The aim of the project was not to redesign the house, but to recover it.
This 1920s Los Angeles Spanish residence had endured a succession of unfortunate remodels that concealed much of its original character. Rather than impose a new language, the intervention focused on subtraction — peeling back layers to reveal what had always been there.
Drywall was removed to expose the dark, time-worn ceiling joists, allowing their rich color, texture, and even scent to return to the space. Walls were opened to rediscover windows that had been sealed over. Layers of vinyl and tile were carefully stripped away to uncover the original Douglas fir floors beneath.
The result is not a reinvention, but a reawakening — a more authentic and vibrant interior, unexpectedly spacious once freed from its accumulations. Interior plants and natural light further animate the restored volumes, softening the architecture and reconnecting it to its climate.
The house retains a quiet reminiscence of Spanish Colonial architecture, with subtle echoes of the California missions in its recovered vaulted ceilings. This revived canvas has proven surprisingly receptive to layered influences — mid-century restraint, Nordic clarity, and touches of Art Nouveau ornament — coexisting without competition.
The project is less about authorship than about listening: allowing the house to speak again.
In the living room, the fireplace features original Batchelder tiles by the renowned Pasadena ceramist Ernest A. Batchelder, grounding the space in Southern California’s early 20th-century craft tradition.The window shown had been concealed within the wall, likely for privacy, and was reopened to reveal lush exterior vegetation that now filters the light naturally.An original Ernest Batchelder tile reads “The City of Earthly Dreams.” The gypsum plaster walls were left unpainted and simply sealed, maintaining their texture and the house’s quiet authenticity.The primary bedroom opens to greenery, a tree brushing close enough to evoke the feeling of sleeping in its canopy. Douglas fir floors and ceiling, long concealed, were restored, while simple alder trim introduces a restrained, contemporary clarity.
Hardware and fixtures pair brass with black accents. The interior doors are solid mahogany. The project embraces an unapologetic mix of wood species and textures.
The primary bedroom opens onto a side deck and garden, where a Chinese elm stands at the center, its canopy providing shade and seasonal color.
Spanish architectural bones meet mid-century Nordic pieces and timeless fixtures. The stripped-back interior accommodates these varied styles with ease.
The guest room blends Shaker simplicity with Eames pieces and industrial design accents.he original light fixture remains in place, echoing the stained-glass heritage of Pasadena and Highland Park.
The guest room reveals exposed joists and restored Douglas fir flooring. Plaster set between the beams introduces light and contrast
A bay window opens the bathroom to the garden. The original cabinetry was stripped of paint, while new fixtures and tile refresh the counter and bathing areas.
Porcelain tile with minimal grout lines and subtle variation in texture and finish defines the bathtub area.
Exterior stucco uncovered inside the entry hinted at its past life as a patio. Removing the ceiling revealed a later vaulted structure, which was left exposed and infilled with clear acrylic to maintain daylight.
A piano sits at the entry, set against a newly clad alder-paneled wall
A traditional glass light fixture hangs above mid-century and Eames furnishings in the dining room.