Late Los Angeles-area architect Robert Byrd was best known for designing rustic ranch houses from the 1920s through the 1970s. For one in the Hollywood Hills, Byrd put an English cottage spin on the traditional ranch architecture; years later, its newest homeowners, Michael and Arya Martin of West Hollywood-based Studio OSKLO, renovated and redesigned the 4,000-square-foot property for a new generation.
“The home suffered from dark and cavernous spaces that needed to be rethought with a brighter color palette,” says Michael. “That included rift oak floors in a herringbone pattern, muted white walls, and brass hardware accents we saved from the original property.”
They also salvaged the extensive brickwork, original windows, and, of course, Byrd's cottage style. The duo snagged a few American flags that were the handiwork of the home’s previous owner. Keith McCoy, an LA-based interior designer who decorated the space in an “extravagant Americana style rich in custom wallpaper and floral print furnishings,” says Arya.
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New in the home, however, are full slab marble details and decadent custom finishes that pushed the budget “sky high,” Michael recalls. But they managed to save by breathing new life into existing hardware and even original pots.
The gated motor court, swimming pool, and original basement and wine cellar add to the old-meets-new aesthetic. Throughout the process, Studio OSKLO utilized its own designs for all of the architectural plans, landscaping, and interiors. This enabled the team to “seamlessly redefine the spaces” and ensure the result would be perfectly tailored to the historic property.
Living Room
Studio OSKLO designed the Yun sofa pictured above in emerald velvet. The coffee table is alvarez Iron, and the side table is by Rick Owens.
The pouf L-chairs are by Studio OSKLO in cream boucle. The rug is by Lawrence of La Brea. The stool is by Charlotte Perriand.
Kitchen
Michael and Arya collected a mushroom lamp and added a portrait of Blinky Palmero by Julian Schnabel via Sotheby’s. The kitchen is custom-paneled. On the counter is a Rick Owens urn.
Bar
The team built a custom bar adorned in hand-blown Depression-era glassware. The bar stool is by Mathieu Mategot in boucle.
Dining Room
The dining room features a custom oak dining table in matte ebony along with dining chairs by Yesterdays by Ed Ruscha. The collage portrait is by Ed Moses.
Breakfast Room
A custom curved boucle banquette perfectly complements a Charlotte Perriand Les Arcs chair and early 1900s artwork by Belgian artist Philibert Cockx.
Staircase
The spiral staircase is lined in pinstripe paneling with a forged metal railing.
Primary Bedroom
The ebony and bronze bed is by Ralph Lauren. The matching sconces are Stilnovo, the rug is by Woven Accents, and the bed throw is Tomas Meier.
Primary Bathroom
The bathroom features a pair of vintage iron bowls, an 18th-century milking stool, and a midcentury cubist oil painting by H. Hillman.
Second Bedroom
Studio OSKLO designed the space with a custom bed in flannel hue mohair, a photograph of Dash Snow by Cheryl Dunn, and a Gio Ponti writing desk with a French midcentury lamp.
Second Bathroom
In this space, Studio OSKLO installed Charlotte Perriand sconces in painted white along with a Danish footstool and a statue of a female nude in creamy marble.
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