Studio City Farmhouse Mixes Maximalist Rooms

For Los Angeles homeowners, the project shows how distinct functional zones can sit within one large valley home.

Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Interior Decorating

Isometric editorial illustration of a pitched-roof farmhouse with its interior split into three differently colored stacked rooms on a plain field. — Demi Lovato bought a modern farmhouse in Studio City for $7 million during the COVID-19 quarantine, and designers Kat Bell and James Drew redesigned its 8,500-square-foot interior. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Demi Lovato bought a modern farmhouse in Studio City, in Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley, for $7 million during the COVID-19 quarantine period. Designers Kat Bell and James Drew redesigned the 8,500-square-foot home, which has six bedrooms and seven bathrooms.

Why it matters

The project shows how a high-end Los Angeles interior can mix maximalist styling with practical functions, from a glam room and fitting room to a recording studio in the converted pool house. For Los Angeles homeowners weighing renovations, it is a reference point for how a large valley home can be zoned for work, entertaining and rest.

The home sits on a two-car garage driveway and has a two-toned graphite-and-cream exterior. Its outdoor space includes a pool, hot tub, fire pit, outdoor kitchen and a netted play area for dogs.

The players

Demi Lovato

Pop singer and actress who bought the Studio City farmhouse and converted its pool house into a recording studio.

Kat Bell

Interior designer who co-led the redesign of the Studio City home with James Drew.

James Drew

Interior designer who co-led the redesign of the Studio City home with Kat Bell.

Eva Seta

Director of communications at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, hired to curate the home's art.

The details

Lovato's head of security connected her with designers Kat Bell and James Drew, who paired unexpected pieces and leaned into maximalism to create varied moods across the house. Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles communications director Eva Seta was hired to curate the art, which includes work by emerging artists Monica Kim Garza, Lilian Martinez, Hannah Epstein, Yasmine Nasser Diaz and Lola Rose Thompson. Interior features include a wet bar lounge, a soundproof home theatre, and a 'Shroom Room' with a mural ceiling painted by Jen Stark.

During the COVID-19 quarantine period, Lovato acquired the Studio City farmhouse.

The Home Front

Modern farmhouse conversions have become a recognizable template in the Los Angeles-area high-end market, where large valley properties are reworked for both family living and professional use. This project departs from the style's usual restraint by layering maximalist pieces over the farmhouse shell.

If you are planning a similar project, sketch out distinct zones for entertaining, working and resting before choosing finishes. Get any electrical work for a home theatre, recording studio or outdoor kitchen done by a licensed electrician or contractor.

The takeaway

A large home can serve several purposes when its rooms are planned around specific functions rather than a single look. Start by listing the uses you need, then choose the design approach that supports them.