“We were looking for a tiny house on a big lot,” says designer Kathryn McCullough—and she and her husband, Andrew Bulbrook, found just the place in this 1955 cabin in the quiet, nature-filled Mount Washington neighborhood.

Originally designed by architect Kemper Nomland Jr., who designed Case Study House #10 in Pasadena with his father, the compact 850-square-foot home needed some updates and additional space for their growing family, but Kathryn and Andrew saw the midcentury house as the ideal starting point.

Working together with architect Linda Taalman and landscape architecture studio Terremoto, the team devised a plan for the wooded property that nearly doubled the size of the original house while adding an ADU with overflow family space and room for guests, an ample outdoor living area, and a 40-foot-long pool.

Riffing on the post-and-beam and timber-clad language of the original structure, the additions emphasize the best parts of the 1955 cabin without mimicking its original style.

Now, a journey through the hillside home seamlessly oscillates between indoor and outdoor spaces and past and present. “The idea,” says Andrew, “was to use the new to shine a light on the old.”

One of the original home’s quirkiest details is its large, circular window, which resembles a porthole. “Inspired by that window, we created a garden with ample ‘islands,’ or different areas for adventure, exploration, and surprise,” says designer Dani VonLehe of Terremoto.

More Open House: Los Angeles tours:

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The Hollyhock House: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Ode to California

Project Credits:

Architect of Record: Taalman Architecture / @lindataalman

Interior Design: Kathryn McCullough / @kathrynmcculloughdesign

Builder/General Contractor: Kathryn McCullough

Pool & Hardscape Contractor: Johnston Vidal Projects

Structural Engineer: Craig Phillips Engineering

Landscape Design: Dani VonLehe and David Godshall, Terremoto / @terremoto_landscape

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