“I have always loved this special neighborhood, nestled below The Grove and West Hollywood,” designer Lauren Moore says of Los Angeles’s Carthay Square. “It is a really unique and historic area with so many beautifully preserved old homes.”
This house was built in the 1930s, and Lauren says it had been beautifully maintained by her clients. “It is a Traditional Colonial Revival home with shiplap siding, shutters, and so much original detailing throughout, including wainscoting, trim work, crown molding, and more,” she notes. “It has a lovely flow and excellent scale. However, the kitchen had been renovated without much personality, and the primary bathroom was neither functional nor particularly beautiful.”
Her firm, Design Assembly, was the perfect fit for the transformation. “Every once in a while, you win the lottery and get hired by someone who says, ‘I love your work, I love what you do, and I just want my house to look like a Lauren House,’ then gracefully steps out of the way and trusts your process,” she reflects. “This experience was exactly that.”
At their first meeting, Lauren and her client, Claire, discovered they had much in common and shared a love of many of the same aesthetics and traditions. “Claire lives here with her husband, Brian, and their adorable young daughter,” she tells us. “Coming into this project, she wanted to recreate the heart of her home and begin a new chapter after COVID—one where they could once again open their home and hearts to family and friends.”
Lauren’s goal was to infuse the kitchen with warmth, elegance, and a sense of timelessness that would honor the home’s inherent historic character. “Because the kitchen is petite, enclosing the corner windows with upper cabinets would have compromised both light and proportion,” the designer says. “Instead, I designed built-in banks of cabinetry that read as though they are part of the architecture itself. Their integrated appliances and clean sightlines allow the room to feel effortlessly tailored—intimate in scale, yet generous in storage and function. We used Portola limewash paint in Eastwood throughout both spaces, and the kitchen stone is a highly varied slab of Calacatta Viola. I especially love the gentle bullnose edge.”
She credits a carefully assembled roster of artisans and makers for the kitchen’s distinctive character: sconces by In Common With, pendants from Mullan, fixtures and hardware from deVOL, clay pavers by Orca, and Design Assembly’s talented crew of millworkers and stone fabricators. “The island felt like a small miracle—an online antique discovery that happened to be precisely the dimensions we needed, aligning perfectly with our drawings down to the inch,” she says. “To complement it, we fabricated reclaimed wood beams and stained them to echo its tone, creating a rich contrast against the soft, buttery cabinetry and earthen tile.”
In the bathroom, the team embraced the same sense of quiet restraint and material richness, creating a space that feels both grounding and luminous. A hand-finished limewash palette wraps the room in warmth, while the arched shower opening introduces a gentle architectural gesture that echoes the home’s historic character. “The integrated marble sink with stone-faced drawers reads as a sculptural block, which I love,” she shares. “I paired it with minimal, glass-front flush medicine cabinets. The freestanding tub sits beside a sheer linen curtain that diffuses light throughout the space.”
Every design element was chosen for its tactile calm and subtle presence, resulting in a bathroom that feels serene, elemental, and quietly luxurious. “We paired two matte Cle Tile shapes in the shower that have a beautiful organic edge, creating a look that feels elegant and clean without appearing overly modern,” Lauren explains. “On the floor, we used limestone cobblestone from Eco Outdoor in a grid pattern with a wider grout joint. We clad the shower curb in the same stone used on the vanity, Calacatta Caldia.” The tub is from Vintage Tub & Bath and features a matte white finish. Fixtures are polished nickel from California Faucets’ Montecito line. “I also loved the ornate Murano glass sconces I found on Etsy,” she says.
The renovation preserves the soul of the house while enriching it with thoughtful details that make everyday life feel a little more beautiful. See more in the slideshow.
