Houzz Tour: Striking Modern Remodel in Venice Beach

The clients had looked at a larger home in the Hollywood Hills but fell for Venice's funky style. Their children no longer live at home, and they liked the more manageable size of this house.

One-story bungalows in a range of styles make up most of this eclectic beachside neighborhood. Though the remodel has a modern design, Petersen made sure the home's scale would blend in with that of the surrounding homes. A two-story plan was considered but deemed not right for the site.

Each room embraces the site's abundance of light with large windows and doors.

The two bedrooms have large sliding panels. The owners keeps the door tucked in the pockets to make the house feel more open.

A simple, modern living room arrangement maintains the home's open feel and midcentury modern sensibility.

Sofa, chair, table: Gus Modern; hide rug: Pure Rug; window door systems: Jeld-Wen

Originally this open living space had low ceilings and separate rooms for the kitchen, living room and dining room. Like many older bungalows, the living room faced the street. Petersen flipped the layout; now the living and dining rooms face the backyard and the kitchen faces the street.

Beautiful Daltile products in the bathrooms achieve a similar look to pricier alternatives. Frosted glass provides privacy and light.

Petersen converted the original one-car garage into a welding studio for the client's sculpture work, so he had to figure out how to fit two cars into the back alley. A custom telescoping rusted steel gate allows two cars to park parallel; a wall of bamboo shields them from the home's view.

The front yard now serves as an additional outdoor room, with a square fire pit and a sculpture garden.

General contractor: Ed Blanco, Blanco Construction