los angeles redo

“After” photos by Jim SimmonsHouzz at a GlanceWho lives here: A couple — he’s in real estate; she’s a graphic designer — and their young son Location: Los AngelesSize: 3,050 square feet (283 square meters); three bedrooms, 3½ bathroomsDesigner: Linda Brettler ArchitectBEFORE: Based on other homes in the neighborhood, Brettler and the homeowners believe that the original house may have been a Spanish Revival cottage built in the 1920s.“Some time in the 1980s, someone added a weird second-story addition,” Brettler says, “which looked like a box in back and had multiple gables in front. They also bumped out the fireplace chimney on the side of the house when they added a fireplace for the second-floor master bedroom.”What’s more, the home had already been stripped of any vintage or historic architectural details. “There was nothing worth saving,” Brettler says. “Our challenge was to clean up the design and to add in some traditional details to reflect the history of the neighborhood while keeping things modern enough for family living.”