Welcome to the second installment of my new series of home tours featuring some of the most unique and authentic dwellings around, guided by the people who devotedly created them. I am incredibly fortunate to live “where the mountains meet the sea” as Topanga reportedly means in the Tongva language. The Wren Rock House exemplifies the true spirit of Topanga Canyon in every sense. Cradled amongst the colossal rock outcroppings of the Santa Monica Mountains, it is a a home brimming with character and poetry. Friend and owner Jessica Janney treated me to tea and a tour as her dog Astrid trailed along. Walking the property, it felt as if the cabin and the gargantuan boulders were engaged in a conspiratorial banter going back to the 1920’ s when Topanga became a weekend refuge for Hollywood bohemians. As Jessica prepares to sell Wren Rock, she is already feeling nostalgic about the uncommon world she has forged here for 16 years. (Scroll down to shop the look!)

1. Define your interior design / décor philosophy in 3 words

Heart . Immersion. Light

Living room || vintage books including poetry by Jessica’s father Frank Janney || a window framing the massive rock formations outside

2. What’s the most sentimental thing in your home and why?

An Audubon print that was a gift from my brother. It is of swallows feeding each other which (to me) represents timeless love and connection and always having each other’s backs.

James Audubon print - Photo by Jessica Janney

3. What about your home delights you the most?

Wildlife immersion: lizards, snakes, skinks, birds, owls, hawks, jays, wrens, orioles, bats, big cats, deer & coyotes. Monoliths embedded with quartz. Privacy yet community. Spectacular views

4. Describe the sounds and smells in and around your home?

It starts with my mini rooster and the canyon wren have lived here since long before us, and in the evenings, we hear the great horned owls. Our house is located for most of the year just above the fog. Sometimes I almost smell the ocean. Citrus blossoms remind me of childhood in Granada, Spain.

Vintage heirloom silver tea set and modern bird vase by LA based ceramicist Linda Hsiao of Knotworks (see Shopping below for link) | clawfoot tub takes center stage in the open primary bedroom

5. Where do you enjoy shopping for furniture and accessories?

Mostly hand-me-downs, flea markets in small towns, Etsy. It’s not the brand, it has to move you. Handmade things made by loved ones like Grandma’s desk and a little CB2 to fill in the blanks. Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec pieces - I like their thin lines and transparency, which allows the outdoor landscape to shine. I have one of Ronan‘s paintings in the she-shed.

6. What steps have you taken (or plan to take) to reduce your environmental footprint at home?

I re-use and try to reupholster with organic fabrics. I dream of having a house that is much like a living thing consuming energy, but also putting out energy.