The stainless-steel elements, including the counter and cabinets, were also kept in place for their industrial character. The island was reworked and topped with marble.
Marble covers the backsplash, and new upper cabinets inset with fluted glass were added.
Architect Jayna Cooper had never designed a house before, much less played general contractor, when she broke ground on her new home in the middle of Los Angeles in 2009. After a grueling four months of hands-on work—managing subcontractors, sourcing materials, driving the front loader—she moved in. With a façade made of corrugated sheet metal, Cooper walks us through her completed home and reveals what it took to make this $200-per-square-foot abode a reality.
