Scarlett Johansson and Serena Williams’ Fashion Designer Dalia MacPhee Unveils L.A. Dream Home Where She Dresses Celebrities

Fashion designer Dalia MacPhee has dressed countless celebrities in gowns from her eponymous clothing line, including Scarlett Johansson, Serena Williams, and Hilary Duff, seen on red carpets and magazine covers.

So when it came time to outfit the Los Angeles home where she dreams up new styles and welcomes her famous clients, MacPhee made sure to customize the property with the same care she applies to couture.

The Canadian-born designer bought her ranch-style home in 2023 in the Toluca Lake neighborhood of L.A., where “there’s a lot of celebrities in the neighborhood,” MacPhee says. Plus, it's a convenient location for Hollywood stars to stop by for personalized styling sessions.

Shortly after moving into the 1939-built, 1,900-square-foot home in the upscale locale in the San Fernando Valley, MacPhee discovered a surprising common thread in the area that stitched together her early career days with her present-day home: MacPhee and her dog, Lilly, befriended a new neighbor who happened to be related to one of MacPhee’s most pivotal clients.

“Hilary Duff was kind of like the first big celeb I got, and it was a really big deal,” she explains. “It was a two-page spread in Seventeen magazine, and I think it might have made some of the covers as well. This was way back when, and she was, like, 16 at the time. But it was a big deal as a designer to get that.

“When I moved into the neighborhood, you know how dogs become friends with other dogs? My dog became friends with this other dog, and I’m hanging out at that neighbor’s house down the street, and I start talking about what I do, and the mother goes, ‘My daughter is Hilary Duff,’” recalls MacPhee.

“Of course, I pull up this photo and I’m like, ‘I’m sure you don’t remember this, but this photo helped catapult my brand.’ That’s kind of a cool story of things going full circle.”

While the home was custom-designed to reflect MacPhee’s personal style and encourage her creative flow, it’s the hybrid dining room/library she calls "the castle room" where she feels best building her fashion empire.

In the latest installment of our Celebrity Sanctuary series, MacPhee sketches out the unique decor details she wove together to create a home that fits her like a glove.

I live in Toluca Lake, a neighborhood that feels like a hidden gem in Los Angeles. It has this warm, small-town energy, the kind of place where you could knock on a neighbor’s door to borrow a cup of sugar. That sense of friendliness and community instantly drew me in.

I chose this home because it was the perfect blend of location and potential. Toluca Lake has such a unique charm, it almost feels Canadian, with its village-like warmth and neighborly spirit. The house itself had great bones and, most importantly, great energy. I’ve always believed you can feel the soul of a place when you walk in, and this one just felt right.

I have an office/showroom in the house, and so I’ll have celebrities come by all the time and dress and fit them and whatnot. The house kind of gives them good luck and good energy. Most recently, Kate Flannery from “The Office” just wore a couple things over Emmys weekend. I have a showroom downtown, but they always prefer coming to the house.

I’ve poured a lot of love into reimagining this space, starting with the essentials: lighting, paint, wallpaper, and decor. I leaned into a midcentury modern twist, but with my own eclectic spin. Some rooms are moody with deep colors, others brighter, but they all connect in a way that feels cohesive while still giving each room its own personality. It’s like a dress with prints and solids that shouldn’t work together but somehow do.

I was completely hands-on. At one point, I thought about bringing in another designer, but ultimately  trusted my instincts. For me, design isn’t just about a look, it’s about a feeling. I had a vision, and I wanted every choice to be rooted in that.

[Decor inspiration came] mostly from intuition. I draw inspiration from travel, from moods, from colors that make me feel something. I wanted each room to feel like stepping into a different place, almost like traveling without leaving home.

One of my favorite challenges was the living room. Its asymmetrical shape felt off at first, but I solved it with textured 3D wallpaper on two walls, which tricks the eye and balances the space. The pattern looks like tree bark, so it adds warmth and a touch of nature.

Lighting was the biggest transformation. Honestly, I almost didn’t buy the house because it felt too dark. Once I started layering lighting and letting myself imagine what it could be, everything clicked. Now the house glows the way I always pictured it.

My sanctuary is what I call the "castle room," a dining room/library hybrid that feels like stepping into another world.

The castle room is layered with dark, moody colors and rich textures. Imported French tile sets the foundation, wood-beamed ceilings soar overhead, and an ornate wood-burning fireplace brings warmth. Candles everywhere create that old-world glow, artwork dresses the slate walls, and a library nook with a velvet garnet sofa ties it all together. 

Windows look out onto lush greenery, which softens the drama with a sense of calm.

It was really important that I had a long dining table that could seat at least 14 people, because I wanted to always have life in the room. The table needed to kind of feel like carved wood, so that was really important, and [have] comfortable chairs so people could hang out for a long time. The chairs have [a] velvet touch.

It’s where I host long dinner parties, where I cook and bring people together. But it’s also where I go for quiet reflection, to read, to write, to sketch out ideas, even to spread fabrics and do fittings for my design work.

It’s a room where creativity and connection coexist. And tucked among the shelves are pieces that matter deeply to me: a chandelier that belonged to the prior owner’s family, ornate mirrors that catch the candlelight, a sofa I’ll never part with, and a framed poem I wrote for [my] beloved departed horse Wolfie, surrounded by photos of us together. Those details give the room its soul. In a way, it’s where the magic happens.

The chandelier from the prior owner’s family is one of my treasures. It connects the house to its history. The framed poem for Wolfie and the photos of us together are irreplaceable—they make me feel like he’s still here with me. The sofa is one of those pieces that has seen so many chapters of life, it feels like family. And the candles, they transform the room every single day.

The chandelier, mirrors, and sofa add history and sentiment, while Wolfie’s tribute and my creative projects keep the space alive and personal. The swords hidden around the room add a sense of character and surprise. It’s eclectic, dramatic, and deeply me.

Sanctuary is the place that reminds you who you are. It’s where you can breathe, find inspiration, and feel unconditional love. The castle room does that for me. It’s both lively and soulful, a modern-day great hall where I can gather others or come back to myself.

The castle room gives me permission to step away from the busy world. When I’m in there, I’m not working in the traditional sense; I’m reconnecting, creating, or resting. It holds space for the more intentional side of life.

I make sure to spend time in it every day, setting intentions for the week. I spend hours in there, sometimes alone, sometimes with others. I cook, host, read, write, or just sit by the fire. It’s where I slow down and remember what matters, but it’s also where I create.

A perfect day starts with a quiet coffee, a book, and Lilly curled up nearby. Later, friends gather around the table for a long dinner, candles glowing, music in the background, and laughter filling the room. And in between, I might sketch, invent, write, or lay out fabrics for a project. It’s the balance of solitude, creativity, and togetherness that makes it perfect.

Guests always notice the atmosphere. They say it feels both cozy and grand, like walking into a different time and place. The best compliment I’ve gotten is that it feels magical—and that’s exactly what I hoped for.

I’m very happy with it. It feels like me. But I also believe homes evolve as we do, so it’s always a living, breathing project. For now, though, it’s exactly what I need.