LA Modern

All photos by Richard Powers

I was watching Four Christmas's the other night and I couldn't help but notice one of the location homes used at the beginning of the movie I had visited myself a couple of years ago. When I was there with photographer Richard Powers it was a perfect sunny LA day and the owner Steve Shaw was as gorgeous as his home.

Born in Manchester, ex-boyfriend to Dannii Minogue, photographer Steve started his career in Miami as a cruise-ship photographer. In 1998 he swapped Hawaiian-shirt-toting holidaymakers for celebrities in Los Angeles: think sexy yet timeless images of A-list glitterati - from Hilary Swank to Scarlett Johansson, Jessica Alba and Kylie Minogue - for glossy magazines such as Vogue, Esquire and British ELLE. His eye for high-impact style came in handy when creating his Venice Beach pad. Inspired by his childhood obsession with James Bond's boys' toys and his love of American architect John Lautner's seminal buildings, Steve designed and built this home combining industrial sleek with sensual Seventies textures. The result is LA-style modern luxe, with a voluptuous vintage. Does it deliver as a bachelor pad? "I have my Aston Martin parked in the garage and I photograph beautiful actresses in the studio, so yes! The other night when a Hollywood producer friend held a screening here, I used one remote to turn down the lights, shut the blinds and open the curtains hiding the screen. This house has fufilled my boyhood fantasies!" says Steve.

If you have any questions about furniture or textures please ask in the comments

Brent Bolthouse - American Dream

I was channel flicking this afternoon and found myself watching MTV's show The Hills. Please don't tell anyone! The show instantly sent my mind back to when I went to the creator and actor of the shows AMAZING home. 

First meeting Brent Bolthouse I instantly had a huge crush. Good-looking, super successful and a lover of restoring old masters how could I not. 

In Hollywood, some say your cool credentials depends on whether you've received an invitation to a Brent Bolthouse production party. Dubbed the 'King of LA Nightlife', this party-planner has a golden Rolodex bulging with A-list contacts - Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz and Lindsay Lohan to name just a few. 

Like many Hollywood hopefuls, the potential of this Los Angeles home had been overlooked - until discovered by Brent, a passionate buyer with an eye for true star quality. 

But with a glamorous 'day' job that essentially means working all night, this is one man who is in desperate need of time out in the best and most relaxing surroundings, which explains why he says his greatest indulgence is his home. 

Located in the East Hollywood Hills, with sweeping views of the city below and the San Gabriel Mountains in the distance, the home was designed by legendary American architect John Lautner. 'It's not a large home by LA standards, but Lautner's design means that it never feels claustrophobic', says Brent. 

I found it tough to get this house published and looking at the beautiful pictures by photographer Richard Powers again I do scratch my head and wonder why. This house is a star who deserves to be in the spotlight. 

You can check out more of this story and the history of the home in this months Australian Inside Out magazine.