Culture

Feeling California

Host extraordinaire Nathan Turner pays homage to his home state in his new book I Love California

Designer, decorator, and Hall of Fame–caliber dinner party host Nathan Turner has California hardwired into his DNA. A fourth-generation Californian, he grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and spent many weekends at his family’s horse and cattle ranch near Stockton, where meals were always a special occasion. After college—and time abroad in Italy and France—Turner made his way south to Los Angeles, where he opened his first eponymous design shop. The after-hours dinner parties he threw there—which, in true California fashion, began extremely casually—soon became the most coveted restaurant reservation in town, even though they didn’t take reservations nor were an actual restaurant. In his new book, I Love California, he explores the many facets of his home state with a native’s eye for detail, putting together site-specific meals with matching décor tips inspired by California’s varied landscapes: from a San Francisco seafood feast to a cowboy-style chili cookout in Markleeville to beachside tacos à la Malibu. We spoke with Turner about his favorite recipes from the book, how West Coast style is translatable everywhere, and why he always returns to Ralph Lauren Home for design projects, no matter what state he’s in.

What does the quintessential California lifestyle mean to you?
Relaxed and casual, but with lots of style.

Is there a specific region of California that inspires you most?
Honestly the whole state is incredible. It was one of the things I loved most about shooting my book, showing the diversity: the mountains in the Sierra, the Southern California beaches, foggy coastlines north of San Francisco.

How does your love for travel and cooking play into your interiors style?
In every way. I am constantly noticing a detail or an ingredient or a use of color while traveling and love bringing it home to implement it into my life and work.

What role does color and pattern play when you’re putting a room together?
Stripes are my go-to. A stripe is a neutral as far as I’m concerned. So is the color blue!

How do you keep rustic and country style interiors feeling fresh, modern, and elevated?
It’s all in the mix! Just because you’re in a rustic or country house doesn’t mean it can’t be fresh. Modern art and clean-lined furniture are just as great in a country-style home. A little goes a long way.

You’ve said that food is a way to show love and affection for those you cook for. Out of all the recipes in I Love California, is there one that you return to again and again to show you care?
The Sicilian meatballs are something my great-grandmother would make for me… I love that when I make them now, within an hour my house smells just like hers and that sense memory keeps us together and makes me so happy!
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You talk about how translatable relaxed, chic West Coast style is. Where is the most unexpected place that you’ve applied your West Coast design approach?
I’ve done a lot of work in Asia, and my clients there wanted just that—a chic, relaxed West Coast look. And I gave it to them, and it really worked.

What do you turn to Ralph Lauren Home for?
A lot! My office library is packed with Ralph Lauren Home fabrics and wallpaper, and I often start a scheme with them. I use so many antique pieces in my work but have found Ralph Lauren Home furniture blends seamlessly with them, so I use a lot of that, too. Obviously I use a lot of Ralph Lauren Home tabletop ; you can see it all over my book. It’s always timeless yet fresh.

How has the Ralph Lauren Home collection played a role in your relaxed, West Coast approach to design?
I’ve been surrounded by the RL brand since childhood. I really became aware of Ralph Lauren Home when I graduated from college and my mother helped me get set up in LA in my first apartment. We went straight to Ralph Lauren. I remember identifying with the traditional yet laid-back vibe, and still do today. And believe it or not I still have the denim club chair my mom bought for me back then… Talk about timeless!

Do you have a favorite vacation getaway spot in California?
Nick’s Cove in Tomales Bay, Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur, and Alisal Ranch north of Santa Barbara.

What's the biggest difference you notice between East and West Coast interior style?
That’s tough. I think American design is so great because we have a freedom to do whatever we want, mix periods and really push the envelope. I think that freedom is even more prevalent on the West Coast. We don’t seem to adhere to as many rules… Maybe it’s the pioneer spirit!
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Frozen Zabaglione Pie

Having an Italian-American grandmother meant that we never ate Italian food out. How could it be better than anything she made? The one exception was Fior d’Italia in San Francisco (which sadly closed). They had a warm zabaglione that was to die for! Eating it while sunk into one of their red leather banquettes with paintings of Vesuvius on the wall made it all the more special. When I went to re-create this dish, I wanted to tweak it so I didn’t have to serve it right away. So my frozen zabaglione pie was born. (Think of it as an Italian key lime pie.)

Serves 8–10

For the crust:
1 cup (120 g) graham cracker crumbs
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons (55 g) unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:
6 large egg yolks
¾ cup (180 ml) sweet Marsala wine (or any sweet wine of your choice)
½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Strawberries and whipped cream, for serving

Preheat oven to 350° F (175°C).
In a large bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and salt and stir well. Add melted butter and stir until combined. Transfer to a 9-inch (23-cm) pie plate and press into an even layer all the way up the sides. Bake for 10 minutes or until light golden. Let cool completely. Prepare an ice bath in a large bowl and set aside. Fill a medium pot with 1–2 inches (2.5–5 cm) of water and bring to a boil. In a bowl that fits on top of the pot without water touching the bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, wine, and sugar. Vigorously whisk until it begins to thicken and becomes frothy. Whisk constantly over medium heat for 12 to 18 minutes or until mixture forms a ribbon when whisk is lifted. Transfer bowl to ice bath and whisk occasionally until completely cool. In a large bowl, beat cream and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Fold whipped cream into cooled mixture in two batches. Transfer mixture into cooled piecrust and smooth with a spatula. Freeze for at least four hours or overnight. Serve with fresh strawberries and whipped cream.
  • Photographs by Victoria Pearson