When Matt Duffer creates a world, its generally one you want to get the hell out of. Alongside his twin brother, Ross, Duffer has created some of the most disquieting spaces to hit the big and small screen, from a post-apocalyptic bunker with a serious rodent issue in the 2015 thriller Hidden, to the dark spore-ridden alternative universe, The Upside Down, in the ongoing Netflix superhit, Stranger Things. But when it came to Duffers own Los Angeles home, he wanted something a little more comfortable. Specifically, he wanted ELLE DECOR A-List design firm Nickey Kehoe.Id been looking at designers [online] when I had no money and went, Well one day maybe they'll do my house, Duffer remembers.There was just one problem: Duffer didnt have a house. He had been living in a Los Angeles apartment between long stints filming Stranger Things in Atlanta.It was kind of like a single guy apartmentit was not meant for two people, says Sarah Hindsgaul, Duffers fiance and a hair designer (the pair met on the set of Stranger Things, where Hindsgaul masterminded coifs ranging from from Elevens buzzcuts to Steve Harringtons mullets).Haris KenjarOne of the most challenging spaces in the house was the living room, which had a long, narrow layout. Kehoe opted to create multiple seating areas but with a surprising twist: no sofas. There wasnt enough depth to have a sofa facing the fireplace, so these four central chairs felt like an unlock to that room, she says. It felt like a really fun disruptor.At a certain point, Sarah and I came back from Atlanta and we're just like, this is just too disgusting, Duffer says. After a towel-clad Duffer came face-to-face with an intruder, the couple knew it was time to say sayonara to the bachelor pad. Duffer recounts, I was like, not only is this place gross, it's unsafe.The pair was drawn to the hillside enclave of Los Feliz because it would mean living near Duffers creative partner, Ross (the siblings are frequently credited as the Duffer Brothers on their projects), and because of its preponderance of charming, historic homes. If we were ever able to afford a house, we wanted one of those 1920s Spanish houses, rather than something new or modern, Duffer says.Haris KenjarAn inviting pool is shaded by a regal oak tree, an atelier de troupe chaise is covered in a george spencer textile and the banquette is upholstered in a schumacher fabric.They fell in love with a five-bedroom 1927 house that cascaded from its hillside site like a fairytale castle. But if its mature oak tree and view of the Griffith Observatory didnt clinch the deal, a bit of design kismet certainly did: its interiors had been designed by Nickey Kehoe cofounder, Amy Kehoe.I was like, wow, okay, so this is really meant to be, Hindsgaul says.But would Kehoe be willing to return for an encore? We purchased the house without knowing whether or not she would do it. We figured she was probably somewhat selective, says Duffer.Luckily for Hindsgaul and Duffer, Kehoe was eager to return and finish what she had started. There was a warm-up with the first client and I got to lean into that a bit more with the next evolution, Kehoe says. This time, I definitely pushed into the whimsy and the romance [of the home].Because the bulk of the architectural rejiggering had been done for the previous homeowner, Kehoe was able to focus on furnishing the house and enlivening it with color. I love color, Kehoe says. Certain clients are able to live with it more than others. And because Sarah is a hair and makeup artist, I really felt simpatico with her. It allowed some of these bolder color moments to be unleashed.Still, Hindsgaul ventured slightly out of her comfort zone. Im from Copenhagen. Being from a country where we paint everything white, I had a heart attack every time Amy was like, we're gonna do this in black, she jokes. So it was a pretty big journey for me.From the first renovation, Kehoe had observed that burnt orange was a color that liked being in the house. This led to a sunset-inspired palette of yellows, soft pinks, and reds. Its a color story that we tweaked in each room, and the house welcomed it, Kehoe adds.Step Inside This Magical L.A. HomeDuffer, for his part, was all in. My philosophy always is to find people whose work you love and who are really good at what they do, and then, as much as possible, leave them alone.But the producer did have one stipulation: His Stranger Things pinball machineemblazoned with swirls of blue and purple and a menacing Demogorgon, a creature from the serieshad to have a spot in the house.It's not every day you're incorporating a pinball machine, Kehoe, who tucked the prized arcade game into a corner of a sun-washed card room, says. I'm not sure his wife is as excited about it, but, you know, we made it work.Last summerfive years and two babies laterDuffer and Hindsgaul made the decision to leave their beloved Los Feliz hideaway in search of a bigger place. We were bursting basically, Hindsgaul, who also has two teenage children, explains.It's gonna forever hold a really special place in our hearts, says Duffer. It was our very first house.But this saga is one that has a happy ending: the couple has already enlisted Kehoe for the design of their new family home. And Duffer has added two more pinball machines to his collection.Anna FixsenDeputy Digital EditorAnna Fixsen is the deputy digital editor of ELLE DECOR, where she oversees all facets of ELLEDECOR.com. In addition to editing articles and developing digital strategy, she writes about the world's most beautiful homes, reviews the chicest products (from the best cocktail tables to cute but practical gifts), and reports on the most exciting trends in design and architecture. Since graduating from Columbia Journalism School, she's spent the past decade as an editor at Architectural Digest, Metropolis, and Architectural Record and has written for outlets including the New York Times, Dwell, and more.