THE OSCAR HOUSE

Nestled in the Baldwin Hills, this mid-century “Post & Beam” was built in 1955. The original owner was Harmon Oscar Nelson, a film composer best known for being the inspiration for legendary actress Bette Davis' claimed nickname of the Academy Award statuette "Oscar." Nelson was Bette Davis’ first husband. After winning the Best Actress Award for Dangerous, Davis remarked that the statue’s bum reminded her of Nelson’s, after getting out of the shower.

For the exterior of the house, our goal was to accentuate the clean lines of the “Post and Beam” architecture. We painted the house Graphite with Simply White trim (Benjamin Moore, Regal Select). Once we removed the timeworn Pebble Tec finish from the front steps and driveway, which was added by the previous owner, we realized that the original concrete was heavily cracked and damaged. We re-poured the concrete, replicating the property’s original specs. We re-landscaped the front, planting several Euphorbia Ambii trees, Fan Palms, various California Natives, and Succulents. We also added California Gold decomposed granite and micro-gravel, and a timer activated irrigation system.

MODERN LIVING

We decided to start with a clean slate for the interior of the house. We replaced the laminated flooring with white oak hardwood and applied a clear matte finish. The architecturally discordant multi-pane french doors, installed by the previous owner, was replaced with Fleetwood anodized aluminum sliding glass doors. We increased the width of the original door frames, enhancing the natural light and indoor-outdoor flow of the house. To highlight our art collection, the interior was painted Simply White (Benjamin Moore) . To continue the exterior lighting design theme, we installed additional Jasper Morrison Glo-Balls throughout the house. Once we removed the 1980’s tile on the fireplace mantle, we refinished the exposed concrete to give the living room’s focal point a more modern, yet understated look.

LET THERE BE LIGHT

The floor to ceiling glass windows in the dining room act as the visual gateway to our backyard and downtown and hillside views. An additional glass panel to the left of the original center panel was dded, which substantially opened up the view. We installed a custom, double door for more outdoor exposure. For safety reasons, we replaced all the shatter-prone glass panels with double pane, tempered glass. To create a dinning room focal point, We added a George Nelson Pear Pendant lamp above our vintage Herman Miller Conference table and Eames chairs.

We built custom Walnut cabinetry, and installed Corian counter tops and back splash, along with a stainless steel faucet, sink and hardware. We also installed a Thermador integrated refrigerator, oven, gas range cook top, microwave and dishwasher. Along with the original hanging globe lamps, we installed under-cabinet incandescent lighting. The juxtaposition of materials and new technology helped bridge the past with the present.

The integrated appliances were designed to be flush with the walnut cabinetry, enhancing the clean lines of the kitchen. The refrigerator and dishwasher were fitted with walnut panels, thus making them completely hidden from view.

DRAWING THE LINE

To execute the kitchen design, we created multiple blue prints that provided our cabinet maker with exact specifications. This helped us avoid any potential construction missteps.

GLASS, WOOD, AND LIGHT

To communicate a consistent interior design language, we carried forward the Walnut cabinetry, Corian countertop and stainless steel detailing into the master bathroom. Originally, the bathroom was much smaller and only offered a shower-bathtub combination. We removed an adjacent closet and designed a new, larger layout with a separate shower and bathtub. We installed glass mosaic tiles that glow in the sunlight, which added color and vibrancy to the bathroom.

MINIMAL ANIMAL

We replaced the window in the master bedroom with a Fleetwood anodized aluminum sliding glass door. This created more natural light and a stronger relationship to the backyard. We decided to continue the White Oak hardwood floor and wood plank ceiling details into the bedroom, enhancing the seamless flow of the house.

TAKE IT OUTSIDE

To convey a consistent landscape design theme, we again planted several Fan Palms and Euphorbia Ambii trees, along with various California Natives and Succulents. A new survey showed that our property line actually extended past the original fence, so we pushed back the new fence line and re-poured new concrete. This increased the square footage of the backyard significantly. We also added three Jaspem Morisson Glo-ball lights to the exterior walls for continuity.

NOW ON VIEW

The property was originally designed to enjoy a stunning downtown view from multiple vantage points from both the interior and exterior of the house. Unfortunately, the neighbors’ overgrown trees had completely obstructed the view. We worked with several of our neighbors, who agreed to let us trim the obstructing trees. Their understanding and graciousness allowed us the opportunity to return the downtown view to its’ original glory.