An Architect Couple Spent $150K on an L.A. Bungalow—Then Two Decades Making It Their Family Home

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Project Details:

Location: Los Angeles, California

Architect: Design, Bitches / @design_bitches

Footprint: 1,850 square feet

Builder: Colin Thompson

Structural Engineer: Tuchscher Engineering Group

Photographer: Yoshihiro Makino / @yoshihiromakino

Photographer: HANA / @hereandnowagency

From the Architect: "When Rebecca Rudolph (principal at Design, Bitches) and her husband Colin Thompson found their house in Atwater Village in August 2000, a couple months before they were married and a few after they both graduated from SCI-Arc, it met two criteria: the lot was large with a small older house set back from the street and it fit their budget of less than $150,000.

"For the architects—Colin is also a builder—the intention was always to renovate. Their plans grew and changed as their own family and design ambitions grew. Lightly remodeled before they moved in, the first addition was completed after their oldest child was born. It then took almost ten years to complete the phase two addition.

"Most important to Rebecca and Colin was that the house fit with the yard in an organic way and that they had views of the garden from every room. The result is a house that encourages abundant natural light and a feeling of being in the trees. Because the design evolved in stages, the final layout was the result of the way the design work was phased and what they learned about living on the property over the years. They both wanted the proportions to feel comfortable—it was important that the ceilings be the right height for the rooms and that the spaces flow into one another while still leaving space for cozy nooks and areas to be alone. Rebecca wanted to pull the structural walls away from the edges so they would have glass along the full south and north sides, and integrate the stair with the kitchen so you felt connected moving upstairs. Colin wanted a woodland garden and to integrate his custom pieces into the house, like the concrete pavers he cast for the front of the island and the custom wood and brass inlay wall paneling.

"The house has grown from a small bungalow originally set in a barren lot with no access to the rear yard into a fluid arrangement of spaces where the inside and outside zones are given equal importance. It has been designed with change in mind. The upstairs is currently divided into two rooms for the children with a non-structural wall that can be removed in the future to become a primary bedroom. The office/pool house doubles as a gym and guest room for friends and family that visit from out of town.

"The material palette developed in stages as the house came together. Some of the materials such as the dutch doors were custom sourced based on a design idea. Others they had previously used elsewhere on the property and wanted to tie the phases together to make a coherent whole. The materials all share some combination of durability, uniqueness and earthiness or connection to nature.

"The landscape has been reworked several times as their lifestyle changed with the kids growing up. The plans continue to evolve to this day. There is also a planted roof, which has a number of benefits—added insulation, native wildlife habitat, outdoor access, and views from the second floor. The couple has experimented with a number of different plants over time, from natives to grasses, vegetables to succulents. Right now there is a combination of grasses, sages and other flowering drought tolerant plants around the deck, and a cactus and succulent section."