Model Jasmine Tookes Built Her Dream Home from a 1950s Canyon Property

Instagram helped Victoria’s Secret model Jasmine Tookes create the home of her dreams.

Jasmine Tookes in the master bathroom of her new L.A. home.

“This was the first home that I saw and said, ‘Wow, I need to go see this in person!’” recalls Jasmine Tookes of the 1950s canyon property she now calls home. “Right when I walked in, I knew it was the one because it felt light and airy. It had a great energy.” Tookes, a Victoria’s Secret Angel previously based in New York City, had owned a house in the Hamptons, but between renovation headaches and her travel schedule, she never had the chance to make it hers. This time around, things would be different. “New York was great for 10 years, but it was time for a change. I grew up in Huntington Beach and felt it was time to move back—I missed the California lifestyle,” she explains, adding that her Southern California family and boyfriend were part of the pull. “I also have a hard time being so far away from a beach. Now, I’m not far at all!”

As the deal closed, Tookes began looking for a designer. “I use Instagram for all of my research, and once I came across Design Works, I was immediately drawn to their aesthetic.” The firm, headed by Robin Strickler, is based in Orange County and known for creating inviting, coastal-inspired spaces—just what Tookes wanted. “She needed something nice to come home to and asked for a monochromatic palette that reflected her clean and modern style,” says Strickler. But there were some projects to tackle first: refinishing the wood floors, some new drywall, lots of repainting, remodeling bathrooms and replacing the fireplace. “We added a reclaimed-wood mantel and soft-blue-green tile from Pratt & Larson. That really drove the whole space,” says Strickler.

Designer Robin Strickler created seaside ease in the living area with a soft palette and light-wood furnishings.

With those updates done, Strickler and Tookes turned to furnishings. They focused on soft linen fabrics, a sink-into sofa and custom light-oak pieces from Community Manufacturing. “But we also wanted distinctive aspects,” adds Strickler, noting the leather-accented chairs in the living and dining areas. They kept the existing kitchen appliances and marble countertops but added a striated Walker Zanger tile backsplash that evoked what Strickler calls “a beachy feel.” In the office, they went for “a moody Kelly Wearstler vibe” with dark palette and artwork from Visual Contrast. In the master bedroom, a soft-pink grass-cloth wallcovering from Phillip Jeffries led the design. “Jasmine was very specific about using the blush color,” recalls Strickler. Her bathroom, too, has an edge with its bold Richards & Sterling floor tile and dark-metal accents. “It’s a retreat,” says Strickler of the inner sanctum. “Not too feminine, just serene.”

Custom pieces in the master bedroom form a cocoonlike retreat for the busy model.

“I enjoy coming home,” reflects Tookes. “Robin makes you really want to live in the space.” But Tookes also enjoys the tranquility of canyon life. “This house is far away from the madness of Hollywood and Venice,” she explains, adding that guests always comment on the peaceful, countryside feel—a far cry from the hustle of Manhattan. “I like to feel new beginnings,” she says. “I’m always about starting fresh.”

From top: A Lindsey Adelman chandelier illuminates the dining area, where Tookes hosts holiday dinners; Strickler carried beachy touches into the guest room with a rope lamp from the Jeffrey Alan Marks Collection for Palecek.