Verbena Dr. | TOPSY design

A renovation of a 749 square foot studio in Beachwood Canyon, Los Angeles, completed in 2013.

The studio was built in 1948, probably as a granny house for the neighboring, much larger, arts-and-crafts mansion. The original architect is unknown, and it's possible that the simple mid-century construction was designed by the builder. My main goal in renovating the space was to restore its midcentury look, while utilizing every nook and cranny of available space to make it livable for its current resident, filmmaker Jon Watts.

All the finishes are new: floating wide-plank floors, earthen clay walls, and a tongue and groove ceiling. But what really revolutionized the space, were the built-ins we added: the living room adobe sofa and embedded cork side table, the kitchen breakfast nook with live-edge table, and the closet bookcase and coat rack.

Beachwood is a more bohemian answer to the neighboring Hollywood Hills. The renovation was performed for less than 25k. Materials, furniture, and decorative elements ran about 30k. And with my fee, the total cost of the project was less than 70k.