Jill Connelly/The Globe and Mail
Last year, Vancouverite Jason Trotzuk, the founder and creative director of Canadian jeans brand Fidelity Denim, set out to rent a house in Los Angeles. It took eights months of searching before he landed a place, situated on an acre-sized lot in Laurel Canyon, that couldn't be better suited to a fashion designer inspired by rock 'n' roll: It's where the Smashing Pumpkins recorded their 2007 album Zeitgeist and where Stevie Nicks once lived with Mick Fleetwood. (George Harrison lived in the house next door.) The home's original owner, the late Western-wear designer Amy Hoban, began renting the place furnished in the 1970s to visiting actors and musicians attracted by the proximity to clubs on the Sunset Strip. At first, Trotzuk, who shares the house with his wife, Katina, and their two young children, wasn't sure he liked Hoban's buckaroo-inspired decor. But since moving in last year, using the home to launch the first U.S. subsidiary of his Vancouver-based company, he has warmed to its charm, leaving the interior untouched, save for the collection of guitars he added to the living room. "It's a combination of old Hollywood and rock 'n' roll," says Trotzuk of the living room, his favourite in the house. "It's also got the best view. When I look out the window I see a pool and palm trees."
The guitars
"One thing I love in particular about living in California is that this is where the Fender Stratocaster is from. Leo Fender [from Anaheim, Cali.] designed the model in 1954. I am a huge fan. I have up to 20 guitars, and most of them are Strats, but my favourite is a '58 Les Paul that I acquired 20 years ago. It's the best-sounding guitar in the world. In California, I play more often than usual. It's the weather. It's more conducive to playing than when I am [stuck] in my attic in Vancouver."
The books
"They are all nostalgic, looking back at old Hollywood and rock 'n' roll style. I use them as references for designing jeans. If I'm going for a [retro] feel, I definitely consult them."
The photograph
"These are cowgirls and my understanding is that Amy Hoban is among them. She was an early supporter of the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in Fort Worth, Tex. Her clothes, which she sold under her own label, appear in the books How the West Was Worn: A History of Western Wear and The Cowgirl Way: Hats off to America's Women of the West. I like this photograph because it is a black-andwhite that has been coloured by hand."
The chairs
"These are older than the Hills. They have their original legs and I keep having to fix the damn things. The chairs themselves are very comfortable. My son and daughter love them and won't sit anywhere else. The fabric is inspired by the American West."
The pillow
"That Western print is actually shirt material that Amy used for one of her designs. I just love it because it's got that classic Wild West feel. Back in the day, before they had router machines, they had to handprint this type of material. You can see that here, as not everything lines up."
The couch
"It's made of old brushed twill. It's rustic and outdoorsy – it's like lying on a blanket. It has that rugged-wear feel that you might associate with a favourite pair of worn-in jeans."