Keeping the original footprint of the 1925 Mediterranean house, which was formerly housed a speakeasy, was the intention, while re-proportioning both the exterior and interior spaces. The architects also redefined space to accommodate a new den and bath. For example, while working on a tile border, rather than be satisfied with the abrupt transitions the tile offered, the architeds custom-designed pieces so that the pattern would flow continuously around the room.
Tile is a predominant material used throughout the project and is introduced at the entry.
The garish tiling on the stair users from a previous renovation was replaced with new, more toned-down colorations. The new tile was a Malibu pottery design from the 1920s, which corresponds to the age as the house. Under the stairs sits an exquisite hand-made tonsu chest, one of the many pieces of furniture designed by the architects. With little intervention on the walls, Osborne Erickson transformed a hardly used living room into a comfortable favorite spot in the house. Ample furniture, dramatic lighting create a showplace for the portraits of Bob Dylan and Brian Wilson, which were painted by the client himself, a music-industry executive.