For the renovation of this 1938 Los Angeles house, Mary Casper and the team at Social Studies Projects felt right at home. “This home is located in Silverlake in Los Angeles, with amazing views of Griffith Observatory and downtown Los Angeles to the west, and the San Gabriel mountains to the east,” Mary tells us. “We love the diversity of the architecture in this neighborhood: mid-century houses sit beside 1930s cottages and new-builds alike, tucked into narrow hillside streets. The neighborhood grew up slowly from what was originally farmland. It’s a great neighborhood for walking, despite the hilly streets, and there’s a sort of ‘code of the commons’ that dictates driving etiquette for the more-or-less single lane of traffic. Several of our own team members live nearby, where we routinely go for walks to gather inspiration for detailing by looking at the vernacular of the neighborhood itself.”
Their client is a young physician with a creative side, and he envisioned something more extraordinary for his two-story abode—something with a sense of serenity and refined European touches throughout. “He wanted the home to feel dramatically transformed without changing the general layout,” Mary explains. In the initial planning phases, the SSP team studied the entire home, helping the client evaluate the budget and determine where to focus his investment. “Through two separate phases of construction, we worked with him to re-envision some of the most beloved areas of the house, deploying natural stone, specialty paints and plumbing fixtures, and high-quality finishes and fittings like mouldings, switches, and lighting,” she says.
In the living room, the walls are coated in Roman clay for a plaster look, while custom wood trim around the windows and doors adds a dramatic touch. A custom Calacatta Viola fireplace sits below a pair of sconces from the client’s own collection, which results in a stately centerpiece for the room.
In a savvy design (and budget-friendly) move, the existing kitchen cabinets were refinished and outfitted with hand-hewn hardware and reeded glass. They added an integral stone sink alongside an unlacquered brass faucet, new countertops and backsplash in honed Calacatta Turquoise marble, and a custom hood surround. By adding new glass shelving with decorative brass brackets, they transformed an existing lower cabinet into a sleek bar. The breakfast room features blue-green plaster walls, a built-in banquette, and a vintage cocoon pendant—not to mention, those great Silverlake views.
The bathrooms follow a similar approach, with bold stone sitting centerstage. The primary selection is a bit more subtle (Arabescato Corchia is seen on the vanity and partition), while the powder room features Calacatta Viola in a sink basin, shelf, and wainscot. Here, the wallcovering is based on a circa 1931 Le Corbusier pattern, and the stone-mounted, unlacquered brass faucet sits beneath a vintage brass mirror.
“Building off the architectural bones, we wanted to create an inviting yet handsome, polished, and refined home; one that reflected the client,” Mary explains. “We started working on the design with this client in the spring of 2022 and wrapped up construction in late 2023. The client was thrilled with the results and excited to dream about his next project with us.”
