BEFORE & AFTER: A HANCOCK PARK HOME MAKEOVER

I love this house. I’ve been holding onto these pictures for months (over 6 months to be exact). Procrastinating…or hoarding…I don’t know which one. All I know is that ever since I received these photos…this gorgeous house has been on my mind.

The photos come from Tom Newman of the fab architectural firm Newman & Wolen Design – he’s based here in Los Angeles. Tom was kind enough to share these photos of a renovation project of a grand Mediterranean Revival style home….a project very close to his heart..because this remodel is Tom’s own house!

Along with the photos of his self-designed home renovation, Tom also was kind enough to submit to another Cococozy Q&A.

I could wax on as I usually do about this or about that…but since I held onto this one for so long…I’m just going to cut straight to the chase.

Here goes…

COCO OF COCOCOZY: How did you get in involved with this project?
TOM NEWMAN (DESIGNER/HOMEOWNER): It is the home of my partner, Ricky Strauss, and me. We needed a project and boy did we find a big one.

COCO: How much work needed to be done on this house?
TOM: It needed absolutely everything. New plumbing, electrical, heating & cooling, roof, bathrooms and kitchen. The good news was that the bones and plan of the house were good and needed little reworking. Only a couple of small non-structural walls were moved or removed.

COCO: What did you change on the exterior of the house and why?
TOM: We changed very little because we did not want to do anything that might be inappropriate in this historic neighborhood. Also, there was not much wrong with the façade. Several windows did need to be replaced or repaired, and we substituted some new French doors where some ugly ’70s aluminum windows had been. Other than that, all the fenestration is as it was. We did not change the stucco texture due to cost, but I think it keeps the house looking like it was. We were not fans of the pink so the color became a little more neutral and earthy, but it’s not unlike other homes in the area of the same age. And as far as landscape and outdoor living spaces, that’s phase 2.

[note from Coco…it took me so long to do this post…Tom and his partner have had time to complete phase 2 with the landscaping!]

Before, living room and the old outdated fireplace mantel.(above)

After, living room is beautifully refreshed and with a new mantel, wood floors and handsome furniture and accesories decorate the room!(above and below)

COCO:How long did this project take…from design to completion?
TOM: Because we needed to keep costs down, we had to move the project along quickly. And because the project was so extensive, we had to live elsewhere and pay rent, so the faster we could get into the house, the better. It ended up taking exactly 7 months at which point the house was move-in ready. Of course there were little things to fix here and there, but all the finishes were done and plumbing and lighting worked.

COCO:What was the most challenging aspect of this project?
TOM:Because of the speed of the process, it was hard to be sure about decisions that needed to be made quickly. When the choices are for yourself, it makes it faster, but not necessarily easier. Also, as usual, the budget was a big challenge. Many choices were limited by cost. It is easier to make a decision if all the expensive stuff is out of bounds.

Before, entryway and main staircase are covered in worn wall to wall carpet. (above)

After, a stately newly tiled entryway and main staircase. (above)

COCO: What was your inspiration for this project?
TOM: The greatest compliment we’ve received (several times actually) is when people ask us, “so is this the original tile?”, or cabinets, or whatever. The idea was to have all the remodeled rooms look like they might have been that way when the house was built; not old and dingy, but fitting. We are also not afraid of color and wanted to keep the house lively and let every room have its own character.

Before, arched doorways to dining room and kitchen (above)
After, original arched doorways in entry show off the home’s remodeled and renovated spaces. (above)

Before, dining room walls were lined with dark and dingy wall paper and the floors were covered in wall to wall carpet. (above)

After, dining room is sublimely elegant and bright. The original chandelier illuminates the wood floors, a modern wallpaper, paned windows, a glossy dark wood table and Chippendale style chairs with blue velvet upholstered seat cushions. (above and below)

Before, kitchen was pink! (above)

After, kitchen is a stunning with a gorgeous plaid floor, a classic subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and traditional cabinetry.(above)

COCO:The kitchen is gorgeous, I’ve already done a post on it, but please tell us a bit about the remodel and some of the design/architectural hurdles you faced.
TOM:The kitchen layout did not change much from its original state. Most of the components were close to where they were before. Again we chose this house because it did not need to be entirely rethought. The biggest challenge for the kitchen was incorporating all the elements we needed AND tons of storage. We both cook and have more than our share of kitchen gadgets. I did not want things stacked too high or crammed in because of a space shortage. In the end, we did manage to get it all in and everything seems to have a place. Appliances were not too hard to choose. We could have spent more money, but we did not scrimp here. This was one place we would not be caught in regret later. It turned out that everything came from Thermador. Other elements like the sinks and faucets are good, but not too fancy. Practicality is key in a kitchen for me. It doesn’t matter how pretty it is; if it doesn’t work, then it’s useless. In general the kitchen was to look somewhat like what you might have found in 1926 when the house was built. The colors and cabinets style are slightly reminiscent of that era. The kitchen feels very contemporary with the house despite all its modern amenities.

Before, a downstairs room featured wood paneling and more wall-to-wall carpeting. (above)

After, the downstairs room was beautifully transformed into a classic game room…my favorite room in the home actually. The walls are lined with portraits of past U.S. presidents creating the feel of a true gentleman’s game room. (above and below)

Before, another downstairs room with a large window is a drab unassigned space. (above)

After, this downstairs room becomes the home’s impeccably designed t.v. room. Lush patterns and rich color are the order of the day in this stylish room…complete with red built-in bookshelves, comfy armchairs, a huge upholstered ottoman and a Moorish pierced metal ceiling light. (above and below)

COCO: Which room is your favorite? Why?
TOM: Of course, the kitchen. We live in there and at the breakfast table… [The] other great rooms are the TV room and paneled den. The TV room came together effortlessly, like it wanted to be this way. It is warm and cozy and everyone loves to be in there. The upstairs den was also easy because it was great when we bought it. We did nothing to the walls other than clean and wax the wood paneling. And the new fireplace warmed it up even more than it already was. Even empty, this room is great.

Before, staircases from upstairs landing (above)
After, staircase from upstairs landing. (above)
Before, upstairs den/library had bright green carpet and wood paneled walls. (above)


After, the existing wood paneling is refurbished to make the newly updated upstairs den/library a cozy and inviting space. (above)

Before, master bath.(above)

After, a now refined master bath features a drop in tub with a marble top, custom vanity and new subway tiling that is reminiscent of the old. (above)

COCO: Please talk about the master bathroom and what was done there.
TOM: The master bath was the best room in the house when we bought it as far as authenticity. It had the original tile and layout. But as much as I tried and would loved to have kept it all, it would have cost more to do so, and it would not have been up to our current standard of what a “master bath” should be. I did keep the three original arches, and each of them has the same feature within; toilet (now in a room with a door), tub, and shower. The new tiles are very close it style and color to the old, but are even a little classier. The new concept for this room was to be like a classic men’s bathroom in a fancy old hotel. We chose a black marble slab with gold veining for that reason. The floor is a herring bone pattern of the same stone, but made from 12”x12” tiles. Using the square tiles was much more affordable than using slab. I don’t like to use standard size anything because I think the human eye picks up the commonality of such shapes. So by cutting them in half and making a herring bone pattern, it looks entirely custom and original.

After, a grand walk-in closet! (above)

Before, the first guest room featured unsightly yellow and green wallpaper and more carpeting! (above)

After, a spectacular arched window sheds light on a chic guest room. (above)

After, a large green four poster bed with turned posts is the centerpiece of this lovely guest suite. (above)

Aside note from Coco: This is my favorite room…earlier I said game room was my favorite…but I forgot about this charming guest room. Love the color scheme, the furniture and the “oh so perfect” accents throughout.

Before, guest bath was cramped and was tiled in pink.

After, the guest bath was updated with vintage inspired turquoise blue square tiles on the wall and an exta large blue hexagon tile on the floor. The black countertop on the white vanity sink matches the black trim tile accents. (above)
After, the second guest bedroom is filled with pattern, texture and treasures from the couple’s travels. (above)

Before, the second guest bath…yikes!(above)
After, the second guest bathroom is a “WOW”! Tiled with cheerful coral subway tiles on the walls and a large black hexagon tile on the floor. (above and below)Overall, this remodel shows that old influences can successfully inspire new modern charm…a posh home that is now timeless!

A truly beautiful home Tom and Ricky! Tom, thank you once again for the AWESOME pictures and the incredible design! Totally appreciate you letting readers into your gorgeous home!!!

Resources for remodel:

Architecture: Tom Newman, Newman & Wolen Design, (310) 558-3100, [email protected]

Contractor: Gregory Greenwood Construction, (310) 360-6173

Interior Design: Melinda Ritz Interiors, (818) 551-0071

Photos by: Cat MacCoon and Erik Nelder

P.S. For readers who love this home, I’ll be posting some delightful pictures of two more rooms that I took when I went on a home tour a few months back! Stay tuned for more.