Oakhurst House

Rachel, an artist, and Ephraim, a rabbi, relocated from New York to Los Angeles with their young children, looking to put down roots near extended family. The 1930s Spanish-style house they found had a great location, but was small and had been “mucked with” in unfortunate ways over the years.

Lewis|Schoeplein architects was hired to reimagine the house, including the addition of a second floor, and in doing so re-write the story of what the house might have looked like had it been originally conceived this way in the 1930s. A front courtyard was added to increase privacy from the street and to replace a thirsty lawn; a formal front entry, powder room and old-world mudroom were created; the kitchen was redesigned and expanded to open to the rear yard; and the new stair tower was wrapped in wood siding in a style evoking classic California architecture of the period.

The interiors reflect the unique story of the family through collected and created art and vintage pieces, pulled together by Rachel with the help of Interior Designer Alie Waldman. Rachel and Ephraim had some beautiful vintage pieces that they had inherited, as well as a collection of art both that Rachel had created since earning her MFA at Parsons, and that the couple had acquired  over the years from artist friends.

Alie used these pieces as a foundation for the interior design, for instance basing the living room design around a stunning chartreuse and pink rug that had belonged to Rachel’s parents. The cane bench in the living room was Rachel’s, to which Alie added a new custom sofa and an eclectic mix of pillows and accessories that were bought on trips abroad but also feature local Los Angeles designers. The dining room features a large painting of Rachel’s over a vintage dining room table and mid-century chairs, across from a buffet that was Ephraim’s grandmother’s, in a diverse mix that reflects the stories to be made and those to be remembered.