Jade remembers just how fortuitous it felt to find her Los Angeles house. She had been visiting the city for some time, embarking on what she calls “the long move” from her home state of New York.

Jade works as a psychotherapist but has a background in botany and farming, so she was hoping to land in a neighborhood that had access to nature but wasn’t too far removed from excitement. She found it in Mount Washington, a historic enclave in the San Rafael Hills in northeast L.A.—a place set in the midst of sprawl yet topographically removed from it. “It’s surrounded by nature, and there’s so much wildlife, but it’s also so convenient,” Jade says.

Before: Foyer

After: Foyer

She officially moved to the West Coast in 2022, and placed a Google pin on the area in Mount Washington where she wanted to live. In 2023, a home hit the market in almost exactly the spot Jade had placed the pin. “The property was my dream,” she says. “It’s a small house on a large plot with a big yard, and a giant, protected black walnut tree is out back.”

Before: Living Area

After: Living Area

Given the size of the yard, Jade originally approached the design firm Laun with the idea of building something new. The home was only 700 square feet, and when it was first constructed in 1928, it was likely used as a hunting cabin. The rest of the lot measured a little more than 6,000 square feet, including a significant slope, and Jade initially imagined capitalizing on it. In early 2023, she hired Laun’s principals, Rachel Bullock and Molly Purnell, for a remodel and an addition.

“We did a whole design process, and laid out the cost implications,” Rachel says. “It’s a great location, but everything gets very expensive when you’re talking about building on a hill.”

Once it was clear that her budget wouldn’t allow for a larger home, Jade put her plans on pause. Then she met Zander, a literature professor, and he moved in. In the summer of 2024, the couple got back in touch with Rachel and Molly with a new idea: They wanted to streamline their 700-square-foot space, balancing its past with contemporary details that reflect their shared tastes.

Before: Dining

After: Dining

“When I first bought the house, I was single and the amount of space didn’t bother me,” Jade says. “But with two people living here and three pets, it made sense to make improvements.”

The existing kitchen functioned more like a kitchenette because of its minute footprint, while the laundry room was surprisingly larger. The bathroom and bedroom weren’t connected, and the only way to access the patio was through the sleeping area. “Everything seemed a little backwards,” Rachel says. “Additions had been made to the house over the years that were confusing, like a closed-in porch where the dining nook now is. And because so many of these changes were done by people who did the work themselves, we discovered some dangerous stuff, too.” For example, the joists in the bedroom floor were not connected to the foundation.

Before: Kitchen

After: Kitchen

As Molly and Rachel worked with builder Enrique Portillo to rectify these issues, they collaborated with Jade and Zander to maximize the existing square footage according to their preferences. They moved the bathroom to where the laundry room was (right next to the bedroom), and set a washer and dryer beside an outdoor barbecue on a covered patio. The dining nook and living area are side-by-side, facing a more generous kitchen.

“It was surprising how efficient we were able to get without making big structural moves,” Molly says. “The house still feels cozy, which is what Jade very much wanted to keep.”

Before: Bathroom

After: Bathroom

To achieve the couple’s request for bright yet warm interiors, Molly and Rachel painted the walls white and added cherry wood millwork. Its natural grain can be seen everywhere from the living room built-in and the dining nook’s bench to the closed cabinetry in the foyer and bedroom.

“The closet in the bedroom used to just have a curtain, but those cabinets make it all look more intentional,” Molly says. “The curve at the end also eases that transition into the bathroom.”

Before: Bedroom

After: Bedroom

Before: Patio

After: Patio

While ceramics and artworks by friends provide color throughout the home, the bathroom’s all-over blue palette is even more personal. “Zander and I fell in love in Marseille, France, where we spent the summer of 2023,” Jade says. “We stayed at the Tuba Club, which has bright-blue bathrooms, and this is our homage to that.”

The project was completed in May 2025, and Zander proposed to Jade as they were moving back in. “One way to get to know one another is to discuss every single decision of a home, down to the baseboards,” she says. “So the proposal felt very symbolic, because we had already been building a life together.”

More Before & After stories:

A New Zealand Tree Became the Through Line for This Woodsy Kitchen Revamp

Two Brothers Turned a Cavernous Candy Factory Loft Into a Sweet Pad

Their Chicago Bungalow Needed a “Magic” Transformation—and They Pulled Off the Trick

Project Details:

Architecture and Interior Design: Laun / @launlosangeles

Builder: Enrique Portillo

Landscape Design: Terremoto and Plant Friends

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Before & After: How a Couple Made Their 700-Square-Foot L.A. Cottage Feel Grand