Before & After: This Suburban L.A. Home’s Most Attractive Quality? A Near Complete Lack of Character
Design couple Carlos Naude and Whitney Brown liked its vaulted ceilings, but otherwise transformed the space with plaster, handmade brick, archways, and more Spanish-inspired touches.
Design couple Carlos Naude and Whitney Brown liked its vaulted ceilings, but otherwise transformed the space with plaster, handmade brick, archways, and more Spanish-inspired touches.
In 2022, with a second baby on the way and the ambition to grow their real estate portfolio, Carlos Naude and Whitney Brown were ready for more space. While a large kitchen and backyard pool were priorities for their growing family, so was finding a space that they could infuse with their own personal history and distinct taste. When they came across a dated, nondescript home for sale in good condition in Granada Hills, California, they knew they had found the right place.
The couple run Working Holiday, a multidisciplinary creative studio based in Los Angeles with a portfolio that includes several renovations. With a few completed projects across Southern California, including one in Woodland Hills, they were all too aware of the ultra-competitive real estate market in L.A. So they shifted their focus to Granada Hills, a quieter suburb they liked for its proximity to neighborhoods like Santa Monica and Sherman Oaks, to help their odds in nabbing a home. The strategy paid off when their offer—which was only in the ring with two compared with the 40 they were up against in areas like Calabasas—was accepted.
Before: Backyard Exterior
After: Backyard Exterior
Carlos and Whitney changed all the windows and doors, painted the facade a moss green, and added a new black roof. "Our style is very modern and minimalist," Carlos explains. "But we still wanted to include some of the warmth, accents, and tones from traditional Spanish architecture."
Photo by Carlos Naude
Carlos and Whitney swapped the existing patio entry with large sliding doors that connect to the living and dining room.
Photo by Carlos Naude
See the full story on Dwell.com: Before & After: This Suburban L.A. Home’s Most Attractive Quality? A Near Complete Lack of Character
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