Amber Lewis Conjures Up a Family’s California Dream House

By Kristen Flanagan

Photography by Shade Degges

When Arvind and Swetha Movva decided to relocate their family of six from Chicago to Southern California in 2019, the couple fell in love with the bucolic views and lush grounds of a new-construction home in Hidden Hills. There was just one catch: “It looked like every other high-end home built in the past few years—generic and lifeless,” Arvind explains of the stark black-and-white interiors. Craving timeless, patinated finishes, the pair turned to Los Angeles–based interior designer Amber Lewis, who imbued the house with her signature style while retaining the original structure. “Her designs felt fresh but classic,” Arvind says. “We really love her thoughtful use of antique pieces that add so much depth.”

Over the course of the three-year project, the home has taken on a new identity. “There were rumors [swirling] about ‘the crazy people who bought a brand new house and tore it apart,’ especially given the density of celebrities in the neighborhood,” Arvind remembers with a laugh. Lewis, who is always up for a challenge, admits, “There was nothing wrong with the home before, it just wasn’t what the clients wanted.”

The entrance hall—previously an austere space with white walls, soaring ceilings, and glass partitions—is a prime example of the transformation Lewis and the Movvas were after. Today, hand-hewn beams, plaster-finished walls, and 12-inch-high base moldings lend texture and a sense of scale. These updates, coupled with a custom glass and brass-chain chandelier by Lindsey Adelman and layered vintage rugs, set the tone for a home that’s a delightful hybrid of California cool and classic European design. Notably, Philip Posen of Ingenuity Builders was closely involved with the entire construction process.

The reimagined living, family, and screening rooms, plus a dedicated playroom allow the Moovas, including Arvind and Swetha’s teen and tween children, to spread out. To keep the main gathering areas inviting and relaxed, Lewis employed a mix of custom upholstery, vintage furnishings, and antiques. For the playroom (formerly a full-service glam room), Lewis reconfigured the layout around antique glass-paneled French château doors. Through the doors, there are desks for homework, deep sofas covered in kid-friendly fabric for gaming and lounging, and a bunk room that any kid would envy. “Every surface, seating area, and open space has an intentionality to it,” Arvind reflects. “Among the six of us every room gets used!” Lewis adds, “It was important to me to create a number of areas with distinct purposes, so they wouldn’t constantly be in each other’s space.”

In the dining room, glass doors clipped in Euroline steel (a change Lewis made to all of the windows) fold away for indoor/outdoor entertaining. Inside, the designer furnished the room with a table that comfortably seats 12—a must-have for Swetha, who loves to host. In fact, Swetha’s favorite aspect of the whole home is in the dining room: It’s “the mural by James Mobley that was done over the Italian plaster with trees and birds picked by our four children.” The family also dines in the breakfast room, complete with a library and leather banquette seating.

Perhaps the most dramatic change occurred in the kitchen, where Lewis installed a coved ceiling clad in handmade Moroccan Zellige tile and hand-scraped oak cabinetry, stained a rich brown. At the hub is a single large island—half marble, half butcher block—which replaced the two smaller islands of the original floorplan. Vintage touches, like the chicken-wire glass that encases the cabinetry or the vintage bronze pendant fixtures sourced in France, solidify the kitchen’s old-world charm.

Lewis’s own favorite part of the project, the primary suite, is a testament to tranquil luxury. A sitting room with wood-paneled walls and burnt orange accents leads to the bedroom, which is swathed in neutral tones. The primary bath radiates warmth and style, courtesy of double showers with custom brass doors, fluted glass ,and two marble-topped vanities with tons of built-in storage.

Overall, the result is a California residence that showcases a phenomenal metamorphosis inextricably tied to the owners’ vision. Whether it’s the coalescence of the old and new in the kitchen or the tranquility of the primary suite, thanks to Lewis, the Movva home is now a space where function and aesthetic are beautifully intertwined.

Lewis had reclaimed white oak beams installed throughout the home. In the entry, the beams make the once cavernous hall feel cozy.

Arvind’s favorite aspect of the redesign is the foyer. “I usually hate how overdone entries tend to be. This space is full of light but doesn’t feel dominating,” he says. “The plaster walls and overhead light sculpture by Lindsey Adelman make the space beautiful and inviting.”

At the back of the entry hall, Lewis turned an unused nook under the stairs into a seating area, perfect for reading and relaxing. Through the glass doors is the media room, which is clad in black shou-sugi-ban-style wood paneling.

In the formal living room, Lewis removed a built-in fireplace surround in favor of a simple mantle that allows the exquisite breccia viola surround by Ryan & Smith to shine. Of the furniture, Lewis says, “We didn’t want everything to feel too matchy-matchy, but we wanted a cohesive color palette. So we floated two sofas in different shapes [but] the same fabric.” Custom wooden bookshelves flank the fireplace.

A custom sink, carved from a single slab of Carrara marble and sourced via 1stDibs, is the centerpiece of a first-floor powder room.

James Mobley was commissioned to paint the mural in the dining room, which the children helped to personalize. “They chose the specific types of birds and trees that are hidden in the mural that have significance to their family,” Lewis explains. The table, which can seat up to 14 people, is custom, surrounded by chairs from Jamb London. The chandelier is from Lucca Antiques.

The kitchen’s coved ceiling is tiled in a glazed zellige from Zia Tile. The 60-inch matte-black-and-brass range is the Citeaux Classique by Lacanche, and the apron-front burnished brass sink is by Officine Gullo.

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An oversized sectional in custom upholstery anchors the family room, which opens up to both the kitchen and breakfast room.

The custom millwork, including the library wall in the breakfast room, is from IWD Cabinets. Here, Lewis installed a plush leather banquette, long pedestal table, and custom upholstered chairs for family meals.

In the study, Lewis traded the hand-hewn beams for painted ones, paired with custom bleached oak built-ins. The custom solid brass desk is by Brian Thoreen.

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Lewis’s goal for the primary suite was to keep things serene, “with really beautiful calm colors but not sterile, just a really restful place to chill,” she says. The walls feature Texston Plaster’s Super Lucido Plaster with wax seal installed by Applied Plaster.

The artwork in the sitting area of the primary suite was sourced by Creative Art Partners.

In the primary bath, the soaking tub is flanked by two walk-in showers (one is a steam shower). The enclosures feature solid brass, honed Calacatta Paonazzo marble, and fluted glass.

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For one of the project’s littlest clients, Lewis went all in with pattern play, resulting in a fun yet sophisticated room that the daughter can grow into.

Another bathroom inside the home.

The bunk room—designed for epic sleepovers—is located off of the playroom. “This is a full kid zone,” Lewis says. “This room and the playroom were a gym and a hair salon that nobody was ever going to use.” Now, the bunk room features eight built-in beds, plus paneled walls and ceilings, for summer-camp vibes year-round.

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Off of the playroom, the children’s bath features tongue-and-groove paneling and a vintage schoolhouse sink from Nor’East Architectural Salvage.

In the children’s bedrooms, Lewis layered patterned textiles in soothing colors to achieve a playfulness that wouldn’t stray too far from the rest of the home’s classic design scheme.

This en suite bath, which features custom oak cabinetry, is bathed in classic neutral finishes from the marble countertop to the stone floor tiles.

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