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For Los Angeles-based Realtors and sisters Claire and Sam O’Connor, it’s always a little nerve-wracking to hear from a previous homeowner who’s caught wind of one of their renovations. But luckily for them, up to this point, the feedback has only been positive. “That’s the highest praise you can get, when someone who has childhood memories in a house sees that you’ve brought it back to life,” says Sam. That was exactly what they heard when they re-listed this 1956 home in Brentwood, California, after outbidding 12 other offers and embarking on a reno with interior designers Jesse Rudolph and Joelle Kutner of Ome Dezin spearheading the project.
Usually, when the O’Connors buy a place as an investment, they have a good idea of who the next buyer will be. Given this mid-century gem was situated directly across the street from a school, they imagined a young family moving in here. Translating that vision, Ome Dezin split one of the two primary bedrooms in half, joining them with a shared bathroom. They maintained the open feel between the kitchen and living room but upgraded nearly every crucial feature (the roof, the foundation, the windows). Then, the Palisades fire happened. “We actually sold to a fire victim who has an 18-year-old leaving for college soon,” shares Claire, who lost her own house during the same wildfires, along with O’Connor Estates’ office.
Having worked with Kutner and Rudolph in the past—where they just let the duo do their thing until the very end—the O’Connors know that they’ll deliver a house that makes a prospective buyer feel something. “Their spaces are emotional,” says Sam. Ahead, the four pros reveal the home’s biggest selling points and how they made this mid-century home shine again.
Balance Harsh Mid-Century Lines with Circles
While the round skylight in the entryway looks like it’s been there all along, it was a brand-new addition that was meant to help soften up all the 90 degree angles in the house. Rudolph and Kutner almost always opt for custom front doors, so they used it as a chance to continue the round motif there, too. “One thing they’re good at is creating a house that unravels,” shares Sam. “The entryway is stunning in itself, but then there are so many wow moments after that.”
Leave No Corner Incomplete
According to Rudolph, one thing that’s always challenging with renovating a mid-century home is that there are rarely rafters or crawl spaces where you can hide unsightly bits (or your mistakes). “Everything is on display,” he says, meaning each panel in the ceiling or sconce on the wall had to be installed perfectly. Good thing Ome Dezin has an eye for details. The designers went so far as to wrap the skylights in the same oak wood they used throughout much of the house. “You always have to think about finishing details, the corners of things,” says Kutner.
Use Exterior Materials Indoors
During a reno as big as this, Ome Dezin picks a material to use consistently throughout the house. Brick was the winner here: spanning the living room fireplace to the kitchen backsplash to the carport. “A big thing with mid-century homes is blurring the line between the interior and exterior, so we wanted to accentuate that feeling by using materials that could also go outside,” explains Kutner.
Please Everyone with a Banquette
In the eyes of a prospective buyer, a kitchen banquette is a total win. “People love the idea of having their family gather around. I think it feels very cozy for them,” shares Claire. This kitchen was big enough to fit a large bench, plus a custom, fixed table. Ome Dezin matched the seating to the stained walnut cabinets, making the bench look as if it’s been there for decades.
Take Risks with the Island
The Louis Poulsen pendant over the banquette inspired the adjacent island’s dusty salmon-red hue and rosa marble countertop. At first, it left the O’Connors feeling nervous—suddenly, there were a lot of primary colors happening in the house. But they let the choice simmer and waited for the whole room to come together. “There’s always a moment a month before a project is done where we’re like, ‘What did they do? This is so funky.’ And then it all comes together flawlessly,” says Claire. “It was an 11 out of 10.”
Overlap the Vanity and Tub
After deciding to do an oversized shower in the primary bathroom, there was only one logical spot for the tub: smack-dab next to the vanity. Ome Dezin embraced the unconventional layout by merging the two and extending the countertop (and even the drawers) across the bath. Of course, what really got all the “oohs and aahs” during the open house was the Cielo marble they used on the floors. “It’s a real spa bathroom,” says Claire.
The story doesn’t end here for the family that just moved in. There’s a small, separate structure out back that’s got a lot of potential. So much so that Ome Dezin took the liberty of doing a bunch of renderings of different ways a buyer could make use of it in the future. A pottery studio, an office, a playroom, a guest suite…it’s all on the table.