The Casa Residence / Laurel Canyon, CA

At Mutuus, we believe that the furniture and objects that we choose to surround ourselves with tell a story. We collect and inherit things throughout our lives, each object serving as a touchpoint to the past, a cherished memory, or simply a spirit of appreciation for something that is well crafted.

Laurel Canyon has a rich history connected to music and continues to draw creatives from around the world to its mountainous range in the Hollywood Hills. Originally built in 1923, the Mediterranean home - charmingly nicknamed “The Casa” - withstood a devastating fire in 1959 and remains one of the few older homes left in the neighborhood. The original owner was a woman named Lilia Rudas, a concert pianist from Vienna who willed her Piano to the home. People like Henry Miller and Anais Nin were frequent guests for Sunday concerts in the parlor and it was rumored that John Legend and Sia and St. Vincent recorded on the very piano that sits in the living room to this day.

The current owner, actress and television producer Brigitte Bako, met the son of Lilia (Peter Rudolfi who was the principal cellist at the San Francisco symphony), and helped Brigitte purchase the home over two decades ago. We embarked on collaborating with Brigitte to both restore and revitalize the Casa to bring it back into harmony with its surroundings. For us at Mutuus a home is not just the architecture, nor the objects, but the complete environment and the atmosphere…which includes the smell, the mood, and the music.