STYLE : INTERIORS : Going for Baroque

Two years ago, furniture and interior designers Jeffrey Goodman and Steven Charlton moved into this 1938 bungalow in the flatlands of Los Angeles just off Melrose Avenue. “Every inch of the house was brown, from an ugly Berber carpet to the dark-stained red oak floors,” Goodman recalls. To create instant character, the two designers whitewashed the floors and painted a parquetry design in the hallway and Charlton’s home office. The walls were sponged with butterscotch-colored paint and then sprayed with water; the process yielded a translucent finish that both brightens and enlarges the small rooms.

But it’s the furnishings that add drama to this tiny three-bedroom house. The designers found pieces at auctions and flea markets, then extensively reworked them. The dining chairs, slipcovered to look like Medieval banners, now bear little resemblance to their faux Regency origins. Likewise, a gold sun mirror became a ceiling medallion. The real stars of the show, however, are the designers’ own unique swirling creations--the “Cherchez La Chaise” sofa, the “Grande Escargot” ottoman, the S-shaped “Swerve” floor lamp in the living room and the “Roulette” host chair in the dining room. All add a sense of movement and a touch of whimsy to the interior.

Upholstered in sensuous fabrics such as mohair, velvet and brocade and often trimmed with tassels, the American baroque furniture is “very romantic, sexy and comfortable,” Goodman says. It is also bold and theatrical. Which may be why so many celebrities, including Prince and Paula Abdul, own a piece or two, and Madonna, the high priestess of camp, has a “Grande Escargot” curled up at the foot of her bed.