When Avalon Rossi, one half of the Avi Ross Group, first walked through this 1905 home in the historic Garvanza neighborhood of Los Angeles, she had to look past a lot, including damaged floorboards, clutter left behind by the previous owner, and degraded finishes from previous remodels.

It was really the exterior that snagged Rossi’s imagination, and communicated the home’s potential. “All of the vegetation really called to me,” says Rossi. “I thought it was something that was so unique and beautiful about the house that you really can't replicate.”

Before:

After an extensive refurbishment by the Avi Ross Group, which is led by Avalon and her mother Marina Rossi, the light and airy home now sits back from the street on its .31-acre lot, surrounded by preserved century-old fruit trees and mature vegetation.

Throughout the remodel, the pair retained the home’s best historical elements, brought in more natural light, and then further brightened up the scheme with white paint.

The 1,444-square-foot home now hosts three bedrooms, two baths, and living spaces that flow together easily, while still remaining defined. “I wanted to keep the feeling of having distinct rooms because that's an aspect of 1905 architecture. They didn't have big open plan spaces,” says Rossi.

Rossi scouted and installed a range of vintage windows and doors to brighten up the interior and retain the charm of the original. New exterior glass doors in both the kitchen and dining room open onto a newly-built deck, surrounded by vegetation, for easy indoor/outdoor flow.

The overall effect is a far cry from that first walk-through, when the home “felt like a cave,” says Rossi. “[Now], in the morning, there's just this beautiful golden light that floods the dining room, the living room, and the kitchen.”

In addition to updated systems – including HVAC, a new roof, electrical, and plumbing – there’s an 800-square-foot bonus space in the attic, a detached backyard studio, and a kitchen with soaring ceilings. Keep scrolling to see more of this airy L.A. home, currently listed for $1,195,000.

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326 North Avenue 66 in Los Angeles, California, is currently listed for $1,195,000 by Compass.

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Project Credits:

Builder, Interior Design, Lighting Design, and Landscape Design: The Avi Ross Group (@avirossgroup)

Cabinetry: Vimont Concepts