They Run Hedley & Bennett. Naturally Their Yucca Valley Airbnb Is Simple But Stylish Too
The husband-and-wife duo behind the kitchenware brand are no strangers to design projects. But when they bought a 1960s desert home to overhaul it as a second residence, they learned a lot in the process.
Floral, polka dot, jalapeño orange—there’s no shortage of color when it comes to the popular aprons and cooking accessories from kitchenware brand Hedley & Bennett. Bright hues and functional details define not only the products, but also the creators behind them. Since founder and CEO Ellen Marie Bennett and her husband Casey Caplowe met in 2012, the two have combined their creative and entrepreneurial spirits both professionally (Casey works as the brand’s chief creative officer) and on other personal passion projects. In their decade together, they’ve sketched, built, and remodeled their home in Los Angeles; designed custom treehouses that function as hybrid workspaces at the brand’s HQ; and, most recently, flipped a 1960s Yucca Valley homestead into a colorful Airbnb.
Photo by Casey Caplowe
The two met when Casey, who studied architecture at Brown University (but didn’t pursue it for his career), was about halfway through the three-year process of rebuilding his Echo Park home that had been damaged in a fire. A mutual friend sat them next to each other at a group dinner; they started dating shortly after, and Ellen jumped right into helping Casey bring the house back to life. Since then, collaborative design ventures have punctuated nearly every stage of their relationship. "There hasn’t been a year that Casey and I have been together that we have not done a project of some sort," Ellen says.
The two leverage their different perspectives and strengths to complement each other. Casey thrives in concepting; he brings the technical details into focus, sketching and building rooms and structures. Meanwhile, Ellen transforms ideas into actions, coordinating with contractors or finding the exact blend of paint colors to get the perfect tone. "A lot of the time it starts with Casey’s concept," she says. "We just kind of finish each other’s sentences on the pieces where we’re not as strong."
Photo by Casey Caplowe
The couple’s latest design overhaul started a year into the pandemic. They were seeking out a new side project for Casey to pour into, and after visiting a friend in Joshua Tree, they worked with a real estate agent to scout properties in the area. The agent showed them an off-market ranch house in nearby Yucca Valley that Ellen felt had a lot of potential. They bought it in early 2021 with the intention of turning it into their vacation home; about a two-hour drive from L.A., the pair thought it would be a great place for them to unwind and host friends. But two weeks after closing, Ellen found out she was pregnant. The couple realized that frequent getaways would be challenging with a newborn, so they decided to transform the 750-square-foot desert home into an Airbnb that reflects their personal styles and the surrounding landscape.
Clean lines complement the angled roof.
Photo by Casey Caplowe
See the full story on Dwell.com: They Run Hedley & Bennett. Naturally, Their Yucca Valley Airbnb Is Simple But Stylish Too
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