Spanish & Mediterranean home remodels.
Los Angeles period homes have character worth keeping and plans that rarely fit modern life. We keep the first and fix the second.
Keep the character. Fix the plan.
Spanish Colonial Revival bungalows, Mediterranean estates and Craftsman houses are a big part of what makes Los Angeles neighborhoods look the way they do. Their thick stucco walls, arched openings, tile and beamed ceilings are hard to recreate. Their floor plans, with closed kitchens, small dark rooms and odd additions, are often hard to live with.
Our approach is to protect what gives the house its identity and rework what doesn't serve it. We document the existing details, decide with you what stays, and design the new plan, kitchen, baths and finishes so they sit naturally inside the original architecture. Everything is modeled in 3D, so you can see how a new opening reads next to an original arch before anything is cut.
Some period homes sit in historic districts or are designated landmarks, which adds review steps. We plan for that from the start.
Period homes we have remodeled.
How we remodel a period home.
Study the house and site
We document the existing home, the light through the day and the details worth keeping.
Set the palette in 3D
Materials are tested in the model under real daylight before samples are ordered.
Plan the rooms
Layout changes are tested at full scale so they suit the house and how you live.
Walk it and sign off
You review every room in a 360° tour before construction.
Procure and build
We order samples, finishes and furniture, and your builder works from the same model.
Related services and areas.
Questions about period home remodels.
Can you open up the plan of a Spanish bungalow without losing its character?
Usually, yes. On our Santa Monica bungalow, a closed galley kitchen was opened into one continuous room while the stucco, arches and tile that define the house stayed.
What if my house is in a historic district?
Homes in historic districts or with landmark status usually need design review for exterior changes, and sometimes for visible interior features. We plan the design around those rules from the start.
Do you match original details like tile and plaster?
Where originals can be kept, we keep them. Where they have to be replaced, we specify materials and finishes that sit comfortably beside them, and test them in 3D first.
Do you remodel Craftsman and mid-century homes too?
Yes. See our Pasadena Craftsman and the rest of the portfolio.
Love the house, not the layout?
Tell us about your home and what you want to keep. We'll show you how the plan could work around it.