Jill Connelly/The Globe and Mail
After moving to Los Angeles 15 years ago to study graphic design, Barrie, Ont., native Michelle Calvert opened Lucid Communications, a boutique public relations firm. She runs the company from her 1,500-square-foot, two-bedroom Hollywood Hills condo, located on the top floor of a 1940s building. (The five-storey complex was advertised as Hollywood's first luxury high-rise when it was originally built.) Calvert shares the space with her husband and fellow Canadian, Jason Croke, a director of marketing for Nettwerk Records. She frequently flies back to Toronto to meet with clients, who include local fashion and jewellery designers, hair stylists, restaurant owners and lifestyle-brand managers. After being on the road – sometimes for weeks on end – Calvert likes to unwind in her open-concept dining room overlooking Runyon Canyon Park. "It has a walk-out terrace with views from East L.A. to the Pacific Ocean," says Calvert, who uses the light and airy room to entertain friends and clients. "It's where food and drink and good times all naturally come together."
The credenza
"It's from IKEA and it holds all our favourite china. It was a tough decision getting that piece. I wondered if I should have bought something more substantial. But in the end, the price point was right and it fit right under the window, so we bought it."
The plants
"They come and they go. I do have a green thumb. But I travel often between L.A. and Toronto, meaning I leave them for my husband to water and often he forgets. They are replaced a lot. But when they are properly taken care of, they add a bright jolt of colour to an otherwise neutral room."
The bottle
"This is a bottle of Veuve Clicquot in its signature-orange insulated slip, which ensures the champagne doesn't go off. It was a gift from my best girlfriend for my first wedding anniversary. My husband and I, married now six years, have never been able to drink it because we just like looking at it. It brings back memories of the early days."
The light fixture
"We got this at West Elm in L.A. It gives an industrial yet modern feel to the room."
The table
"This was purchased at Casalife in Toronto for our tiny house there. It travelled with us to L.A. It's not the perfect size, but we like that we brought a bit of Toronto with us to California, so no complaints."
The chairs
"These are from ABC Carpet & Home in New York City. I like the contrast between the light wood and the black canvas. Black-and-white is my favourite combo. But what I like more is that they came from ABC – I love that store – and that they're director's chairs, which I thought perfect for living in Hollywood."