Designers Joelle Kutner and Jesse Rudolph of Ome Dezin are always looking for special homes in Los Angeles that are just begging to be brought back to life. So when they found this 1927 Tudor home with a deep Hollywood history located in the coveted Beachwood Canyon neighborhood, they knew they had found their next project.
“The listing agent had photos printed of lily st. Cyrthe famous burlesque star that used to live in the home for many years, and that was the spark,” Kutner and Rudolph told Realtor.com in an email.
During their initial tour of the 3,000-square-foot house (which was last sold in 1979), they saw rooms of colorful wall-to-wall carpeting, old fixtures, and a tight floor plan, which clearly spelled the need for gut renovation .
“Considering that it was just about a 100-year-old house, we already knew that most of the systems would need to be redone,” the designers said. “But it had a soul and great bones, and we knew we could transform this into a majestic home.”
One of the biggest challenges for the Ome Dezin team was keeping the integrity and structure of the interior while also modernizing it for today’s homeowners. But when making design decisions, the house’s architectural history was always their North Star.
“The fact that this was a Tudor guided our design process,” Kutner and Rudolph said. “Tudors are interesting because they can be dark and moody but also give you a license to use colors and patterns more freely than other styles from home.”
Join us as we take a closer look at this one-of-a-kind property and hear from Kutner and Rudolph about the most impactful design changes they made.
living room
Prior to the renovation, the living room was painted yellow with wall-to-wall carpeting. Kutner and Rudolph decided to brighten the walls and ceiling with a white and cream finish.
The resulting effect is an airy, calming space where the cathedral ceiling and exposed beams can take center stage.
To improve the flow of the room, Kutner and Rudolph installed a pair of French doors across from the original living room entrance to create a throughway from the front yard to the backyard.
Another standout element in the living room is the decorative fireplace. Kutner and Rudolph added limestone tiles in a herringbone pattern to the fireplace interior to make it look more finished.
For the lighting in the room, the designers sought to complement the original architecture of the space, which was kept intact.
“We wanted to juxtapose the vintage Tudor elements of this room with clean lines from Scandinavian-inspired light fixtures by Astep,” Kutner and Rudolph explained.
Kitchen
Before the renovation, the kitchen had linoleum tiles and outdated cabinetry. To turn this into a one-of-a-kind chef’s kitchen, Kutner and Rudolph knew they had to gut it and start from scratch.
“We added skylights, a Dutch door, and checked flooring that we used throughout the kitchen and extended to the exterior,” the designers said. “The windows brought light, and the floor gives the feeling that the kitchen extends to the outdoors.”
Primary bedroom
“Doing as little as possible to the primary bedroom was the best decision we made,” said Kutner and Rudolph. “We kept the vintage wardrobe antiqued mirror doors, but revamped the inside cabinetry.”
The biggest changes made to this space include the custom cabinetry beneath the window and the new soothing green paint color on the walls. The designers chose to continue the green palette throughout the house as an homage to the property’s natural surroundings.
“This home faces a green hill with grass and trees and has lush views. We used a green palette throughout the house to reflect the stunning views. It’s also at the base of Bronson Canyon, a popular park and hiking location in Los Angeles. The green hues are meant to really mimic what you can see from the windows and experience just steps from your front door,” the designers explained.
Outdoor spaces
Along the perimeter of the property is a large white wall, which belongs to the original home and gives the home an appealing sense of privacy.
The sizeable front yard was designed to be used as a garden and has a beautiful limestone fountain that you can hear from all the open windows of the house.
The backyard partly consists of the checkered floor from the kitchen and the original red brick, which was used to build the outdoor barbecue.
Kutner and Rudolph also added a deep outdoor bench with custom cushions, which can be used for dining or lying around listening to the birds.