My Houzz: A Treehouse-Like Dwelling in Los Angeles
Fragrant breezes, chirping birds and glorious sunsets provide a beautiful live-work setting for this design couple and their kids
“We’ve lived on this block for about 13 years and it’s our favorite street in the neighborhood,” says Beatrice Valenzuela, who shares a 1924 Craftsman bungalow with Ramsey Conder and their two kids. “When we saw the house for sale, we knew it was perfect for our family.” Valenzuela is a California native who grew up in Mexico City and designs a line of handcrafted shoes, jewelry and bags. She and Conder — he worked in the automotive industry before deciding to concentrate full time on lighting and furniture design — both work from home. The couple expanded the house to include a work space and guest quarters on the bottom floor and added their own stylish touches throughout. The home, just up the hill from trendy Echo Park Avenue, has peaceful views of Elysian Park and the city and is wrapped in lush trees — ideal for designing and creating.
The front door is on the second floor and opens from a long veranda that stretches the length of the house. A sunny yellow hammock gives the space a relaxed and welcoming vibe. “We’ve always had hammocks,” Valenzuela says. “My grandmother has them all over her porch and I grew up sleeping in them when I visited. This one was a gift from our dear friend and designer Pietsie.”
The family’s favorite place to hang out is the deck, which they plan to expand another 3 feet. “It was built by a very thrifty old man and is made from a hodgepodge of building-grade Douglas fir, recycled PVC pipes and electrical conduit. We will eventually rebuild it using redwood,” Conder says.
“But we will probably keep the tin roof style since it goes nicely with the cottage charm,” Valenzuela adds.
Large sliding windows allow the family to enjoy meals amid the verdant scenery. Conder designed and built the dining table out of an ash wood tabletop and a powder-coated steel frame. The chairs are from the Rose Bowl Flea Market in Pasadena.
“But we will probably keep the tin roof style since it goes nicely with the cottage charm,” Valenzuela adds.
Large sliding windows allow the family to enjoy meals amid the verdant scenery. Conder designed and built the dining table out of an ash wood tabletop and a powder-coated steel frame. The chairs are from the Rose Bowl Flea Market in Pasadena.
The main living space displays artwork by the couple’s many artist friends, such as Hadley Holliday, Mari Eastman, Rebecca Morris, Anna Sew Hoy, David Korty and Arthur Ou.
Valenzuela wove the wall art from raw wool, cotton, copper tape and sisal rope. To the left of the hanging is a small walnut-framed window cutout that Conder made to connect this room to the kitchen.
Valenzuela wove the wall art from raw wool, cotton, copper tape and sisal rope. To the left of the hanging is a small walnut-framed window cutout that Conder made to connect this room to the kitchen.
Conder built this Rudolph M. Schindler-inspired high chair for the couple’s 21-month-old son, Dimitri. It’s made of unfinished birch plywood and cotton rope and will develop a natural patina as Dimitri grows.
“We really love modern designers for furniture and we like to mix things up with vintage finds,” Valenzuela says.
The Børge Mogensen sofa is a Craigslist find, and the Safari chair by Kaare Klint in the right corner was purchased on eBay Germany.
The Børge Mogensen sofa is a Craigslist find, and the Safari chair by Kaare Klint in the right corner was purchased on eBay Germany.
“We love playing records on our turntable,” Valenzuela says. “Astrid, our 6-year-old, is really into playing records too. She’s very careful and is quickly becoming an expert at it.”
Various stones decorate the top of the coffee table. “Artist Matthew Ready took stones from the L.A. River and had them wrapped in leather. It’s to benefit Friends of the Los Angeles River,” Valenzuela says. She is founder of the Echo Park Craft Fair and friends with many local artists and artisans. “The table is a gift from our dear friend Rachel Craven and is made out of plywood by an old Los Angeles maker. She’s my partner in the Echo Park Craft Fair.”
One of Conder’s lighting designs decorates the side table in the living room. “I wanted to incorporate some of my sculpture into my lighting and turned one of my castings into a switch,” he says. The chunk of camphor wood was taken from a tree in the garden of their Airbnb unit down the street.
The master bedroom is furnished simply, with vintage dressers, handcrafted Mexican pillows by Heather Taylor Home, and baskets from the family’s travels to Oaxaca and Puebla and from the global craft collective Territory.
Vintage dressers: Grain
Vintage dressers: Grain
The couple restored the bathroom to its original layout and hardwood floors. Deep turquoise paint and brass fixtures from George’s in Pasadena add a luxurious touch.
Valenzuela says her daughter’s bedroom is her favorite. “Her bed is from the Hollywood flea market and Astrid and I painted it together when she was very little. The wall hanging was found at a junk store by Conder about 12 years ago. The little nooks where she keeps baskets with all her clothes used to hold all of our records before she was born.”
A closeup of one of the home’s many brass hooks made by Conder.
The kitchen was completely gutted and the couple opted for open Douglas fir shelving, made by Conder, rather than cabinetry. “I like shelves because I like to see all my ingredients,” Valenzuela says. “It’s a really great way to manage my pantry.”
Turquoise paint: Florida Keys 578, Benjamin Moore
Turquoise paint: Florida Keys 578, Benjamin Moore
“The Moroccan tile from Badia [on the countertop] still makes me so happy and I never tire of it,” Valenzuela says.
The deck serves multiple purposes for the family, from workspace to brunch space. “Siestas here are amazing with the birds chirping, and at the end of the day we like to admire the sunsets,” Valenzuela says. “We keep the Dutch door in the kitchen and the French doors in the living room open most of the day so there’s a great circular airflow that comes through the house, and sometimes a bird or two will fly through,” she says. The deck is surrounded by mature Chinese plum, jacaranda, fig and orange trees. “The orange tree is full of blooms at the moment. It’s the most intoxicating fragrance,” Valenzuela says.
One of Conder’s bottle openers is seen here. “It’s cast out of brass and was sculpted in wax. It’s the master mold,” he says.
He’ll be selling them at the upcoming Echo Park Craft Fair on December 12-13, 2015, at Mack Sennett Studios.
He’ll be selling them at the upcoming Echo Park Craft Fair on December 12-13, 2015, at Mack Sennett Studios.
The house included a bonus storage area downstairs, which the couple made into a colorful warehouse and workshop. “I was inspired by the color in an ad of an antique tub I saw in The World of Interiors,” Valenzuela says.
Conder made or refinished most of the furniture downstairs. “The small sink was part of a vintage military drawer kit. He cut a hole on the top and found the most charming sink at a salvage yard,” Valenzuela says.
Conder designed and made Valenzuela’s desk out of salvaged walnut and a powder-coated steel frame. “It’s ideal for working,” she says. “The shelves above my desk are from Baltic Crossroads in Silver Lake, made by the owner, Alfred.”
Conder made the shelf brackets in his studio by sculpting them out of bondo and wood, then sandcasting them in brass. The shelves are birch.
The couple expanded the downstairs by excavating into the hillside to gain square footage. Because of the home’s narrow driveway, all the dirt had to be hauled out by sheer manpower. This room also showcases the different finishes found throughout the space.
“We finished the room in repurposed Douglas fir ceiling and drywall but left the retaining wall exposed and sealed it with a matte finish,” Conder says. The exposed wall can be seen above the bed. The couple found the Douglas fir that lines the ceiling at different salvage yards throughout Southern California.
Side table: Artek Alvar Aalto Stool 60; corner shelf: Badia; orange-blossom-scented candle: Beatrice Valenzuela
“We finished the room in repurposed Douglas fir ceiling and drywall but left the retaining wall exposed and sealed it with a matte finish,” Conder says. The exposed wall can be seen above the bed. The couple found the Douglas fir that lines the ceiling at different salvage yards throughout Southern California.
Side table: Artek Alvar Aalto Stool 60; corner shelf: Badia; orange-blossom-scented candle: Beatrice Valenzuela
Conder made the bed frame with drawers. “We have family that visit all the time and sometimes friends sleep over after dinner. The mini cot in wood and canvas [seen at the left side of the foot of the bed] was found on eBay and it’s great when you have very young guests,” Valenzuela says.
A guest bath is also part of the lower level. The fir ceiling can be seen above the showerhead.
Moroccan Cement Tiles CT014: Badia
Moroccan Cement Tiles CT014: Badia
Outside the workshop is a large floor loom. “It was a gift from a fellow weaver,” Valenzuela says. “We used to weave together at Barnsdall park, where I learned how to weave. A lot of the weavings in my home or at our Airbnb were woven on this exact loom.”
This swing was made by Conder’s father, Mike, a carpenter and building contractor. “He made them for each of his grandchildren,” Conder says.
Conder created the chicken coop. “I had to add a finer-weave wire to keep out the critters many times. We’ve had quail and fancy chickens for quite some time now and sometimes we hatch our own,” he says.
“Our children love seeing the process of the hatching and we all love eating fresh eggs,” Valenzuela adds. “Nothing better than fresh eggs for brunch.”
“Our children love seeing the process of the hatching and we all love eating fresh eggs,” Valenzuela adds. “Nothing better than fresh eggs for brunch.”
Valenzuela, Conder and son Dimitri on their lush terrace.
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: Small Homes | Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
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: Small Homes | Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
Who lives here: Beatrice Valenzuela and Ramsey Conder; their two kids, Astrid, 6, and Dimitri, 21 months; and their green canary, Chartreuse, a flock of hens and two quail
Location: Echo Park area of Los Angeles, overlooking Elysian Park
Size: About 1,000 square feet (93 square meters); three bedrooms, two baths
Year built: 1924
“We knew the elderly couple that had lived here since the ’70s, so we were aware of the design challenges but also of the potential,” homeowner Ramsey Conder says. After he and Beatrice Valenzuela purchased it, the main task at hand was stripping the house of previous modifications such as popcorn ceilings, window security bars and plexiglass windows to restore its original Craftsman charm. “The kitchen and bathroom had to be taken down to the studs,” Conder says. “Once the carpet and linoleum were removed, we had the pleasure to discover original oak and Douglas fir wood floors that we refinished.” The resulting space is open and bright, with the indoor and outdoor areas perfectly integrated as one.
Conder design and built the media unit out of Douglas fir.
Chandelier: Designed and built by Ramsey Conder