Via Donte by Ome Dezin

Jesse Rudolph and Joelle Kutner have mastered the fine line between honoring the past and imagining the future. Since 2020, the longtime friends and principals of design studio Ome Dezin have been lauded for breathing new life into some of Los Angeles’ most character-filled homes. Their latest project, Via Donte, has the glamour of an Italian palazzo thanks to its many exquisite vintage touches, yet feels as warm and welcoming as you would want a contemporary family home to be.

Photography by Nils Tim & Tessa Neutstadt

Tell us a bit about your career paths, and how you came to join forces.

Jesse: Joelle and I are both from the East Coast (I’m from Pittsburgh and Joelle is from Toronto, Canada) but we met in Los Angeles in 2013. I was working in food and beverage after I graduated from college but always had a passion and interest in architecture, so when I started my first career shift I dove into home renovation and design. Since moving from Toronto to LA to pursue a career as a film director, Joelle had fallen into working at various creative studios. As friends we were always talking about our projects, so we decided to join forces for one project that snowballed into many.


Describe the Ome Dezin aesthetic. Is there a common thread between the spaces you design?

Jesse: We let the home’s architecture and history be the starting point for the design direction. After that, our design is heavily rooted in using natural materials to ensure our spaces feel timeless. Materials like wood, marble, metal, stone, plaster and ceramics are some of our go-to’s. This palette allows us to layer various textures, furniture pieces, tapestries and art atop to create an interesting mise-en-scène specific to the home.

Give us a little insight into your design process. What strengths do you think each other bring to your partnership?

Joelle: What works best about this partnership is that we feel like we each carry 50% of the responsibilities; we are equally invested in the goals and objectives of the studio. We do have natural, individual strengths. Jesse is more analytical and detail-oriented while I am more about how a space evokes emotion. Our individual aesthetics or point of views are not exactly the same but there is a lot of overlap, allowing us to evolve and push one another. If we disagree, we sit back and let the other person have their moment while the idea naturally develops without butting heads.


You’ve worked on some incredible character-filled homes. Are there any historical periods of architecture that you get especially excited about?

Joelle: Lately I have been into late 1930’s Art Deco.
Jesse: Early 20th century Spanish is the most exciting to me.

Tell us about the brief for Via Donte. What were the client’s “must-haves” and where did they give you free reign?

Jesse: The house was designed for my large family who live on the East Coast but spend a lot of time here in LA – there are a lot of kids and dogs! The brief was to transform an early 2000’s house into a livable home with character. At 6,600 square feet, we wanted the home to step into its grandeur while feeling intimate. We leaned into a high-low concept by mixing a lot of found, vintage objects with new items, which is something we like to do across all projects.


What are some of the special handmade pieces and vintage finds that you sourced for this project?

Jesse: We sourced several items from a trip to Milan like the kitchen pendants, bar sconce, several accent chairs, the chair in the kids’ room and the entryway chairs. The Krokus lounge chairs in the den off the kitchen were sourced at the Palm Springs vintage market. We also had our friend, furniture designer Ben Willett, make a custom credenza for the den. When looking for special items, it's usually through travel, friends or flea markets where you can see and handle the objects in person.

We’re honored to have our Malawi rug featured in the living room. What considerations are front of mind when you are choosing a rug for a space?

Jesse: The first considerations are the essential items going into the space; are they bold in color and pattern or are they more muted? The rug anchors the space, like a beautiful plate to display a thoughtful meal. This is a large room with a lot of furniture pieces all in a similar color palette, so we were looking to bring in texture. The Malawi rug is perfect as it has this beautiful neutral color while adding warmth and interesting texture to the space.


Can you share any tips to ensure that a home will endure and evolve over time?

Jesse: Avoid buying all new. Mixing in vintage pieces will give a home the best chance of not feeling dated.

“Design shapes communities, and the communities shape design.”

How do you see the role of design in shaping communities going forward, especially in LA?

Joelle: Coming from the East Coast and having travelled well, we always say that LA is unique as its public architecture is not on display. Its history and character is actually found in its residential architecture. It’s important to us to restore homes as opposed to tearing them down, to preserve the stories and history of the city. You can walk around different neighborhoods and say, “I love that Tudor, the Californian bungalows, a Frank Loyd Wright mid-century or that 1920’s Spanish that Marilyn Monroe lived in.” Design shapes communities, and the communities shape design. There are artists, writers and creatives of all kinds living here and I think the demand to be inspired by your surroundings is stronger than ever.

Finally, what’s keeping you creatively stimulated?

Jesse: Having completely different styles of homes to work on. We have a wide range of designs we get the opportunity to work on because LA has so much to offer. It never feels stagnant. Currently we are working on a Mid-Century [and] a Tudor, and just completed a ranch-style home.
Joelle: My son – he is wowed by everything and is giving me a new appreciation for the little things.