three or four images that inspire you, and see if you might figure out the through line.
Is it the color?
Is it the floor?
Dont fall for the trap of, I love that pillow.
Yeah, its the whole thing.
Its the whole thing.
If youre thinking that I have the secret website that nobody knows, I dont.
But as I said, other than art, I tend not to start small.
If you get some pieces of art as inspiration and some rugs, is it going to be color?
Is it going to be light?
Is it going to be dark?
Is it going to be texture?
The easiest for me are some kind of Oriental or modern Oriental rug.
If you like a more traditional romantic aesthetic, if you start with that.
It sets the tone and then it goes from there.
Okay, so start big.
Of course, now I have to ask about the inverse of that.
Are there are any tchotchkes that are no-fails?
Like, every room must have the right coffee-table book or lamp?
Is there one smaller accessory item thatisworth having?
Well, I start with the practical stuff.
So if youre in a living room, youre going to have table lamps, right?
Am I going to have a coffee table, or am I going to have an upholstered ottoman?
It starts with those things, and then you build on top of it based on a style.
Find some smaller brand where you go, Oh, I want to live in every one of those.
Thomas OBrien has this shop in Soho calledAero Studios, and he has impeccable taste and great tchotchkes.
Its a great way to take something in a younger direction.
You sound like a woman in her late 20s, early 30s.
Go look upAerin Lauders stuff; its great.
If you want to be a New England WASP, go toRalph Lauren.
Ralph Lauren home stuff is classic and beautiful.
He makes one of the greatest roll-arm sofas you will ever, ever find.
If youve got a few bucks or just want inspiration, go toHolly Hunt.
Shes the best across the board.
Now shes got Vladimir Kagan, what I call the marshmallow furniture.
I have a feeling if youre going to buy the marshmallow furniture, youll be rebuying in five years.
The amoeba shape…/
Yes, its very of the moment.
But if you look at Holly Hunt across the board…shes this beautiful woman from Chicago.
Chicago to me is the ultimate American design city.
No offense to you in New York or me in Los Angeles.
Im from the Midwest, so thats nice to hear.
Oh my God, shes it.
Shes always been sophisticated, modern, urban.
Find somebody whos got a point of view.
And if you cant afford the real stuff, find the knockoffs.
Thats what the internet is great for.
If you cant afford a chair, do a Google Images search and youll find it for 300 bucks.
Itll last for a minute.
Timeless choicesthats the thing.
you’re free to also go somewhere like theMoMa Design Store, if thats more your style.
That was always great for small, interesting, well-designed elements.
If you want to go a little bit bigger, go toDesign Within Reach.
They get expensive, because they have the real stuff, but they have everything.
So whatisworth the investment?
If youre going to put money into one thing, where would you spend it?
They were in Alan Aldas office, and theyre these early-20th-century beautiful paintings of Chicago.
Its super simplenatural color, canvas, slipcover.
Lampshere is the truth: Im a visual comfort guy.
There is a company calledShades of Light, which I actually discovered and started using on Something About Her.
The sconces in that cafe are from Shades of Light.
I cannot explain it.
I have no idea how.
They have really great stuff.
Timeless choices are always good.
The joke with my husband is that we have a lamp in the living room that I love.
I just love it.
Its so distinct looking, but he hates it.
He thinks its the ugliest lamp hes ever seen in his life.
Thats a whole other thing, navigating the discrepancies in taste and style.
Until then, the lamp stays.
I was just talking to somebody about this exact thing.
Thats a design challenge.
Its not out of an online showroom.
Its your personal, specific house.
And to me, thats great.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Additional reporting by Stephanie McNeal.
For more with Jon Hutman, follow him on Instagram@jonhutmaninteriors.
