A 1920s Spanish colonial style home in Los Angeles with Moroccan touches

This article highlights Janea Brown's decision to forgo downsizing after discovering a Spanish-Revival rental in Los Angeles. Brown, a creative professional, initially intended to move into a smaller space but was captivated by the unique charm and architectural details of the 1920s-era home. The property's distinctive features, such as arched doorways, original tiles, and built-in elements, presented an opportunity to blend her personal style with the historical character of the residence. Her design philosophy revolves around integrating her vibrant artistic sensibilities with the existing structure, creating a space that feels both personal and respectful of its heritage. Brown's design approach emphasizes layering textures, colors, and vintage finds to achieve a lived-in, eclectic aesthetic. She strategically incorporates a mix of new and antique furniture, artwork, and decorative objects to add depth and personality to each room. Her use of bold patterns and rich hues complements the home's warm, inviting atmosphere, moving away from a minimalist aesthetic in favor of a more maximalist and expressive design. The article details how she managed to furnish and decorate the larger space effectively, utilizing clever storage solutions and versatile pieces to maximize both form and function. A significant aspect of Brown's home is its ability to serve as both a sanctuary and a source of inspiration for her creative work. The natural light and architectural details of the Spanish-Revival style provide an ideal backdrop for her projects, fostering an environment where creativity can flourish. She prioritizes comfort and functionality, ensuring that the home is not only aesthetically pleasing but also practical for everyday living. This balance is achieved through careful selection of materials and thoughtful arrangement of furnishings, making each area purposeful and inviting. Her rental transformation also showcases the potential for personalizing a temporary living space without undertaking major renovations. Brown demonstrates how strategic decorating choices, such as removable wallpaper, textiles, and curated accessories, can significantly impact a home's look and feel. The article provides insights into how she navigated the challenges of decorating a rental, including working within landlord guidelines while still achieving a highly personalized result. This adaptability highlights her resourcefulness and commitment to creating a space that truly reflects her identity. Ultimately, Brown's experience underscores the importance of finding a home that resonates on a personal level, even if it means altering original plans. The Spanish-Revival rental became more than just a place to live; it transformed into a canvas for her creativity and a testament to her ability to infuse any space with character and warmth. Her story offers inspiration for others looking to create a distinctive home environment, proving that thoughtful design can elevate a rental into a cherished personal retreat. #SpanishRevival #RentalDecor #HomeTour #InteriorDesign #CreativeLiving #VintageDecor #EclecticStyle #LosAngelesHomes

Los Angeles is experiencing a vibrant surge in its home design retail landscape, with numerous new shops and pop-ups offering a diverse array of styles and unique finds. These establishments cater to a wide range of tastes, from minimalist modern and industrial chic to coastal elegance and vintage aesthetics, attracting both celebrity clientele and design enthusiasts. Cassina, an Italian furniture manufacturer, has opened its largest store to date in Los Angeles. This three-level space, designed by art director Patricia Urquiola, showcases modular works by Virgil Abloh and features its iMastri Collection, which includes timeless pieces resulting from collaborations with significant architects and designers such as Charlotte Perriand and Gaetano Pesce. The showroom is located at 145 N. Robertson Blvd. Olive Ateliers, a shop that has gained popularity through TikTok and Instagram, has become a favorite for home accessories, even attracting celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Kendall Jenner, and Elsa Hosk. Co-founded by Kendall Knox, Ben Knox, and Laura Sotelo, Olive Ateliers specializes in “objects with old souls,” such as worn Turkish vases and vintage Chinese elm benches. The store is situated at 1210 Mateo St. Inner Gardens, a long-established garden emporium known for landscape designer Stephen Block’s global finds and reproduction pots, has relocated to a former bank building in Culver City. The store's unique and serendipitous inventory appeals to high-profile clients including Spago, Soho House, Kelly Wearstler, Elton John, and Ellen Pompeo. Its new address is 4444 Sepulveda Blvd. Habitat Home & Garden, a family business with its third outpost in Malibu, emphasizes unique furnishings and one-of-a-kind designs that reflect the laid-back luxury of coastal California. The store, which includes rustic wood furniture, vintage rugs, and sun-bleached accessories, counts the Duke and Duchess of Sussex among its customers. It is located at 21249 Pacific Coast Highway. LDV, an establishment co-founded by Guido Callarelli and Birta Ólafsdóttir, now has a pop-up store near the West Hollywood Design District, allowing in-person viewing of its impeccably restored Art Deco and 1970s-era furniture. Previously, its inventory was available exclusively through an invite-only online platform. The pop-up is at 156 S. Robertson Blvd. Pop-Up Home, a furniture shop previously known for its roving nature, has found a permanent location in Melrose Hill. Founder Tricia Benitez Beanum curates a diverse collection that includes sculptural vintage furniture, 1970s studio pottery, and contemporary art from UNREPD, a gallery co-founded by Beanum that focuses on emerging artists. The store is located at 642 N. Western Ave. NB Shop, run by interior designer Natasha Baradaran, offers an experiential retail space that reflects her tactile approach to home and life, appealing to clients such as Heather and Christopher McQuarrie, Luis Miguel, and Kate Hudson. The shop, located at 725 N. La Cienega Blvd., features her Persian Garden textile collection, inspired by her Iranian heritage. The Expert, a design consultation platform co-founded by John Legend and Chrissy Teigen's interior designer Jake Arnold, has expanded with an e-commerce arm, Showroom, and a by-appointment warehouse in West Adams. The Showroom offers vintage pieces alongside Arnold's made-to-order furniture line. Appointments can be made via email. Flora Grubb Gardens, a well-regarded San Francisco garden shop known for its focus on sustainability and drought-tolerant plants, has opened a new location in Los Angeles, taking over the Marina Del Rey Garden Center at 13198 Mindanao Way. The Future Perfect, led by David Alhadeff, continues to elevate the concept of blending residence and retail with its fourth Los Angeles iteration. Now housed in a historic Beaux-Arts neoclassical home, newly landscaped by Art Luna, the space offers collectible contemporary design by appointment. House of Leon and Tappan Collective, run by siblings Jordan, Steven, and Chelse Neman Nassib, occupy adjacent shops on Melrose Avenue. House of Leon provides stylish and accessible furniture, while Tappan Collective showcases art from emerging talent, demonstrating how to integrate furniture and art seamlessly into residential spaces. They are located at 8200 Melrose Ave. Kalon Studios, known for its minimalist wood furniture favored by Kylie Jenner and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, has opened its first space at 3559½ Casitas Ave., Atwater Village, featuring a landscaped roof deck designed by Teremoto. Pierce & Ward, the interior design duo behind homes for celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio and Dakota Johnson, has opened their first shop at 1956 Hillhurst Ave., Los Feliz, featuring their maximalist aesthetic softened by sage green walls. Maquette, a collective formed by interior designers Caitlin Scanlon, Abby Wolf-Weiss, and Julie Goldman, has transformed a bungalow into a retail and co-working space. Located at 507 N. Larchmont Blvd., the shop attracts clients like UTA’s Blair Kohan and CAA’s Risa Gertner. Cooper Reynolds Gross has partnered with Fred Segal to launch his first commercial furniture collection, “Feels Right, Feels Good,” at Fred Segal on 8500 Sunset Boulevard. Coup D’Etat, a San Francisco-based gallery, is opening a new location on Robertson Boulevard. It will offer high-end furniture, exclusive artist collaborations, curated vintage pieces, and a dynamic visual program, attracting renowned designers. Gilded Owl, a decorative arts gallery from Hudson Valley, has established a presence on Beverly Boulevard at 7282 Beverly Blvd., showcasing mid-century Italian furniture and collaborations like “The Pool Table Series,” appealing to patrons such as Kirsten Dunst. Seventh House LA, located at 7001 Melrose Ave. in a building designed by Frank Gehry, presents a collection of early 20th-century Art Deco, postmodern, and contemporary art furniture. Albertz Benda | Friedman Benda, a New York gallery, has an L.A. outpost at 8260 Marmont Lane, aiming to broaden the concept of art and design by incorporating craft, architecture, and technology. This addition is significant for the L.A. design scene, as noted by interior designer Oliver M. Furth. Studio Balestra, Adriano Balestra’s shop at 767 N. La Cienega Blvd., blends his Italian heritage with Japanese antiquities to create a unique wabi-sabi aesthetic. This compilation provides an overview of the burgeoning home design scene in Los Angeles, highlighting various styles, celebrity endorsements, and key figures driving the industry. #LosAngeles #HomeDesign #InteriorDesign #LuxuryFurniture #VintageDecor #Lifestyle #Retail #ArtAndDesign #CelebrityStyle

Spanish Colonial architecture, a revival style popular in the early to mid-1900s, draws inspiration from homes first built in Spain approximately 500 years ago. These homes are recognized for their striking curb appeal, featuring white stucco walls, red tile roofs, and meticulously designed landscaping. Key characteristics include red-tiled roofs, arched doorways, stucco exteriors, iron accents, and exposed beams. Two distinct types of Spanish Colonial architecture exist: the original style from 16th-century Spain and the revival style that emerged in North America during the early 20th century. An example of the latter is a home owned by interior designer Carole Marcotte, which features white bricks instead of traditional stucco and simple red shutters, lending an old-world feel. The renovation of Marcotte's home included expanding its Spanish motif with a loggia, a partially enclosed room opening to a garden. Loggias often include architectural features like fireplaces and arches, with exposed wood beams on the ceiling being another common element in Spanish Colonial Revival architecture. Private courtyards and gardens are integral to classic Spanish Colonial homes. FormLA Landscaping designed a lush, native garden to complement a revival home's asymmetrical structure, using a tree canopy to soften its lines and providing contrast to the red roof tiles. Additional greenery, such as coffeeberry shrubs and California lilacs, enhances privacy behind wrought-iron fences. Both terra-cotta and colorful tile flooring are standard features in Spanish Revival homes, used both indoors and outdoors. For instance, delicate blue ceanothus shrubs were planted to match vibrant tiles on stairs leading to a side entrance. Spanish Colonial architecture is prevalent in California, partly due to its relaxed aesthetic. A relatively new construction, owned by interior designer Erika Frank and built by her architect father, embodies this style with thick walls and arches. The exterior stucco is a grayish-white shade called Santa Barbara, and the roof features red barrel tiles, often made of ceramic or concrete, ideal for warm climates. Drought-resistant plants are commonly used in landscaping to suit California's weather. Juliet balconies add dramatic, old-world flair to Spanish Colonial mansions, such as one renovated by Justin Krzyston of Stonehurst Construction. These balconies enhance outdoor enjoyment by seamlessly connecting interior spaces with the backyard. Driveways often incorporate paver-style brick, adding a Mediterranean touch. Modestly sized homes remodeled by Stonehurst Construction feature wood slat partitions for privacy, concealing elements like AC compressors. Midcentury ranch homes can also be inspired by Spanish Colonial architecture. Tracy Lynn Studio merged contemporary style with original Spanish influence in a ranch home, utilizing regional vegetation to create a long loggia that functions as an outdoor room. Red mulch is used to complement red barrel roof tiles, and a warm pale gray paint tone modernizes the stucco exterior. Spanish Colonial-inspired fireplaces, featuring Spanish tiles and concrete mantels designed to resemble wood, contribute to the home's aesthetic, as seen in a project by Tracy Lynn Studio. The style remains popular in Florida and Southern California due to historical settlement patterns. #SpanishColonial #ArchitecturalRevival #HomeDesign #ExteriorDesign #InteriorDesign #Landscaping #ArchitecturalFeatures #CaliforniaArchitecture #HistoricalArchitecture

The article details the renovation of a 1975 home in the Santa Barbara hills by furniture designer Glenn Lawson and his husband, Nima Dabestani. The couple, known for their aligned personal and design philosophies, sought to honor the home's original 1970s aesthetic. Lawson, co-founder of Lawson-Fenning, an L.A. home goods company, describes himself as a purist rooted in Southern California architecture and design history. Their decision to purchase a second home in Santa Barbara was driven by a desire to have its interiors reflect its vintage, specifically aiming for a 1975 feel for the three-floor, 2,200-square-foot redwood post-and-beam house overlooking the Santa Ynez mountains. Initially planning minor updates, the couple expanded their vision to a full renovation as they spent more time in the property. They enlisted their long-time friend, Christos Prevezanos of Studio Preveza, for the project, valuing his familiarity with their style and his future role as a guest in the home. Prevezanos, known for pushing Lawson's typically neutral palette, introduced blues, oranges, and ochers, resulting in a more vibrant interior than Lawson usually prefers. Key changes included transforming a second-floor bedroom into an expansive 1,100-square-foot open-plan lounge, dining space, and kitchen. This decision reflected the 1970s shift away from formal living rooms towards more practical and open layouts, especially in California. Floor-to-ceiling windows in this area provide panoramic views, creating a dynamic backdrop for the interior. Lawson designed a custom L-shaped white wool bouclé sectional, complemented by a vintage '70s Dutch tile-top coffee table and a cubic lava rock side table, emphasizing durable, non-precious surfaces. The kitchen features a durable Caesarstone countertop and oak push cabinets. The adjoining dining area, also paneled in oak, is brightened by art pieces, including a chromogenic photograph by David Benjamin Sherry and a figurative painting by J. Carino. The oak, sourced from Lawson's native Wisconsin, connects to a vintage Danish dining table. A notable design element is the upholstered window seat, perfect for comfortable lounging post-dinner. Upstairs, the former living room became a primary bedroom with an Akari pendant lamp, a wooden Lawson-Fenning Chilsehurst bed, and Ceramicah lamps. An exterior wall was extended to create a light-filled bathroom lined with sand-hued Clé tiles and an Allied Maker fixture. The lowest level is dedicated to guest accommodation, inspired by Prevezanos's childhood experiences in 1970s and '80s New Jersey homes. The two guest bedrooms feature cobalt blue wool wall-to-wall carpeting, stained oak paneling, and retro plaid curtains, with visual references including 'E.T.', 'Poltergeist', 'Big', and 'The Smurfs'. The wall-to-wall carpeting, initially a new experience for Lawson, ultimately contributed to the desired 70s ambiance, adding depth and comfort. The entire renovation was a conscious effort to restore the home's original character and do justice to its heritage. #HomeRenovation #InteriorDesign #MidCenturyModern #SantaBarbaraHomes #GlennLawson #LawsonFenning #ChristosPrevezanos #SeventiesStyle #CaliforniaDesign

This article highlights an open house event for a historic 1910 beach bungalow located on the Venice Canals, which is currently listed for $2.65 million. The property, situated at 416 Sherman Canal, was open for viewing on Sunday, December 6, between 1 PM and 4 PM. The bungalow offers 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, with a total floor area of 1,326 square feet. Additionally, there is a den that could potentially serve as a third bedroom, adding to the home's versatility. The listing describes the residence as a "nautical paradise" that prioritizes an indoor/outdoor living experience. This is facilitated by expansive outdoor patios and a rooftop deck, providing ample space for relaxation and entertaining while offering front-row views of the canals. Inside, the home features wood-paneled ceilings and numerous windows, ensuring that the bedrooms are sun-drenched and bright. The design incorporates subway tiling in the bathrooms and kitchen, which contributes to a clean and contemporary aesthetic. Key interior elements include Heath tiled hearths and Malm fireplaces, present in both the master bedroom and the living room, adding warmth and a cozy atmosphere. The kitchen blends vintage charm with modern functionality, featuring a refurbished O'Keefe and Merritt stove alongside contemporary stainless steel appliances. Galley-style cabinetry is utilized to maximize smart storage solutions within the kitchen space. The living room is characterized by exposed beams and a skylighted ceiling, enhancing its airy feel, and is equipped with French doors that open directly onto a large front deck. The article notes that the cottage has undergone significant beautification since its last market appearance in 2010. One particular improvement highlighted is the addition of candle-esque light fixtures that top the ceiling beams, contributing to the home's unique ambiance. This renovation and enhancement have also been reflected in the property's updated price tag, which now stands approximately $1.1 million higher than its previous sale amount, indicating a substantial increase in its market value. The property's official site, 416 Sherman Canal, is provided for further details. This property exemplifies a blend of historic architecture with modern updates, designed to leverage its picturesque canal-front location. #VeniceCanals #LosAngelesRealEstate #HistoricBungalow #HomeForSale #OpenHouse #ArchitecturalDesign #InteriorDesign #LuxuryHomes