About six years ago, architects Claus Benjamin Freyinger and Andrew Holder of Los Angeles firm The LADG hired Danielle Rago’s PR company, This by That, to lead their media communications. The three developed such a good working relationship that when Danielle was ready to build her dream home, the two sides reversed roles—she hired The LADG, and suddenly she was their client. Starting with a mundane 1929 bungalow in L.A.’s Larchmont Village, the three worked together to design a one-of-a-kind three-bedroom house and accessory dwelling unit for Danielle and her family, including husband Darren Hochberg, toddler Oliver, puppy Melrose, and newborn Julian (who was still in the works when Dwell photographed the family in January). The recently completed home is distinguished by its light palette, unique blend of forms, and inventive use of materials, stucco and asphalt shingles among them. The unconventional blend reflects the clients’ confidence in the architects’ flair for experimentation. Here, Danielle and Ben tell us how they balanced wishes and reality and ended up with a pole in the pool.

Give and Take

Danielle Rago: We always liked this neighborhood, but there was nothing architecturally significant about this house when we bought it.

Ben Freyinger: Oh, it was a complete wreck, a sort of Frankenstein of accommodations for multiple residents over multiple years.

Danielle: Early on, when Ben and Andrew asked us to write a wish list of how we wanted to live, we described a strong connection between interior and exterior, and space that would be livable for our family.

Ben: But, inevitably, wish lists have inconsistencies. In this case, Danielle and Darren wanted open space to entertain, as well as privacy, and to be close to the kids, as well as a sense of separation. In the face of contradictions, the design prompt becomes a mission to reconcile the two. And, as it turns out, with a little bit of thoughtful planning and good dialogue, you can really make things work.

An Efficient (and Unusual) Space

Ben: Square footage was a high priority for Danielle and Darren, but because of city constraints, there was only so much we could add. Andrew and I also felt strongly about preserving the modest character of the street. So for us, the challenge was reorganizing the space to make use of every single inch. Without raising the height of the front of the house, we put a vaulted roof over the middle like a hat, creating a balance between well-considered small spaces and this open-plan moment of relief.

Danielle: Ben and Andrew left the private spaces smaller and more intimate, prioritizing the common spaces—the areas we’re really living in. The footprint might be smaller than what we originally wanted, but the beauty is that we use every inch. What’s also interesting is that they put the bedrooms in the front of the house and the public-facing areas in the back, which really lends to fully utilizing the backyard while maintaining a sense of privacy, especially when we have guests staying in the ADU.

Ben: As for the backyard, Danielle really wanted a pool, but we also had to preserve a driveway for the city entitlement. So to resolve the problem of having a pool, a guesthouse, and an overhanging roof—for shade—in the same place, we found the pool to be the best place to put a support column.

“The footprint might be smaller than what we originally wanted, but the beauty is that we use every inch.”
—Danielle Rago, resident

Practical Applications

Danielle: For the interiors, my tastes lean toward more neutral colors and richness of material. We were definitely conscious of a high-end product look, but wanted to do it in a way that was cost-efficient.

Ben: Which is a really perfect fit for our practice. We don’t give a lot of emphasis to really high-end finishes as much as the capacity of architecture to make an interesting space. In a lot of ways, we’re using an inexpensive material, but then deploying it with a great deal of care to a high level of finish. As materials became scarce and more expensive during the early Covid years, we tried to capitalize on what was available. When our plaster crew told us that they weren’t getting a lot of work, we wondered if the beautiful rough-coat plaster on the facade could work inside. The answer was yes and at a fraction of the cost of plywood.

Danielle: The roof, in terms of material, was real value engineering. Originally it was going to be all standing seam metal, but when Ben and Andrew told us their idea to do shingles, we thought, Oh, interesting, and walked around the neighborhood looking at different shingle colors.

Ben: What’s great about Danielle and Darren is that we could send them on a mission to go look at the most inexpensive roofing material, one that’s pervasive at every fast-food restaurant in Los Angeles, and they would agree to do it. That’s a testament to their confidence that we could make this look interesting and do something beautiful—but they definitely had to go along for the ride.

Project Credits:

Architect of Record: The Los Angeles Design Group

Contractor: Engine Construction

Structural Engineering: Nous Engineering

Civil Engineering: T&M Surveying

Landscape Design: Big Red Sun

Cabinetry Design & Installation: MasonHaus

Cabinetry Finishing: Irvine Geotechnical

Doors & Windows: Fleetwood

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Sometimes Building Your Dream Home Means Putting a Pole Through Your Pool