Houzz Tours
My Houzz: New Flair for a 1926 Spanish Revival Home in L.A.
An entertainment industry couple add timeless touches to their Spanish Colonial Revival house
After: “It’s now become the go-to family hangout, whether for holidays, birthdays or just random Sunday dinners,” Rachel says. “In the winter we put up the 17-foot-tall Christmas tree and build warm fires in the fireplace, watch movies together and play board games in the living room. In the summer we barbecue together and play in the yard with our nephews and our dog.”
The couple accentuated the living room’s 20-foot-high cathedral ceiling and original picture window with a Spanish-style chandelier.
The newly painted walls feature some of Rachel’s original art pieces and pieces by Jenna Mellon, Rachel’s sister; Chloe Madison, the couple’s niece; and friend Glen Myers.
Phoenix wool dhurrie rug in Regal Blue: West Elm; browse chandeliers
The couple accentuated the living room’s 20-foot-high cathedral ceiling and original picture window with a Spanish-style chandelier.
The newly painted walls feature some of Rachel’s original art pieces and pieces by Jenna Mellon, Rachel’s sister; Chloe Madison, the couple’s niece; and friend Glen Myers.
Phoenix wool dhurrie rug in Regal Blue: West Elm; browse chandeliers
Sconces: AllModern; painting: Clare Elsaesser; Carrara polished chevron tile: MerakiGroup; Monkey Pod Double Twist wood stools: Haussmann
Sheelin, left, is a TV and film director-producer, and Rachel, right, is a television writer. The couple found their home after a long day of visiting open houses. Rachel received a cell phone alert about an open house happening nearby at 6 p.m. It seemed odd to the couple that there would be one so late, but they decided to swing by anyway, since it was close to Universal, where Sheelin works. “Turns out there was no open house that day, but the Realtor happened to be there visiting the homeowner, and they were super nice and let us take a look,” Rachel says. “The [agent] told us the house was originally built for a film director who had a contract with nearby Universal Pictures. My husband is a director, so we took that as a sign,” she says.
After: The entry is painted in Benjamin Moore’s Decorator’s White for an airy, modern look. Rachel chose a light teal as an accent color to tie together different spaces of the home. “I added teal Spanish crosses to the living room rug and pillows. I painted the coffee table and library desk tops teal. The picture frames, the library ladder…. I hung up art with teal in it and created new art over my old art if there was none,” Rachel says. “Now every room has a bit of teal, so it looks like we purchased items that went together. It’s amazing what a couple of $10 cans of Montana spray acrylic can do,” she says. The tops of the wooden coat hooks were also spray-painted in Malachite Light from the Montana Gold series.
Natural wooden coat pegs: Felidio; artwork: “Married to the Sea” by Clare Elsaesser
Natural wooden coat pegs: Felidio; artwork: “Married to the Sea” by Clare Elsaesser
The couple added a black iron metal railing to the staircase in the entry. The railing creates a striking contrast against the now bright white foyer. It’s one of Rachel’s favorite features. Rachel chose the railing’s shield design to make the railing seem original to the 1926 home. The top of the staircase includes a pendant light the couple found in a gift shop in San Francisco.
The homeowners updated their existing living room furniture, which they’ve had for over a decade, with new upholstery. The sofas “were slipcovered in white linen, but the linen was now so dirty, I could not get them to look clean anymore,” Rachel says. “New slipcovers were going to cost $1,200, so I took the old slipcovers to a dye house downtown and had them stained a terra cotta red instead of buying new ones. Both sofas cost only $120 to dye. Score!”
Coffee table and media cabinet: Cost Plus World Market
Coffee table and media cabinet: Cost Plus World Market
Before: There was no door separating this third bedroom from the living room when the couple bought the home. Rachel was set on the idea of a sliding barn door so the room could be more functional and double as a bedroom or a study. The lowest quote she received for a 10-by-10-foot door was $4,000, but that didn’t dissuade her. “The hubby thought I gave up on the idea until I told him I found a person in Minnesota who would make it for $800 including delivery,” Rachel says. (The sliding door is seen in the previous photo.)
After: Sheelin and Rachel often collaborate on work projects, so a combined office with a shared desk is ideal for them. Displayed on the bookcase are a few tokens from television shows Sheelin has directed and shows Rachel has written.
Go-Cart Carbon rolling desk: CB2; Nils armchair: Ikea; Espresso Augustus bookshelf ladder: Cost Plus World Market
Go-Cart Carbon rolling desk: CB2; Nils armchair: Ikea; Espresso Augustus bookshelf ladder: Cost Plus World Market
After: Opening up the kitchen to the dining room and laundry area has helped the couple achieve the flow and floor plan they wanted. It also allowed for the addition of a coffee bar.
Align kitchen faucet: Moen; Channing cup pulls: Top Knobs; Paulette servers in white: Ballard Designs
Align kitchen faucet: Moen; Channing cup pulls: Top Knobs; Paulette servers in white: Ballard Designs
Now the space feels inviting and bright. The homeowners also added new windows to let in more natural light. Rachel says they used classic materials, such as marble, because she wanted the renovated parts to look timeless, like the rest of the house. Splashes of color have been added to the walls with original art created by Rachel plus pieces by one of her favorite Northern California artists, Clare Elsaesser.
The kitchen leads right into the dining room.
Gear dining armchairs and Gear dining side chairs, both in gray: Modway
Gear dining armchairs and Gear dining side chairs, both in gray: Modway
After: The flooring now features a dark stain, and new window treatments give the space a fresh look. At the foot of the couple’s canopy bed is a toddler bed used by the couple’s dog, Bowie.
Malm dressers: Ikea; Kate Spade dresser hardware: T.J. Maxx; Curated Nomad Lauren canopy bed: Stone & Stripes, via Overstock; Traditional toddler bed in white: Little Colorado; blinds: Blinds World
Malm dressers: Ikea; Kate Spade dresser hardware: T.J. Maxx; Curated Nomad Lauren canopy bed: Stone & Stripes, via Overstock; Traditional toddler bed in white: Little Colorado; blinds: Blinds World
The two paintings above the bed are by Clare Elsaesser. “Some of her paintings feature a man who looks just like my husband — it’s so weird! I had to have them,” Rachel says.
The guest bedroom is furnished with secondhand pieces, including the headboard and tables. A basket is stocked with toiletries for overnight guests.
The upstairs bathroom was renovated with new finishes for a luxurious feel. The wall space also serves as a gallery for some large original paintings by Rachel.
Lyn double vanity: Hardware Resources
Lyn double vanity: Hardware Resources
“I had our contractor, Mike Longmore, add an arch in the master-bath shower to mimic the arched doorways downstairs, so you would think the bathroom had always looked like that,” Rachel says.
George Kovacs half-shade wall sconces: Lamps Plus; Crackle glazed subway tile in dove gray: World of Interiors; Agnes wall mirror: Bay; Calisa block-printed rug: Urban Outfitters
George Kovacs half-shade wall sconces: Lamps Plus; Crackle glazed subway tile in dove gray: World of Interiors; Agnes wall mirror: Bay; Calisa block-printed rug: Urban Outfitters
To update their original tub and make it feel more spa-like, the couple enclosed it with dark wood paneling to match the floors elsewhere in the house and finished it off with a marble trim.
Luxury bamboo bathtub caddy: Royal Craft Wood; framed etchings: eBay
Luxury bamboo bathtub caddy: Royal Craft Wood; framed etchings: eBay
The garage doubles as an art space for Rachel, with an easel and art supplies for creating many of the original pieces that decorate the home’s walls.
The other side of the garage is also used by the couple’s 21-year-old niece, Chloe Madison, for her swimwear line, Rheya Swim. Giant pegboards keep her tools and workspace organized.
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.
More home tours: Apartments | Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | All
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.
More home tours: Apartments | Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | All
Who lives here: Rachel Mellon Choksey and Sheelin Choksey, and their dog, Bowie
Location: Universal City area of Los Angeles
Size: 1,889 square feet (175 square meters); three bedrooms, two bathrooms
Year built: 1926
Before: Parts of Rachel Mellon Choksey and Sheelin Choksey’s 1926 Spanish-style home in Los Angeles felt closed off and dark to them. The couple wanted to highlight the original architectural details and charm and bring some of the tired finishes up to date. After gathering ideas online, the couple — working closely with their general contractor, Mike Longmore of Longlife Construction — removed a wall in the kitchen, installed new finishes and gave the wood-paneled walls a fresh coat of white paint to make their home feel airy and inviting.