My Houzz: Charming 1940s Home Update Is All in the Family
Heirlooms, handmade furniture and original details take center stage in a couple’s renovated Los Angeles house
Chris and Amber Earl’s 1940s home in Los Angeles weaves together family tradition with personal design choices. The house was originally purchased by Chris’ grandparents and passed down, and Chris and Amber moved into the home, their first, just months before they were married. Amber, who works in fashion, and Chris, a furniture designer, then set out to preserve the home’s original elements while updating it to fit their own eclectic design aesthetic. They discovered and refinished the hardwood floors, restored hand-carved railings done by Chris’ grandfather, knocked out walls to create more space, enclosed a patio for a family room and turned a small side room into a speakeasy.
The family room came into being when the couple decided to extend the home and enclose the patio. They ripped out the ceilings to expose the wood beams and added sliding glass doors to access the backyard.
The office and walk-through room that connects the new space to the front of the home was originally an enclosed third bedroom. It boasts a navy blue accent wall and hints of global decor. Chris designed the writing desk.
He also designed the console table that sits opposite the desk on what the couple call their “ancestry wall,” filled with photos of family members.
Chris’ grandmother had a small room built off the side of the original patio as a place to do her arts and crafts. The couple initially couldn’t decide how to use it, since it was too small for a bedroom and too large for a closet. They eventually decided the unique square footage and location made it perfect for a speakeasy-style bar.
To make it more authentic, Chris turned the door into a pivoting bookshelf that opens from the den.
To make it more authentic, Chris turned the door into a pivoting bookshelf that opens from the den.
The couple then converted a piano into a bar counter, painted the walls and ceilings black with gold accents and hung thick, dark curtains over the windows. Amber and Chris use the room for cocktail hour when they host dinners or gatherings with friends.
The kitchen island is one of Chris’ favorite pieces in the home. “I made it for Amber when we were first dating. It’s a piece we’re constantly gathering around,” he says.
The kitchen floor was originally linoleum and the couple planned to keep it until they discovered a few holes and damaged areas. Amber chose a Saltillo terra-cotta tile as the replacement because it blends well with the hardwood floor in the adjacent dining room, and she picked a Morrocan drum shade pattern.
The couple repurposed the original ironing board cabinet into an open spice rack. They also installed a new sink, countertops, tile and backsplash. The existing details in the kitchen, including the pulls and hardware, were mostly copper. The couple loved the look and kept the cabinetry, pulls and most of the hardware. They continue to use copper accents throughout the home.
The cutting boards propped above the sink are part of Chris’ current tabletop collection. Chris also added wainscoting to the kitchen wall.
The walnut medicine cabinet is original to the bathroom. Chis added a walnut slab as the countertop. The couple worked in a white, gray and wood color scheme for their bathroom update.
The wood paneling is original to the home and the graphic black and white painting was done by friend Joel Gasparotto.
The two tufted chairs are vintage finds that Amber had re-covered. The couple painted their red brick fireplace a high-gloss white.
Coffee table: Chris Earl; art: Joel Gasparotto
The two tufted chairs are vintage finds that Amber had re-covered. The couple painted their red brick fireplace a high-gloss white.
Coffee table: Chris Earl; art: Joel Gasparotto
“We invested in our vintage Arne Norell couch in the front room and filled in more affordable pieces to complement it throughout the room,” Chris says.
His grandfather collected eagles, so several eagle-themed embellishments remain in the light fixtures and wall hooks. “We kind of kept little bits of that to keep the original design of what his grandparents did,” Amber says.
His grandfather collected eagles, so several eagle-themed embellishments remain in the light fixtures and wall hooks. “We kind of kept little bits of that to keep the original design of what his grandparents did,” Amber says.
The front door opens to the living room, dining room and kitchen. The two small archways were originally doors that enclosed a bedroom. Chris took down the doors to open the flow of the rooms. “You walk in and you see through the whole house,” Amber says.
The living room was covered in carpet; the couple ripped it up to discover the original hardwood floors, which they repaired and refinished.
The living room was covered in carpet; the couple ripped it up to discover the original hardwood floors, which they repaired and refinished.
The scalloped detailing above the window in the dining room was hand-carved by Chris’ grandfather. Chris and Amber kept that design element throughout the home.
The dresser in the couple’s bedroom is vintage, and in the corner is one of their many houseplants.
A small hallway leads to two bedrooms. In the master bedroom, Chris designed and made their Dansk bed out of American black walnut and curly maple. The couple bought the tapestry above the headboard while on their honeymoon in Turkey.
The guest bedroom is across the hall from the master. The room is filled with furniture from Chris’ great-great-grandfather. The ornate walnut headboard is one of Amber’s favorite pieces in the home.
Framed photos and mementos from their adventures in Istanbul, Colombia, New York, Papua New Guinea and elsewhere make up the gallery wall in this room.
Framed photos and mementos from their adventures in Istanbul, Colombia, New York, Papua New Guinea and elsewhere make up the gallery wall in this room.
The powder room next to the kitchen boasts a playful design. The pedestal sink was given to the couple by a friend.
The kitchen opens to the backyard, Chris’ studio and the pool.
Unusual and rare succulents fill the side garden.
Unusual and rare succulents fill the side garden.
A grid of wall planters filled with succulents lines the garage wall facing the covered patio, where the couple often entertain.
Amber spray-painted the cafe chairs white. She and Chris wanted to keep the outside minimal and modern with wood, metal and white.
Table: Chris Earl; chairs: Tärnö, Ikea; wall planters: Woolly Pocket
Amber spray-painted the cafe chairs white. She and Chris wanted to keep the outside minimal and modern with wood, metal and white.
Table: Chris Earl; chairs: Tärnö, Ikea; wall planters: Woolly Pocket
Chris built a 12-foot-long table for their first “friendsgiving” meal, which they hosted a few years ago. “We do a lot of entertaining on this table. We’ve had so many fun dinners,” Amber says.
Cafe-style string lights float above the pool. The decorative stone carving under the wood bench belonged to Chris’ grandparents.
When the couple moved into the home, Amber began emailing a network show in hopes of a backyard (or front yard) renovation. Three years later, the show responded and used their backyard for a before-and-after feature.
The cabana, wood paneling around the pool’s pump unit, concrete slabs and pool landscaping are all additions made by the network.
Before moving in, the couple had the pool plumbing redone, and also replastered and retiled the pool.
Before moving in, the couple had the pool plumbing redone, and also replastered and retiled the pool.
The white wire lounge chairs are a vintage find that Amber restored by sanding and painting white. Decomposed granite, also known as DG, fills the spaces between the concrete slabs. With water and time, the mixture will settle and act like a natural cement.
The couple plan to build wooden vegetable boxes behind the fence at the back of the yard.
The couple plan to build wooden vegetable boxes behind the fence at the back of the yard.
This door leads to the detached garage the couple converted to Chris’ furniture studio.
The front of the home is lush with succulents and grass. Square pavers form a path to the front door.
Chris and Amber on their patio.
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My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
Browse more homes by style:
Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
Who lives here: Amber and Chris Earl
Location: Los Angeles
Size: About 1,180 square feet (110 square meters); three bedrooms, two bathrooms
When built: 1940s
After Chris and Amber Earl married, they traveled to Papua New Guinea, where Chris grew up. The memories and keepsakes from the island, such as the rattan chair, monarch butterfly print and a bow and arrow Chris played with when he was young, inspired their new family room’s aesthetic.