Style : HOME DESIGN : Suprise Packages : AN INNER GLOW

Before renovation, this three-story ‘50s home in the Hollywood Hills was painted pink and had a bathroom in which everything--walls, tiles, sink and toilet--was decorated in various shades of Bazooka bubble gum. But the new owners, who dubbed the house the Pink Puppy Palace, had a more subtle kind of whimsy in mind. Enter designer Brian Murphy and his decidedly offbeat ways with industrial materials.

Today, the hillside habitat glows white, inside and out. Perhaps most striking is the former carport of wrought-iron bars, now encased in fiberglass. The corrugated panels, usually installed as a patio cover, are both inexpensive (a 26-by-96-inch sheet costs about $12) and surprisingly attractive. When lit from within, the new garage looks like a rice-paper lantern in the twilight sky.

The bones of the rest of the 2,900-square-foot house remain unchanged, albeit transformed by Murphy’s inimitable style. Kitchen cabinets are outfitted not with glass but with aluminum diamond plate (it’s used on the running boards of trucks) to add surface interest. The living room fireplace has been updated with a granite hearth that juts out from smooth white walls. A massive brick mantel and knotty-pine paneling were stripped away, leaving only a narrow slit that reveals the original brick chimney.

At the entry is a white cubical that houses a guest bathroom and closet. Inside, Murphy painted everything matte black, replaced the shower with a guest closet and installed glass around the top. Murphy’s intention--the owners are less decided--was to light this dark space entirely with candles: “I like the idea of a nice glowing light escaping through the windows,” he says wistfully.