Photos: From ‘flophouse’ to fabulous in Venice

Designer Emily Kovner worked with homeowner Lynda Taylor to transform a dilapidated Venice house Taylor purchased in 2009 into a modern, light-filled home. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

June 5, 2014 4:41 PM PT

Designer Emily Kovner and her client Lynda Taylor have an impressive before-and-after story to tell. They created a lovely, light-filled home in Venice out of a devastated, utterly neglected one that Taylor likened to a “flophouse.”

Emily Kovner wrapped Lynda Taylor’s Venice home in elegant vertical timber planks and retained the existing brick chimney as an important “anchor” for the house. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

Designer Emily Kovner put in clerestory windows that allow light into the home while maintaining privacy from the street. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

Despite a limited budget, designer Emily Kovner has created a warm, open, modern design that makes the home feel much larger than its 1,875 square feet. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

Sheer gray Sunbrella drapes on the patio outside the main living area shield the home from the sun and soften the look of the space. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

Huge sliding glass doors lead to a spacious patio edged with bench seating that feels like a continuation of the living room. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

Adjacent to the outside seating area is a miniature English garden designed by landscape firm Aire d’Essai. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

The property’s sloping landscape was evened out to facilitate the connection between the interiors and the backyard patio. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

Venice homeowner Lynda Taylor, a native of Manchester, England, looks out onto the English-style garden designed for her by landscape firm Aire d’Essai. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

The master bedroom opens to a private, lush garden with wisteria, roses, hydrangea, vegetables, herbs, fruit trees and even a small statue. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

The master bath has separate bath and shower areas and is lined with green glass tiles. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

A large window in the master bath opens to a view of the English garden. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

Floating cabinetry adds to the home’s feeling of openness. The home has engineered walnut floors throughout. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

Lynda Taylor has decorated shelves in the living room area with busts and figures purchased on trips to Russia, Greece, Japan and other countries. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

Neatly trimmed topiary in the backyard’s small English garden are seen from the bedroom. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

The bath adjoining the bedroom of Lynda Taylor’s mother is outfitted with accessible features but doesn’t stint on style. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

Designer Emily Kovner raised the roof from 8½ feet to 14 feet at its tallest, putting in a new ceiling and adding clerestory windows for light and privacy. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

Sheer drapes on the patio outside the main living area move in the breeze. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

Bright red bar chairs, popular with Lynda Taylor’s grandchildren, enliven the kitchen’s otherwise neutral palette. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

The clean-lined kitchen is outfitted with Caesarstone counters, a whimsical crystal chandelier and bright red bar chairs. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

Homeowner Lynda Taylor, left, acting as her own contractor, and designer Emily Kovner teamed up to renovate Taylor’s Venice home. The two also had built Taylor’s last home on the Venice canals. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)