His turn: Designer Tommy Chambers renovates his 1923 duplex

Custom pendant lights and artwork installed up high make the small living room feel larger by drawing the eye up to the lofty barrel ceiling. A pop-up TV is housed in the nine-drawer chest at right which allows Chambers to hang several pieces of art when the TV is not in use.

The majority of the furnishings in Chamber’s duplex have dual (some even triple) purposes to give the rooms flexibility. Both the living room and study become bedrooms when needed, thanks to sofas that can be used as beds. The living room’s custom coffee tables serve as ottomans and tables and open up for storage.

A folding table top (stored when not in use) allows the dining table to serve 12. The photograph of a New York fashion show by Justin Beckman was actually a mistake but the artist thought Chambers might like it as her prefers “darker, spookier art,” he says.

Tommy Chambers has a snack while reading a newspaper in the dining room of his duplex in West Hollywood. In a fun twist, he lacquered the dining chairs in turquoise paint.

Whimsical items on the dining room table include a hand-carved wooden Italian tray, a papier-mâché bird from a trip to San Francisco and antique fireglass.

In the dining room, a still-life painting by Larry Collins hangs over a Japanese sword chest that belonged to Chambers’ grandfather. It now serves as a bar.

A 20-foot-long hallway was cut down to size with portieres that mark the entrance to the master bedroom suite. Behind the curtains, a pair of swing doors outfitted with a grosgrain ribbon bulletin board provides vertical space for Chambers to display family photos and other mementos.

Interior designer Tommy Chambers has been collecting art since he was a teenager. He has more than 200 pieces of art, including this oil painting he found at the Melrose Trading Post.

Tommy Chambers, right, and husband Todd Kusy prepare a snack in the kitchen of their duplex in West Hollywood.

The kitchen features Ann Sacks tiles and Walker Zanger stone.

The second bedroom in Tommy Chambers’ two-bedroom duplex doubles as a home office and guest bedroom thanks to a sofa that pulls out into a queen-size bed.

A bright yellow table offers a burst of color in the office.

On the walls: paper-backed fabric from Cowtan & Tout.

Artwork hangs in the kitchen above glazed tile.

During renovation, Chambers found space to add a powder room for guests. He then proceeded to decorate it with a mix of luxurious materials to make the most of its miniscule size. “By hanging fabric curtain panels instead of installing a door in the shower opening I was able to keep its interior in view,” Chambers said. “It makes the bath feel larger and allows it to act as a light well for the room thanks to a skylight located in the shower.”

The master bath features a mix of marble and hand-glazed ceramic tile. “I popped out a bay window to add 12 inches to the shower width, which allowed for a bench and recessed shelves for sundries,” said Chambers. The outcome: A roomy shower without changing the footprint.

To save sapce, Chambers installed a two-sided headboard in his master bedroom. “It is two separate upholstered pieces butted into the corner and installed with flat-cleat hangers,” Chambers said. “I had to come up with something that would allow more floor space in such a small room.”

A view of the patio from the master bedroom.

And after: Tommy Chambers, right, and husband Todd Kusy relax on their patio behind their West Hollywood duplex. The firepit is one of the designer’s favorite features. “Hearth is where the home is,” he said.

Fresh blooms, an offering, rest on a Buddha statue on the deck behind Chamber’s interior design office. Off of the deck, the home’s garage has been converted into a private gym for fitness trainer Todd Kusy’s Found Fitness personal training business.

The outdoor deck serves as a fitness studio where Kusy can work with clients.

The south duplex serves as Tommy Chambers Interiors, Inc. while Chambers resides in the north unit.

Tommy Chambers runs his interior-design firm out of a duplex in West Hollywood.