Melrose House
Two becomes One
This 1920s hacienda-style home near Melrose was classic LA - quaint, humble, in a great neighborhood, and with a vast yard. But it was a duplex, split down the middle and filled with a tiny warren of corridors. Our clients, a young creative couple, challenged our studio to create an open, modern, hip home on a shoestring.
In response, we created a three bedroom, three bath home centered around an open kitchen connected to a huge dining room for entertaining up to 20 seated guests. It also features a master suite with walk-in closet, private mother-in-law suite, laundry room, walk-in pantry, two home offices, and a living room with cathedral ceilings.
the how
In order to create a single family home and update it for a more modern lifestyle with an open free-flowing plan, we cleared out many of the walls on one side of the duplex, removing redundant corridors and creating a public and communal party side with a direct connection to the yard. The other side of the duplex is kept more private - a warm and cozy bedroom wing flanking the existing bathrooms. All of the bathrooms we renovated, but by keeping them in their original locations, we were able to economize and balance the cost of the big gestures on the open, public side. We also kept the bulk of the exterior intact and organized the plan around existing windows and doors, maximizing natural light, views, and cross breezes, while maintaining the original windows for character as well as cost.
Before | After
BRINGING THE OUTSIDE INSIDE
An existing 1920s era light well connected to the bathrooms for fresh air, but also rubbed up against the new kitchen. This provided the opportunity for a unique internal window bringing unexpected light (and a friendly cactus) into the Kitchen along an internal wall.
sun salutation
A dark bathroom was brightened for the Master Suite with new windows, a skylight and a glassy, patterned walk-in shower with a door that leads directly out to the master patio for al fresco showers.