He created the ultimate bachelor pad in this Hollywood rental

He moved to Hollywood -- and got serious about designing the perfect party pad.

By Lisa BooneStaff Writer

May 21, 2016 7:35 AM PT

Matty Pipes had a goal when he moved into his new home in Hollywood: Create a bachelor pad with a well-traveled look that did not look “decorator done.”

“It was an opportunity for me to change my narrative and feel great about it,” says the 34-year-old digital media strategist.

And he wasn’t letting the fact that he was renting hold him back.

He chose a two-bedroom apartment at Eastown, the large-scale complex that opened on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2014. He liked the apartment’s contemporary interior design details by Commune Design, amenities and a location that put him near restaurants, shops and the Hollywood/Vine subway station.

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And then there was the killer view of the Capitol Records building.

A view of the Capitol Records building from Matty Pipes' terrace.

“I love that I can walk to the ArcLight and Trader Joe’s,” Pipes says. “Some weekends I won’t leave my apartment because I have everything I need here.”

Pipes enlisted friends Andrew Stevens and Kim Swift of We Came in Peace, a design firm that typically stages parties and events.

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“We call ourselves an experiential design firm,” explains Stevens. “We specialize in creating connected spaces where people come together to have a moment and learn about something or have a good time.”

How does that translate at home?

The guest room feels like an escape for overnight guests as saturated layers of blue create an elegantly moody cave.

The designers started by painting the walls warm colors -- dark olive in the living room and kitchen area, chocolate brown in the master bedroom and teal blue in the guest room. (Building management was fine with it all.)

Stevens says their choices were a reflection of Pipes’ personal style.

“Matty’s bold and not afraid to take risks when it comes to fashion,” he says. “He also has the personality to pull off anything.”

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Working with the unit’s cork flooring and birch plywood cabinetry choices, the designers mixed old and new furnishings to create a series of experiences: The guest room feels like a blue cocoon for overnight guests as saturated layers of indigo create an elegantly moody cave. In the living room, a pull-down screen allows Pipes to transform the living area into a movie theater. And the terrace, complete with fountain, potted plants and the Capitol Records building in the background, is the perfect venue to host parties.

Stevens describes the interiors as “a little ‘Mad Men,’ a little Hollywood midcentury,” thanks to a selection of vintage lighting and furnishings from the Rose Bowl Flea Market, new custom furnishings and artworks by many of Pipes’ friends.

Instead of purchasing a costly wall unit, designer Andrew Stevens installed a pair of steel library shelves for display and had them painted "just like a car."

In the living room and open kitchen area, the designers added a narrow couch from Empiric along with a vintage rosewood credenza from the Hunt in Highland Park. Vintage lamps add an industrial feel, and a large hexagonal mirror from Nick Metropolis establishes an interesting geometry as you enter the living room. Instead of purchasing a costly wall unit, Stevens used a pair of steel library shelves. “We carried them across the street to the auto body shop and they painted them just like a car,” Stevens says.

A tour of the apartment confirms Pipes’ unconventional tastes: A striking pegwork artwork by Bradley Duncan hangs in the hallway, a vintage typewriter rests on a desk in the guest room and funky ceramic pieces by Ben Medansky are showcased throughout the apartment.

All of the objects are unique and out of the ordinary. “Everything needs to be touchable, tangible,” Pipes says. “I wanted everything real.”

As new development brings more residents to Hollywood, the neighborhood feels overwhelmed with new buildings and traffic. But We Came in Peace managed to create a sophisticated, cozy escape for Pipes that feels cut off from the bustling neighborhood.

“The social aspect of Hollywood is so great,” says Stevens who has hosted several events at Eastown including a gothic flower show last Valentine’s Day. “It was fun for us to get to flex our muscles in a residential way.”

Adds Pipes: “I am having a lot of fun living there.”

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The living room features a drop-down screen allowing Matty Pipes to host screening parties in his Hollywood apartment.