Before & After: Big Color and Pattern Give a Drab L.A. Midcentury a Major Glow Up
"There was an institutional gray that repeated throughout the house," designer Frances Merrill says while thinking back to her first visit to this L.A. home originally designed and built by architect Robert Lee in 1963.
Merrill’s studio, Reath Design, steers clear of such safe approaches to decor—instead, their work is rooted in a love of color, pattern, and textiles. For this project, which wrapped in 2020 after many years of collaboration, a color swap kickstarted the process of tailoring the home to its new owners, who work in the fashion and film industries.
"One of the things we did that really added a lot of warmth and depth to the house was painting all of what was already painted," says Merrill. "We picked this rich, deep green that brings out the tone in the wood a lot more. That was a pretty simple change, working with what was already there."
Before: Living Room
Before: The brick fireplace, wood paneling, and brick floors were all standout features in the existing home.
Before: Merrill retained many of the home’s original elements so as to preserve the character that the owners loved.
After: Living Room
Emerald-green paint outfits the cabinetry, making the wood fronts pop. The wine-colored, velvet sofa was custom designed by Reath.
Merrill replaced the previous carpet with a similar shag variety.
Shop the Look
The four floor pillows were fabricated from old carpets and given a fluffy trim detail.
"We left anything that was wood, wood," says Merrill. "All of those things begin to shine and look more beautiful when the things around them have been polished."
A bar is tucked away in a living area built-in.
Much of the project was guided by "simple changes" that left the home’s excellent bones intact. Merrill brought in the homeowners’ personalities with a mix of vintage and custom furnishings, carefully chosen color palettes, and decadent patterns.
For example, in the office, Merrill kept the original cork flooring in place, then wrapped walls in earth-toned Hermès wallpaper. A custom wall of shelving and a built-in desk, fabricated by local woodworker Joshua West Smith, provides a streamlined counterpoint to the lush pattern.
"It was really about just making it flow and putting the owners’ mark on the home without making major changes," says Merrill. "Then, in the kitchen and the bathrooms, we did a total remodel."
Before: Dining Room
Before: Merrill kept the brick floors and gave the painted wood elements the same emerald-green treatment. The color is Rainforest Foliage by Benjamin Moore.
After: Dining Room
A Mapp table by Vincent Chia for Air Division is surrounded by Blu Dot’s Real Good chairs in copper. The painting is Untitled (Rinso) by Jean-Michel Basquiat.
A view into the rehabbed kitchen.
Before: Kitchen
Before: A more recent remodel of the kitchen left behind cabinet fronts covered in large-scale photographs.
Before: "There were awkward corners, and the fridge stuck out," says Merrill. "So, our approach was to streamline everything."
After: Kitchen
Now, the kitchen has walnut cabinetry with inset doors painted a creamy white. The counter is marble, and the backsplash is the Classic Field tile in chartreuse from Heath Ceramics. The floors are new linoleum.
The kitchen was ripe for a gut overhaul. Not only were the existing ’90s finishes not to the taste of the owners, it wasn’t very functional. The layout jogged in strange directions, and the cabinet doors would open if they were leaned against in the wrong way. "We never moved any walls," says Merrill. Instead, the design team introduced custom cabinetry to maximize storage and flow.
Custom shelves fit into the original wood paneling.
An open shelf displays the couple’s glassware collection.
Before: Guest Bathroom
Before: The guest bathroom was also neutral.
After: Guest Bathroom
The new color palette combines a medley of hues, including mustard, mint, rusty orange, and lavender. The bathroom floor, tiled with oversized flowers, is paired with a plaid shower curtain. The client encouraged the firm to stretch here: "I think we originally had something with a bit less color, but she was always pushing us," says Merrill. "It was so fun."
Color-blocked custom cabinets make for a delightful surprise.
After: Office
Hermès wallpaper is an eye-catching backdrop to a shelf and desk system designed by Reath and constructed by woodworker Joshua West Smith.
Before: Master Suite
Before: The master bedroom overlooks the pool.
Before: The adjacent bathroom was bland.
After: Master Suite
Merrill had the clients’ bed frame covered in teal velvet. The curtains are sewn from Muriel Brandolini fabric, and the pillowcases feature an eye print from Kari Fisher.
A custom built-in with laminate accents in the dressing area is also by Joshua West Smith. "He did such a beautiful job of making cabinetry that looks like what could have been in the house," says Merrill.
Heath Ceramics tile—in shades of pink, lavender, and maroon—livens up the closet/bathroom floor.
The sink has display shelves for the owner’s perfume bottle collection.
Heath Ceramics tile continues in the shower.
The owners bought the house in 2013, and the culmination of the multiyear remodel is the nursery, where the home’s playful spirit shines. There, a custom mural by Londubh Studios strews fluffy white clouds across the cabinetry and ceiling, and a giant glider is inspired by Pee Wee Herman’s Chairry and Roy McMakin.
Completing the project in multiple phases allowed the homeowners to get exactly what they wanted by the end. "They get to live in it and see what works," says Merrill. "And they also, I think, become more likely to take risks."
3064 North Beachwood Drive is currently listed for $2.5M by Daria Greenbaum of Compass.
Before: Nursery
Before: The closet in the nursery room was swapped out for built-in cabinetry.
After: Nursery
The nursery sports a custom cloud mural by Londubh Studios painted across the ceiling and cabinetry. Purple linoleum lies beneath the rug.
The vintage daybed is upholstered in dinosaur fabric.
"Gliders are all pretty ugly—even the ones that are sort of trying to not be," says Merrill. "So, we decided to get the biggest and clunkiest–just the most basic, giant thing–and turn it into something fun." The chair is upholstered in a quilt-like manner using fabric the homeowner collected.
Related Reading:
Kitchy Kitchen’s Claire Thomas Restores a Charming L.A. Midcentury
19 Laudable Midcentury Modern Renovations in Los Angeles
Project Credits:
Interior Design: Frances Merrill, Reath Design / @reathdesign
Builder: Robert Barron, All In One Construction
Cabinetry: Juan Leon, G&A Fine Wood Working
Published
Last Updated
Get the Renovations Newsletter
From warehouse conversions to rehabbed midcentury gems, to expert advice and budget breakdowns, the renovation newsletter serves up the inspiration you need to tackle your next project.