BONHAMS TO PRESENT THE LORNA LANE COLLECTION, A LANDMARK OFFERING FROM THE PRIVATE RESIDENCE OF LEGENDARY ACTOR AND DESIGNER BILLY HAINES

William ‘Billy’ Haines in Lorna Lane. Photo courtesy of: Peter Schifando, William Haines Designs. 

Los Angeles – This July 22 in Los Angeles, Bonhams will present Modern Design | Art | Featuring 'Lorna Lane’: The Legacy of Billy Haines, a sale with a curated capsule collection from Lorna Lane, the final residence of American actor and legendary interior designer William ‘Billy’ Haines (1900–1973). Comprising a superlative selection of 39 pieces of furniture, furnishings, accents and decorative art – many designed by Haines himself – the collection comes to the market after more than fifty years in private hands. Meticulously preserved, it includes some of the most emblematic works from Haines’ home, many of which were custom‑built for the residence. 

Purchased in 1944 and located in the fashionable Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, 601 Lorna Lane was Haines’s most personal project – a residence he refined continuously for nearly three decades as a living expression of his design philosophy. A testament to his eye and sensibility, the house embodied all the hallmarks of Haines’s Hollywood Regency style: hand‑painted French wallpaper, floor‑to‑ceiling windows, black‑and‑white checkered floors, and custom‑built furnishings conceived specifically for the space. Long regarded by friends and clients as the clearest reflection of Haines himself, Lorna Lane served as both his private sanctuary and a working laboratory where he entertained, experimented, and shaped the aesthetic language that defined mid‑century Los Angeles.  

“Lorna Lane offers a rare, intimate window into Billy Haines’s creative world. Seen together, the works in the sale capture the atmosphere he cultivated there – a balance of glamour, comfort, and meticulous craftsmanship that defined his approach,” commented David Trujillo, Senior Specialist, Head of Sale, Modern Decorative Art + Design at Bonhams in Los Angeles. “These pieces speak to the way Haines thought about space, how he welcomed people into it, and how he shaped a uniquely Californian vision of elegance. It is truly a privilege to steward this beautifully preserved and deeply personal grouping to the market.” 

A Large and Important Dining Table, circa 1944, by William Haines (1900–1973), estimated at $10,000 – 15,000. 

A standout from the capsule is a Large and Important Dining Table, circa 1944, estimated at $10,000 – 15,000. Designed by Haines for Lorna Lane, the brass-inlaid table was conceived for entertaining and features discreet, hidden buttons beneath each end to summon household staff. 

A Large Tufted Sofa, circa 1944, by William Haines (1900–1973), estimated at $4,000 – 6,000.

Additional highlights designed by Haines include two Large Tufted sofas, circa 1944, adorning the Lorna Lane living room, estimated at $4,000 – 6,000 and $3,000 – 5,000, respectively; two Onyx-Topped Coffee Tables, each estimated at $4,000 – 6,000; and a Pair of Bronze Greek Figure Floor Lamps, estimated at $6,000 – 8,000. 

A gelatin silver print of William Haines, Joan Brawford, and Douglas Fairbanks Jr., circa 1932, estimated at $800 – 1,200.

In addition to the furniture, the capsule also features several groupings of gelatin silver prints. With estimates ranging from $800 to $4,000, the selection comprises a variety of images, including portraits of Haines in his various residences, with his Great Dane, as well as Haines with actress Joan Crawford – the very image that served as the cover of Class Act: William Haines, Legendary Hollywood Designer, the definitive monograph on Haines’s life and work. 

About The Bonhams Network

Bonhams is a global network of auction houses, with the largest number of international salerooms, offering the widest range of collecting categories and selling at all price points. Bonhams is recognised for its bespoke service, and a dedication to local market relationships, enhanced by a global platform. With 14 salerooms, Bonhams presents over 1,000 sales annually, across more than 60 specialist categories, including fine art, collectables, luxury, wine & spirits, and collector cars.

Founded in 1793, Bonhams has representatives in more than 30 countries and operates flagship salerooms in London, New York, Paris, Los Angeles, and Hong Kong. In 2022, Bonhams added four international auction houses to its network: Bukowskis, Stockholm; Bruun Rasmussen, Copenhagen; Cornette de Saint Cyr, Paris and Brussels; and Skinner, Massachusetts. The success of Bonhams’ global strategy is a result of recognising the shift in growing intercontinental buying and increased digital engagement. More information HERE

In 2023, Bonhams achieved 14% growth with $1.14 billion in turnover. Recent important auctions and landmark single-owner collections, include the white glove sales of Sir Michael Caine: The Personal Collection, Alain Delon: Sixty Years of Passion; Sir Roger Moore: The Personal Collection; Personal Property of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and The Robert & Jean-Pierre Rousset Collection of Asian Art: A Century of Collecting. Other notable single-owner sales included The Estate of Barbara Walters: American Icon; The Alan and Simone Hartman Collection; The Crown Auction: Props and Costumes and The Claude de Marteau Collection.

Top lots for 2023 include 1967 Ferrari 412P Berlinetta, Sold at Quail Lodge, US for US$30,255,000. Tipu Sultan’s Bedchamber Sword (sold in London for £14m – a world record for both an Islamic and an Indian object); Paul Signac (1863-1935), Sisteron, 1902. Sold for US$8,580,000 (estimate US$4-6 million), and Claude Monet (1840-1926), La Seine près de Giverny, 1888. Sold for US$6,352,500 (estimate US$4-6m), both from the Alan and Simone Hartman Collection; A Gilt Copper Alloy figure of Virupaksha, Central Tibet, Densatil Monastery, Early 15th century. Sold for HK$37.9m (£4,060,326) in Hong Kong. Yoshitomo Nara (born 1959) Three Stars. Sold for HK$36,754,000 (£3,930,914, also in Hong Kong

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