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Color Connection: A Warm and Whimsical Remodel in Altadena, Los Angeles

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Los Angeles Issue 38 — Last of Summer

Color Connection: A Warm and Whimsical Remodel in Altadena, Los Angeles

Alexa Hotz September 16, 2024

Our friend, Los Angeles photographer Ye Rin Mok, recently shot a renovated 1947 house in Altadena, a neighborhood just north of Pasadena that sits at the base of the Verdugo Mountains. The project is from Katrina Rumford of Slow Dust Studio, a designer relatively new to the field after renovating her own house lead to more design asks from friends, and friends of friends. In this case, a young family— a cinematographer and professor with two children—called on Rumford to take their new home from a colder, whitewashed state into a warm, color-forward, and playful space. Join us for an in-depth tour.

Photography by Ye Rin Mok for Slow Dust Studio.

the \1,730 square foot house is made up of three bedrooms and three (formerly t 17 — Above: The 1,730-square-foot house is made up of three bedrooms and three (formerly two) bathrooms.

a contrast of soft green paint, a color original to the house, with a muted red 18 — Above: A contrast of soft green paint, a color original to the house, with a muted red (Farrow & Ball’s Red Earth paint), and terracotta tile.

in the living room, the floors are all original red oak and walls are painted i 19 — Above: In the living room, the floors are all original red oak and walls are painted in Farrow & Ball’s Slipper Satin with trim in Shadow White. The fireplace surround is finished with Thin Brick Tile in Mossy Gold from McIntyre. The chair is a vintage Danish teak rocker by Frank Reenskaug for Bramin Møbler from the 1960s and the record player storage is vintage Herman Miller. The area rug is the Eclipse Rug from Block Shop.

a smart solution for the lack of an entryway: rumford designed a pint sized noo 20 — Above: A smart solution for the lack of an entryway: Rumford designed a pint-sized nook with shoe storage and a built-in seat.

the ceiling lights are the tumwater surface sconce from cedar & moss. the a 21 — Above: The ceiling lights are the Tumwater Surface Sconce from Cedar & Moss. The appliances are all from the GE Café collection. And the backsplash tile is the fennel color from the Clé Tile Clé Guild New California collection laid vertically.

The kitchen is very much the heart of the home for the clients. They opened up the kitchen by removing a wall that separated the living room while pushing the kitchen back into the primary bedroom closet. Here, they sourced the same wood flooring as the original red oak while staining and refinishing them slightly to better coordinate in tone with the Douglas fir cabinetry. The countertops are Silestone in Posidonia Green and the cabinets are all custom Douglas fir with reeded glass in the uppers.

the faucet is the descanso pull down kitchen faucet in uncoated burnished brass 22 — Above: The faucet is the Descanso Pull Down Kitchen Faucet in uncoated burnished brass from California Faucets and the sink is the Bocchi Contemporary 36-Inch Fireclay Farmhouse Sink “installed as a drop-in, not an apron front sink to keep the look of the cabinets seamless and modern,” Rumford explains. The cabinet pulls are the Lostine Wendel Wire Pull in brass. The light above the sink is the deVol Frilly Chartreuse Light: “it inspired us from the start and helped to inform the palette.” The ceramics throughout the kitchen are primary from Becki Chernoff of BX Ceramics.

the banquette was custom built—an element inspired by some of the origin 23 — Above: The banquette was custom built—an element inspired by some of the original built-in seating found in the house—and upholstered in yellow Boucle Melange from Designtex (“very durable and kid-proof for their primary dining area”). The side of the banquette pulls out to reveal a very deep drawer designed to store family board games. The throw pillows are custom in Adobe Raj Mandir from Block Shop. The sconces above the windows are the deVol Mini Creamware Wall Light. The pendant light is the Sol Pendant from artist Rory Pots.

the bar is custom built and coordinates with the kitchen cabinetry. the curved 24 — Above: The bar is custom built and coordinates with the kitchen cabinetry. The curved end of the bar opens for wine storage, the lower drawer pulls out for liquor bottles, and the panel-ready drink refrigerator is at the center.

rumford changed a &#8\2\20;small and awkward primary bath&#8\2\2\1; int 25 — Above: Rumford changed a “small and awkward primary bath” into a very tiny powder room with Daltile Quartetto tile flooring in Ocra and Talco. The wallpaper is the Hygge & West Alpine Garden print, the playful sconce is the Schoolhouse Fran Sconce in Shell White-Satin with the Schoolhouse Round Grant Mirror. The fixtures, difficult to source given the small dimensions available, are the Jalco Contempo Single Hole Faucet and Barclay Sophie Wall-Hung Basin.

the clients were looking for their son&#8\2\17;s room to be a relaxing sanc 26 — Above: The clients were looking for their son’s room to be a relaxing sanctuary to balance his energetic nature. Rumford opted for Vert de Terre from Farrow & Ball for the walls, paring a set of Pottery Barn Broadway Curtains in Eucalyptus for the windows which they simply cut and hemmed to fit the reading nook. The cushion is upholstered in Maharam Passage Celedon fabric and the light is the Schoolhouse Allegheny Sconce in monochrome Lichen-Gloss.

the daughter&#8\2\17;s room is designed with another dose of hygge & we 27 — Above: The daughter’s room is designed with another dose of Hygge & West Alpine Garden but in the multi-color print and decorated with a reupholstered vintage chair and quilts by Rumford’s mother. The paint color is Gold Tweed from Hirshfield’s paint for Room & Board.

the children&#8\2\17;s bath is mostly original but was designed with ferm l 28 — Above: The children’s bath is mostly original but was designed with Ferm Living’s Park Wallpaper and a Schoolhouse Cylinder Double Sconce in Paprika. Rumford created a storage and TP solution using the Metal Accent Cabinet, a budget find from Wayfair, with the NewMade LA Towel Ring and Toilet Paper Holder both in pink from West Elm.

a view into the primary bedroom of the wall that was previously the closet befo 29 — Above: A view into the primary bedroom of the wall that was previously the closet before demo-ing to widen the kitchen. As a solution to the now-narrow space, Rumford created a 15-inch deep cabinet for a small desk and storage. The inspiration for the color came by way of working with the room’s inherent darkness (at the back of the house with a tall vine covering the wall outside the windows). They painted the walls in Money Tree with the ceiling and trim in Autumn’s Hill, two colors from Hirshfield’s paint for Room & Board. The cabinetry and shelves are Douglas fir.

&#8\2\20;i firmly believe that you don&#8\2\17;t need to get the most e 30 — Above: “I firmly believe that you don’t need to get the most expensive materials to get a great result,” expalins Rumford. “I love to find affordable and great looking materials and keep coming back to those brands again and again.” Here, a well-tiled bath starts with floors in Makoto Hexagon Matte Porcelain Tile in Midori Green from Bedrosians, walls and tub surround in Daltile’s Cypress Keystones Tile, and a sink backsplash in Kat + Roger Coral Tile.

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