7979J Living Room

After: The living room overlooks the great room below. Now when you walk in the house, you can see clear out to the trees in the back—an idea sparked by an interior designer friend who commented that the most important aspect of a design is what you see when you walk in the front door.

In the living room, a white sofa from Maria Yee and CB2 couch flank a custom coffee table designed and built by Joel. The walls are painted “Schoolhouse White” by Farrow & Ball, and the windows are Benjamin Moore “Mopboard Black.” The windows have custom storm windows for improved energy efficiency.

We proposed large openings that can open wide to connect the interior and exterior,

Natural light was very important for homeowners, incorporated though plentiful clerestory glass and indoor-outdoor access.

An Eames lounge chair and ottoman anchor the houses's living room, which enjoys floor-to-ceiling views looking north.

Designer Josie Ford shares her LA apartment with Atticus, her 200-pound Great Dane.

A healthy budget for landscaping allowed Leah to achieve a natural, wild look with plants. “I wanted to look out and see just lush plants growing wild,” she says. The collage of native vegetation was also used to soften the transitions between surface materials and backyard zones.

Classic midcentury features like the wall of glass and clerestory windows provide the home with a connection to the outdoors and flood the living space with natural light. A rough stone-inlay fireplace connects the living room with the facade.

Upstairs, pieces from the homeowner's eclectic art collection add pops of color. A coconut chair by George Nelson was reupholstered to bring a contemporary feel, and a sleeper sofa from Design Within Reach offers flexible space for guests.

In years gone by, the street was lined with Milkwood trees, some of which still remain. The angled bay window was specifically designed to frame two ancient Milkwoods, which were sadly removed by neighbours despite many objections. It does, however, remain a cosy, sun-filled nook with 180-degree views.

The open-plan kitchen, dining, and living areas are washed in sunlight that streams in through floor-to-ceiling windows and doors.

Other than blocking off some exposed plumbing and repairing the fireplace, the team left the library relatively untouched. "We wanted to preserve all the beautiful wood and stained glass and add a couple modern pieces,