This Silverlake home has a beautifully cinematic storyline that could only happen in Los Angeles. “It was originally developed by the silent film actor Antonio Moreno and his wife, oil-heiress Daisy Canfield,” says interior designer Jillian Kliewer. “Inspired by Mediterranean villages, the area retains its iconic ‘California Spanish’ homes along terraced streets with sweeping lake views, and today the area includes a rich mix of architectural styles from masters like John Lautner, Gregory Ain, and R. M. Schindler.”
Aside from the location, Jillian says the home’s meticulous planning is one of the most celebrated parts of the property. “The utility lines are all underground, leaving the views and streetscapes beautifully unobstructed,” she says, which sets perfect scene for the home’s next chapter.
Jillian first connected with the homeowners in 2010, and they were fast friends. “I vividly remember meeting them at a Halloween party, both dressed as giant bunches of grapes—laughing, surrounded in purple balloons, and brimming with joy,” she says with a smile. “They’re a vibrant, adventurous couple who truly embrace the experiment of life, and this is the third home we’ve crafted together over the past decade.”
Jillian’s focus here was on creating a space that would evolve with their growing family, blending high functionality with quality natural materials and warm colors. “We also left room for them to add personal and found objects over time, fostering a layered, creative ambiance that feels truly lived in,” she explains. “A few must-haves: the client’s desire to experiment boldly and a love for unlacquered brass!”
The project unfolded over three phases spanning two years. In the first phase, they fully renovated the kitchen and bathrooms, updated flooring in key rooms, installed a mix of new and salvaged windows and doors, and enhanced the exterior, including a redesign of the stairs.
Phase two focused on custom furnishings and refreshing the paint throughout the remaining rooms. “Here, we also added new French doors that now open from the living room onto the front patio and transformed a former storage room into a secondary kitchen, which opens to the backyard through reclaimed French double doors,” Jillian tells us.
For the third and final phase, TerreMoto came onboard to design the landscaping, adding a half-basketball court, an inviting outdoor dining area, and a natural pond plunge pool.
The resulting style is a blend of Spanish influences. “It’s primarily Mission Revival, with subtle touches of Moroccan character expressed through color and materials,” Jillian says of the renovation’s happy ending. “The clients were overjoyed and still constantly expressed disbelief that this was truly their home. They’ve shared that it feels as if they’re living in a dream-like, creative haven.”
