At Home With: Kerry Bogus

For this edition of At Home With Commune, we spent a morning with Commune Interior Designer, Kerry Bogus. We learn about her charming neighborhood in the forested foothills and canyons of Sierra Madre as well as her hobby of shopping at estate sales.

What can’t you leave your place without?
Sunglasses and a fully charged phone.

What’s in your tote?
Always a tape measure and various surprise sketches from my youngest daughter.

What do you collect?
I love to go to estate sales. I like seeing people's houses and the things they collected and then I like to find my favorite items and take a piece of their collection with me. I'm addicted to collecting lamps and my most satisfying find was a vintage Noguchi/Knoll lantern from the 1940's.

What object means the most to you?
I made quilts for each of my three daughters that they've had their entire lives, they each remind me of their individual personalities.

What are you reading right now?
Currently at my bedside table is a book on the history of dollhouses and dollhouse furniture that I love to read before bed. During the pandemic I built and decorated a dollhouse for my kids and it became a bit of an obsession. I love miniatures and creating spaces with tiny things!

Do you have any rituals?
Always a half cup of coffee in the morning in bed delivered by my loving husband and then reading a book to my youngest daughter before she falls asleep at night. Great bookends to my day that help me feel grounded and happy.

Did you design or make anything here yourself?
Yes! We renovated the kitchen and bathrooms in our home — my husband is an architect so we have many lively discussions/battles on what will suit our lifestyles best. We usually end up in a place that neither of us envisioned, but is surprising, fun and functional.

What’s been the soundtrack lately?
If I'm being honest, I'm a big fan of Taylor Swift. I listen to her A LOT. I had the opportunity to see her Eras show in Los Angeles and took my 13 year old daughter as a birthday gift, it was completely amazing and one of the best shows I've ever seen. I also love country music - Beyonce's latest album is top tier.

What would be included on a map of your neighborhood?
Mary's Market, a sweet, tiny little breakfast spot that's hidden away in the Sierra Madre Foothills.

Are there spirits here?
It's possible, but nothing malevolent. It's often hard to tell if you live with ghosts...or children. Who keeps opening my bedroom window? We can never know.

Shoes on or off?
Shoes off!

Incense or Candle?
Incense - I'm a big fan of fireplaces and the smell of burning wood. If I don't have a fire going I like to have incense that smells like burning hickory.

Coffee or Tea?
Coffee, but just a little bit.