A Two-Decade Renovation Recasts a Derelict Home as an Artists’ Live/Work Haven
Warren Techentin Architecture turns a wonky Los Angeles home and bungalows into the perfect place for the owners to work and raise a family.
Warren Techentin Architecture turns a wonky Los Angeles home and bungalows into the perfect place for the owners to work and raise a family.
Christopher James vividly recalls when he and his wife, Kristin Beinner James, first laid eyes on the pink and maroon house in L.A.’s Los Feliz neighborhood in 2000. Divided into upstairs and downstairs apartments, the house was a wreck, and the three bungalows out back weren’t much better. "The sewer in the main house was disconnected, there was no heat, and rain streamed in through broken windows," says Chris.
Architect Warren Techentin collaborated with artists Christopher James and Kristin Beinner James to renovate the couple’s once-derelict home in the Los Feliz section of Los Angeles. When they first bought it, the corner entrance was obscured by a tangle of vegetation.
Photo by Justin Chung
Built between 1906 and 1926, the structures, which locals say were once used to accommodate out-of-town talent for a nearby movie studio, had obviously seen better days. But the property offered the live/rent opportunity the couple, both artists, were looking for, and they saw the potential to create a place to both work and raise a family.
In addition to turning what had been two apartments into a single residence, Techentin reconfigured the garden facade, adding a terrace, French doors, and a freestanding chimney.
Photo by Justin Chung
After purchasing it, they settled into the upstairs apartment and began renovating the one-bedroom bungalows and renting them out to fellow artists. "We had a sort of reverse discrimination policy," Chris jokes. "You had to be an artist to live here."
Rebuilt windows give the living room a day-lit glow. The pendant is by Serge Mouille. The sofa is from IKEA and the armchair is by Alvar Aalto.
Photo by Justin Chung
See the full story on Dwell.com: A Two-Decade Renovation Recasts a Derelict Home as an Artists’ Live/Work Haven
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