For one Los Angeles couple, the allure of Laurel Canyon was impossible to resist. Its insular community, its music industry legacy, and its lush, sloped landscape called.
Photography by Rennie Solis.
“The home is 100 years old and needed a lot of serious work, but as the homeowners describe, the light of the canyon was ‘intoxicating’, and they knew they found a hidden gem,” Sarah says. She knocked down walls, exposed original wood beams, and moved the formal dining area outdoors.
After
One of the biggest structural updates Sarah made was tearing down the wall that separated the once-small entryway and the living room, creating a dramatic atrium and allowing the natural light to illuminate the now-joined spaces.
Throughout the ground level, Sarah covered the floors in Spanish Cotto tiles with a custom stained wax finish to make them appear original to the home.
In the living room, pictured here, she paired the terracotta with an inviting Togo sofa (which, we’ve noticed, is making a comeback), built-in shelves filled with books, and a landscape painting by a family member of the homeowners.
A built-in bench is nestled between bookshelves, in case the homeowners want to curl up with a novel.
Sarah gutted the old kitchen but maintained its open storage concept to allow for easy access to everyday dishes and collected pottery.
The solid walnut slab cabinetry is entirely new.
The moody primary bedroom encourages relaxation with midnight blue Cultiver linens, plinth-like nightstands, and a fiddle-leaf fig.
The same reclaimed white oak from the kitchen island reappears in the en-suite vanity, which features a double sink.
Sarah designed the massive standing shower, with its roomy bench and trio of niches, around a special existing element: “We did everything possible to keep the window under the showerhead so the couple could bathe in the sun and moonlight,” she says.
In the guest room, Sarah carved out an arched sleeping nook to maximize square footage.
The powder room might be the most charming part of the house, with its small rounded basin sink and tiny tile backsplash.
A dividing wall once stood between the entryway and the living room, blocking out the light.
Before
A strange red wallpaper concealed the beams in the kitchen, which had ratty, yellowed cabinets and a retro tile backsplash.
The compact bathroom had a teal ceiling, square terracotta floor tiles, and tired fixtures.