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When Andrew and Meghan purchased this Victorian brownstone in Brooklyn, NY, it had been renovated recently, with much of its historic details, like decorative molding, left in place.

The hallways on the third floor felt pretty "ghosty,

Architect Warren Techentin collaborated with artists Christopher James and Kristin Beinner James to renovate the couple’s once-derelict home in the Los Feliz section of Los Angeles. When they first bought it, the corner entrance was obscured by a tangle of vegetation.

When a Los Angeles–based entrepreneur and writer were seeking creative refuge, they didn’t have to travel far for inspiration. The duo simply looked to their backyard to erect a 245-square-foot guesthouse on their hillside property in the Los Feliz neighborhood. Nestled just behind their main residence, the tranquil space, designed by Jerome Byron, serves as a work/play sanctuary for the couple and their two children.

The designer-builders chose white oak in a Cathedral cut, embracing its more rustic quality compared to riff-sawn white oak.

There are eight outdoor spaces, or yards, of different sizes, which gives rise to the name of the house. This small courtyard is located off the dining room, and helps to connect the interior to the outdoors. "The selection of reclaimed brick has given this house a coherence that meshes perfectly with the focus on nature of the eight outdoor yards, and the cream paint contrasts wonderfully with the green planting throughout,

Two vintage Don Chadwich for Herman Miller chairs upholstered in Kvadrat sit in front of a walnut feature wall. The painting is by artist Kelly Zellers, whom Natalie has worked with extensively throughout her design career.

The kitchen flooring is 24” x 24” DalTile Chadwick Charcoal Tile and the wall tile is by Heath Ceramics.

Project architects Studio Marshall Blecher and Jan Henrik Jansen Arkitekter opened up the center of the house, previously comprising a maze of fourteen small rooms, creating one large and airy kitchen and dining space with a high, chapel like ceiling. A six-meter-long concrete plinth standing at the center of the room which doubles as an island bench and dining table, had to be lowered into the house by a crane while the roof was being reconstructed.