Hollywood actors Mary Steenburgen and Ted Danson’s creative lifestyle called for a retreat where they could host family and friends, rehearse scripts and get some writing done. “Because everything we do starts with a written sentence, whether it is acting or writing songs, we wanted a distance that pays homage for writing,” Steenburgen says. “Movies are rehearsed here, songs are written — we wanted it to be an area that breeds creativity”
After assembly architect Chantal Dussouchaud of Atelier de Chantal at a café at Isle sur la Sorgue, France, Steenburgen recognized she’d read about the designer at a magazine and had been inspired by her fashion. She knew their alliance was meant to be. “There was something familiar about her,” Steenburgen says. Together they established a family-oriented guesthouse in the couple’s home in Ojai, California, furnishing it with bits from Steenburgen’s store, Rooms & Gardens.
Guesthouse at a Glance
In the home of: Mary Steenburgen and Ted Danson
Location: Ojai, California, a small town in the hills east and south of Santa Barbara
Size: 1,000 square feet; two bedrooms; 1 bath, loft
That’s interesting: Steenburgen’s son, Charlie McDowell, is shooting his first feature movie on the property.
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Steenburgen and Danson just desired the guesthouse to possess large bookcases, as a celebration of writers and writing. Dussouchaud designed a floor-to-ceiling library to fit inside the footprint of the house’s unique structure.
“I adore that by the moment you walk at the front door, you are walking under bookcases — you are literally walking under the written sentence,” Steenburgen says. “Ted and I believe that we owe so much to the writers that we have been blessed to use; what starts with them. We’re both enthusiastic readers, and that has been a huge part of our journey”
In fact, everyone in the family is an active author. Danson composed Oceana, a book about ocean conservation. Steenburgen writes songs for Universal Music Publishing Group. Their son recently finished his first publication, and their daughter writes songs.
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Steenburgen and Danson were rather happy that Dussouchaud was able to fit in two bedrooms, a bath, a small loft space with two single beds plus this spacious living, dining and kitchen area.
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Steenburgen decorated the distance, pulling inspiration from her adventures and from Rooms & Gardens, a furnishings store she co-owns that has outlets in Santa Barbara and Santa Monica, California. “This is a home full of treasures of our own lives, and hopefully everyone who walks through the door feels a feeling of welcome,” she says.
A photograph of musician Captain Steak Heart by rock ‘n’ roll photographer and close friend Guy Webster is displayed in the corner of the excellent room. “Your home should tell people that you are the moment you walk in the door,” Steenburgen says. “I don’t relate to rooms that have been beautifully designed but seem like they could belong to anybody.”
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“The very first time I saw the way a house is built in California, with 2-by-4 or 2-by-6 articles, it intrigued me,” says Dussouchaud. “I liked the idea that there was a hollow space between the walls, but at the same time I thought it had been a small waste of space”
To use just a bit of that distance, Dussuchaud had builder Floyd Streigel leave a section over the cooker undrywalled, adding plaster to create small shelves. “It’s a wonderful trick,” she says.
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Steenburgen’s mother and her childhood home in Arkansas inspired her decor aesthetic. “My mom always made our home beautiful with no cash whatsoever by adding colour and DIY projects,” Steenburgen says. “I recall I went away to go to my cousin, and when I came back my mom had completely redecorated my bedroom. It was my fantasy room. My mom had this kind of grace about her where she would really express herself”
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Movie rehearsals often happen in the guesthouse, therefore Steenburgen and Danson desired a desk large enough for everyone to sit around, reading scripts.
Table, seats: Richard Mulligan
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French doors open the home to a porch with perfect seating for enjoying the view of the Ojai Valley.
Steenburgen had moved from Ojai after living there for a long period of time, “but that this house drew me back in,” she says. “Whatever you do in the Ojai Valley, you are taking a look at something amazing. I like the passion and commitment the people here have about keeping Ojai unique and beautiful.”
She periodically works for its Ojai Land Conservancy, promoting their commitment to preserving the natural areas of the Ojai Valley.
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A hallway contributes to the main bedroom; a stairway contributes to the second bedroom and the bath. The floors are oak.
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An antique chest with a modern countertop combines new and old in the bath. “I love combining modern with conventional, expensive design with cheap design,” says Dussouchaud. “I have a fantastic eye for spotting something unique at a thrift shop or something ordinary that will become outstanding once put in another environment.”
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“We didn’t want it to only be a one-bedroom guesthouse — we wanted it to be a distance that may fit a family comfortably,” says Steenburgen.
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Most of bedding bits and the textiles are from Steenburgen’s store.
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“The loft isn’t a necessary room,” Steenburgen says, “however, the low beam makes it an enjoyable attic space. It’s a great incentive for those children to sleep and play, and is another space to store photographs.”
A wall of chalkboard paint provides a place for writing and drawing.
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A mobile light in the stairway by German designer Ingo Maurer came with poem fragments and quotes as well as blank pages so the family can add their own content. Steenburgen added some watercolors she painted, as well as poems and song lyrics.
Shannon Malone
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Both bedrooms open into the veranda, among Steenburgen’s favorite places in the home. Dussouchaud enjoys the view of it from the gated entry.
The couple worked with Jessica Thompson of Green Goddess Gardens and landscape designer, Pamela Burton, who is both their neighbor and friend to design their gardens.
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Steenburgen saw the place years ago as it was owned by comedian and talk-show host Ellen DeGeneres. “It was a beautiful falling-down barn at the moment,” says Steenburgen. The property was later purchased by another owner, who tore down the barn and flipped the guesthouse into a meditation center. “It was ideal for their needs however completely imperfect for mine,” says Steenburgen. “It had been built so the windows weren’t facing the beautiful view of the Ojai Valley.”
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An outdoor shower on the porch provides yet more viewpoints. “I love to stand there and look out at the hills,” Steenburgen says. “The hills in Ojai are changing and always another colour. They have a mist that rests on them at the morning; it is so otherworldly.”
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“The 1 design dilemma for me personally was to respect the beautiful nature around the guesthouse and to design a construction that would suit the personality of the chief house,” Dussouchaud says.
The principal house (not shown) is a conventional California-ranch-style home, with large patios around the house and white board and batten siding. Both structures have roofs made from composite shingles.
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A rose grows at a welcoming arch across the guesthouse’s main entry.
After working on this project, Dussouchaud and her family spent some time in Ojai before moving back to Europe, and they continue to visit regularly. “Working on this project made me find an Unbelievable area of California, which I wish to call home,” she says. ” I love the energy of Ojai and the people there, who create it a very special place.”