Giving an old house new twists
White roses and pink bougainvillea frame the classic Craftsman porch of a historic Angelino Heights home that blends old and new.
Built in 1908, the renovated main residence features original stained-glass windows, oak hardwood floors and a pocket door that separates the living room and dining room. Modern damask wallpaper with vintage designs of the period lines the den and dining room walls.
Owners Joe Cole and his wife, Kristen Lee, have installed an antique mirrored coat rack in the hallway next to a hidden audio system in the wall that streams music through a Mac mini controller into every room downstairs and to the outdoors. A closet off the den has been converted into a built-in bar with wine cooler.
“We like to renovate and restore old homes,” says Lee, a designer and a co-owner with her husband of TenOverSix, a fashion and home accessories boutique in West Hollywood. “This is a homey, comfortable house in a cool, relaxed community. There are a lot of families here, as well as young couples and singles.”
Angelino Heights was designated as Los Angeles’ first Historical Preservation Overlay Zone and contains one of the highest concentrations of 19th century Victorian homes in the city, along with later Craftsman and Mission Revival homes. Owners in a historic zone must comply with exterior restrictions designed to preserve the architectural integrity of the area.
In this house, a remodeled kitchen with new white subway tiles, office, laundry area and a bathroom complete the downstairs. Upstairs, there are three bedrooms, one of which has been converted into a dressing room, and the master bathroom. A sleeping porch off the front bedroom offers views of Griffith Park.
A backyard brick patio leads to a one-bedroom, one-bathroom bungalow that can be used as a guesthouse or office. The bungalow, which has a separate address, is zoned for rental.
To submit a candidate for Home of the Week, send high-resolution color photos with caption and credit information on a CD and a detailed description of the house to Lauren Beale, Business, Los Angeles Times, 202 W. 1st St., L.A., CA 90012. Questions may be sent to homeoftheweek@latimes.com.