SoCal or Tuscany? It’s hard to tell in this recent project by LA design firm Breland-Harper, founded by Michael Breland and Peter Harper, partners in life and work. The duo’s reverence for Italian countryside vernacular is on full display in their own residence, located in the hills surrounding the Silver Lake reservoir. Known for creating interiors that use light and space as decorative devices, Breland-Harper transformed a 1920s Spanish Revival structure into a graceful, airy sanctuary.
“When we first saw the original 1,200-square-foot house, we found that a previous renovation had compromised its architectural and aesthetic integrity. Yet potent remnants of the original—beautiful stucco walls, a tiled roof, and bird-mouthed rafter tails, all calling cards of Spanish Revival— remained as suggestions of how this structure could be renewed,” they say. “Three core ideas anchored our design: extending the house, cultivating privacy in the rear garden, and unifying the assemblage to complete an architectural gesture begun generations earlier when the house was first built.”
Above: Michael Breland and Peter Harper, in their garden. Above: “The exterior trim is painted in a lightened color of Farrow & Ball, Drop Cloth No 283. We often reduce the pigment in standard paints, or increase them, depending on the application, sheen, and adjacent materials.” Above: “The focal point of the courtyard is a lush square of green at the center, an echo of the traditional Moorish paradise gardens or walled cloister gardens, a key feature of many early-California houses—a means of control and protection in the dramatic and untamed landscape. Potted plants practice an economy of water, an ode to survival in LA’s climate, but also forming a sense of the domesticated world in balance with the more wild naturalistic portions of the outdoor space. Drought-tolerant native Californian, Mediterranean, and Australian varieties populate the garden.” Above: “William Laman in Montecito is immensely shoppable, at all price points. It’s one of the best homewares stores in California. If you are looking for timeless, fab stable items for your home, this shop should not be missed.” Above: “The terracotta flooring pulls the outdoors in, further eroding the limen between inside and out—in the summer the bricks help to keep the interiors several degrees cooler than the sunny garden. All the masonry was sourced from demolished buildings from LA, grounding the house in the local vernacular. Plain stacked bond references traditional tile floors, yet detailed in a contemporary hand. The brick also increases the thermal mass of the home: taken together with the house’s double-thick exterior walls, temperature fluctuation is kept to a minimum. In terms of specification, it is late 19th/early 20th century reclaimed common red brick, hand cut on site, and with a diluted semi-opaque tint stain to neutralize some of the variation in color.” (For more, see our recent post Trend Alert: Brick Floors, Interiors Edition.)
Above: “We entertain frequently, often cooking for small and large groups,” Peter says. “Michael’s father was a chef known for his exquisite parties, and I descend from a long line of women who entertained extensively and intricately. Houses are for people and to be lived in and entertaining is a way we make sure that happens.” Above: “The interiors are painted a uniform shade of Farrow & Ball, All White No. 273. The white-washed ceilings are nothing special; just diluted primer—it gives the most beautiful washed appearance.” Above: A detail of the well-worn dining table.
Above: “We love Revival Antiques in LA. Marie Gauthier is a legend in the industry and the foremost purveyor of Southern California’s historic decorative art and architecture treasures.” Above: “Our main influences? Nature, history, art, film, craftspeople. Our environment, we are always looking and absorbing our surroundings. And books!” Above: A favorite source for linens? “Euro-Linens sell the most exquisite antique linen, handmade pillows, and furnishings.” Also, note the seagrass matting (see our recent post Trend Alert: 9 Rooms Heralding the Return of the 1970s Seagrass Mat). Above: In the bedroom, Breland-Harper restored the original fireplace. Above: Brick flooring in the bath. Above: A simple yet luxe marble shower.
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