Simplifying and opening up a Brentwood ranch house

Architect David Montalba of Montalba Architects in Santa Monica walks through the home of Betsy Everitt and Christopher Schilling in Brentwood, a ranch house that he redesigned as a clean, modern indoor-outdoor retreat. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

March 21, 2014 4:40 PM PT

Home of The Times: A couple’s 1953 Brentwood ranch house gets a sleek Midcentury Modern look after a makeover creates an open floor plan and makes the interior look more spacious.

Lush greenery outside is seen from the dining area. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Architect David Montalba raised the roof and installed clerestory windows and opaque skylights to bathe rooms in a luminous glow. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Wall-mounted walnut cabinets appear to float above whitewashed oak floors. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Paint, marble, glass tile and Caesarstone were selected in shades of white and beige for their light-reflective, space-expanding quality. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Taking down walls and partitions and opening rooms to the outdoors brought a sense of spaciousness to the 1,800-square-foot home. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

“This remodel was all about editing,” says architect David Montalba. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

The architect turned separate living, family, kitchen and dining areas into one open, free-flowing space that focused on adding more natural light. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Windows open up a corner of the kitchen. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Landscape designer Judy Kameon of L.A.’s Elysian Landscapes cleared overgrown palms and evergreens from the back slope and planted drought-tolerant Mediterranean and subtropical plants under purple acacias. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

The hillside serves as a colorful backdrop for garden terraces that extend from the house. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Clerestory windows bathe rooms in a luminous glow. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Architect David Montalba moved the front door to a more central location and freshened up the ranch-style facade while preserving the home’s small footprint. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Landscape designer Judy Kameon designed an extra-long sofa and a fire pit for an outdoor seating area. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)