The best design is impressive, but approachable. It makes you say 'wow,' but also makes you feel like you could sit down and put your feet up. Ellen Pompeo's living room perfectly embodies this balance with her impressive conversational seating.
The actor's living room idea, like the rest of her Malibu beach house, was updated by the iconic, internationally acclaimed Martyn Lawrence Bullard.
Ellen purchased the mid-century modern home in 2013 and brought Martyn in around 2022 to breathe new life into its 1930s bones. Working together, they aimed to create a space that was comfortable enough for a family but retained the home's high style.
In the living room, a crucial element to achieving this balance is the stunning conversational seating. Two mid-century armchairs face a modular de Sede sofa (similar to this one at 1stDibs) across a low coffee table. The room is stunning, but not so elevated that one can't imagine cuddling up for a family movie night.
Martyn explains: 'We wanted laid-back luxury … with a wink to California’s golden era. A low-slung vintage de Sede sofa sets the tone … relaxed, sculptural, and impossibly chic.'
Recreate Ellen's Mid-Century Modern Style at Home
No matter your budget, you can achieve a similar look using natural materials and interestingly shaped furnishings. Here are our editors' picks.
I couldn't be without my portable lamp. I no longer have to worry if my side table is close to a power outlet and I can carry this lamp from room to room. Plus, the gorgeous gold color is the perfect splash of color.
This gorgeous mid-century modern style chair is over 40% off as part of Wayfair's early Black Friday sale. It is a statement way to capture this trend, and this armchair is a design classic that will endure.
This decorative bowl looks like stone but is actually hard-carved wood – making it ideal and lightweight for homes with younger children. This neutral color scheme will fit in with just about any interior style or color scheme too.
According to Martyn, achieving this balance happens because of a subtle interplay between walls and seating. Thus, if you want to recreate the style of Ellen Pompeo's beach house at home, consider mixing casual pieces with more outwardly glamorous mid-century modern pieces.
He advises: 'The walls are wrapped in rare Black Agatha marble … moody and magnificent … creating the perfect backdrop for the bold Elliot Hundley artwork from Regen Projects, which sparkles with color and texture. Every element was chosen to feel warm … modern … and effortlessly elegant – just like Ellen herself!'
Ellen Pompeo's gorgeous living room seating is proof that your design doesn't have to fit into just one style to be beautiful. Instead, it's in the 'and' that true art emerges.
