This Newport Beach Home Trades Coastal Calm for Glamorous Art Deco Drama

For a recent home refresh, Newport Beach interior designer Jeffrey Maynard went the polar opposite. At the clients’ behest, he transformed a beige-and-contemporary residence into something moody, intimate, dark and dazzling—a setting where the indoor-outdoor living trope does not apply—a place where the owners love to live and entertain inside.

“This was built as a spec,” says Maynard of the 7,400-square-foot, two-story Dana Point residence. “It was finished with a pretty contemporary interior.” However, the buyers—a couple who entertain a lot and enjoy hosting fundraisers—specifically asked for an Art Deco interior.

“Because of the home’s contemporary lines, we leaned into Art Moderne a bit more than actual Art Deco,” Maynard notes. “I was inspired by old-school Miami Beach buildings and the black, green and gold of the Carbide & Carbon building in Chicago,” he says, referencing the tower on Michigan Avenue designed in the 1920s by the Burnham Brothers.

Maynard toned down the light in the rooms by using a dark, graphite-hued plaster on most walls and ceilings, then dimmed the glow of pale floors on the first level with deeply toned and patterned area rugs. Several rooms were also clad in rich wood paneling, creating warm and inviting spots to gather or relax. 

Maynard added drama to the great room’s existing bar with a polished, stainless steel wine bar that reaches up to the mezzanine level. He also recast the mezzanine level’s bar with a backdrop that includes onyx and polished brass bars in the shape of a sun. New fluted wood columns, interspersed with patterned brass insets, add to the Deco/Moderne look of the rooms, as do Maynard’s designs for new brass and glass light fixtures.

The interior’s piéces de résistance are a wall mural for the great room and a circular ceiling mural for the mezzanine’s lounge. The artworks, explains Maynard, are custom Deco-influenced designs inspired by the homeowners’ interests and the ocean setting, and were created by Atelier de Ricou, a French studio known for art and architectural restoration and the creation of new works. 

“The pieces for this house were painted on canvas in France,” Maynard says, “Then they were installed, finished and waxed here on site. It was a great process, and we worked with the studio on the color palette and themes.”

For the dining room, the designer suggested a straw marquetry table, inlaid with a mother-of-pearl image of a panther, which is reflected in the mirrored tray ceiling. The vintage theme is complemented by Sapele paneling, a Paul Ferrante crystal palm leaf chandelier, and a Macassar ebony buffet. 

In the primary suite, a custom scalloped headboard made of burnished velvet and mahogany crowns the bedroom, where walls are clad in a textured gold covering. Sleep is encouraged by drawing the heavy silk draperies. In the primary bath, a custom silver and gold-leaf mirror, set against a wall clad in Cipollino Rosso marble, catches the eye.

Maynard also lent his touch to other rooms. In the office, a Vladimir Kagan desk holds court against walls clad in mahogany inset with polished stainless steel bands. In the sewing room, a custom cabinetry system stylishly stores supplies for the wife’s crafts. And in the entry, he took a sculpture by Dylan Lewis, a South African artist, that the owners found during a trip and used it as a base for a glass-topped table.

“I don’t always follow the current trends,” says Maynard, summarizing his work on the project. “These homeowners were open to ideas and willing to have their [design] boundaries pushed. The focus of this house is to make you want to be inside.”