Article Line Long1
Design

A Historic Mid-Century Modern Home That Was Completely Brought Back To Life (Hope You’re Ready For Some COOL Original Details)

Sarah Zachary-Jones has easily become one of my favorite designers. Remember this home and this home?? They are exciting, inviting, and full of custom details (a gal after my own heart) that let you know you are in a home that was uniquely handcrafted for that person or family. They are all different but just have that special touch that makes it clear they are hers. So when I saw this new project start popping up on her Instagram, being the true fangirl that I am, I asked her if we could feature it. As you likely can conclude, she said yes. What’s extra cool about this space is the history behind it. It’s clear from the photos that this house had historic elements so I needed to know the story. This is what Sarah said:

“The house was built in 1951 and designed by Chinese-American architect Gilbert Leong. He studied at USC, worked under Paul Williams before starting his own firm, and designed several buildings in LA’s Chinatown. It is located near the Silver Lake reservoir. The house has some cool original details including the wood and amber glass room divider in the dining room and tv room wallpaper. Also some not-so-cool ones, like ugly giant recessed lights that we removed. The style is mid-century modern with Chinese decorative motifs throughout.”

Well, you are about to see those cool original details? Buckle up!

Wallpaper | Rug | Pendant | Mirror

We are clearly wallpaper lovers over here so this entrance was a big 10/10 in our book. But I know that while a lot of people love design, a big wallpaper moment can still be a scary risk. I asked Sarah what were the things the clients ask for, what did they not want, and what was on their wishlist, and here’s how it went down:

My clients gave me the greatest gift a designer could ever receive. They literally told me “Just do you!” A dream come true. I figured that they liked color and weren’t afraid to go bold at our initial meeting because I spotted neon Yeezy slides in the entry and one of the clients was wearing orange and yellow tie-dye sweatpants. I sent them some inspiration images with bright colors, tons of patterns, and modern furniture and they let me go for it.

Emily always says to look in your closet for decor inspo because likely what you put on your body is the same vibe you will like in your home. So what a smart way to figure out if or how much color a client is going to probably like!

Hook Rack

Both Ryann and I loved that she took advantage of that ledge and leaned some very cool art that totally speaks to the western motifs of the wallpaper. Also, I always like to ask where designers get their art because I LOVE ART and want everyone’s secrets (and then share them with you all). This is what Sarah said:

Most of the art in the home is from Lawson-Fenning. A mixture of vintage artists such as a Josef Albers and contemporary artists like Anna Ullman and Todd Magill. The framed pieces in the entry are blueprints and illustrated landscape elevations from the house.

Bench (custom) | Round Pillow (similar) | Green Pillow (similar) | Tray | Hand Sanitizer | Candle

Ugh, how cool are those blueprints?! Especially since it’s such a special home that’s kept so much of its history.

But let’s now look down to the concrete floors. I wanted to know if they were original or if she chose to install them. When I asked she said that they were concrete when she came on the project but in the Redfin photos they were oak floors. So it’s a mystery as to why they were replaced. I’m sure they were in pretty bad shape since the owners seemed to care deeply about maintaining the history. But honestly, I really love how they turned out. I think it balances out all the beautiful warm-toned woods and adds to the modernism of the home’s architecture.

Planter

That screen!! It’s just so cool. I couldn’t imagine the clients or Sarah wanting to remove it but I’m just so happy that it stayed. And not just the screen, but look at that railing. Those two features let you know right away that this isn’t your average home.

I think the rice paper lantern was a perfect choice, giving that textured natural and light feel. The screen and railing work with the lines of the rug, the wallpaper talks beautifully to the plants the simple lines of the bench, the accessories and planter add that modern touch, and the elevations give that fun blue pop of color that’s perfectly unexpected. Plus the oranges, rusts, and olive greens work perfectly with the gold film of the screen, making it not shout at you when you first walk in the door. You have a chance to slowly take it all in… which I love.

Ready for the next space??

Sofa (custom) | Mustard Square Pillow (similar) | Rust Square Pillow (similar) | Yellow Print Pillow | Table Lamp (similar) | Floor Pillow (custom) | Coffee Table | Striped Box (similar) | Art

Ooooo baby I have to say this might be my favorite room. That sofa is TO DIE FOR. Plus there are a couple of fun surprises I think you will also freak out over in the next couple of pictures. But first, I want to talk about the color palette and how Sarah came up with it. Did the era of the home dictate the palette? Was it the clients? Here’s what she said:

Not so much the color palette, but definitely the style of furniture. My client actually showed me a postcard (he collects postcards) with a color palette he liked which was a picture of poppy fields with tones of orange, purple, and green. We did a lot of green and hints of burnt orange, but decided to ditch the purple.

The postcard thing is something you should get excited about. But let’s see more of this room first.

Art (on left)

Simple, cozy, inviting, and has the “Sarah Zachary-Jones Expert Color” touch. The sofa is custom and looks like you just want to sink your whole body into it. Then for the art, rug, floor pillow, etc., she keeps it simple enough that your eyes are at ease but patterned and textured enough to keep the space interesting and fun to be in. Also big shout out to those woven shades. I love the warmth they bring into this home. If you are thinking about a woven shade I say do it!

If you want to see more of what’s on your left, you are in for a TREAT.

Black Tray | Table Lamp | Mural (original to home)

This shot makes my heart stop a little. That custom credenza, that MURAL (which is ORIGINAL), the styling that Bowser did… it’s all perfect. But let me have Sarah tell you all about it:

This is my favorite piece in the house. I wanted to include some furniture and decor that called to the Asian heritage of the original architect. This cabinet is inspired by the designs of George Nakashima (although he was Japanese American). The cabinet is a custom design for the space made out of walnut and grasscloth. The piece is a whopping 11 feet! It is meant to store the large book collection of the clients. The mural was original to the house or at least installed quickly after completion. The clients still have extra rolls of wallpaper in the original packaging. Here is a photo (see below). It appears to be made by James Seeman and I think it is handpainted. We did minor repairs to the paper where speakers were previously installed and built the cabinet to land right at the base of the tree trunk.

the extra wall mural paper

Is it not all just breathtaking? And how cool are these hanging instructions? I love this stuff so much.

See how the lines of the cabinet talk to the lines of the dining room rug?? It’s details like that which will make an open concept floorplan look interesting and unique but still look like that spaces belong in the same home.

But let’s now talk about design challenges because I don’t think there’s ever been a home design project that’s been completed without one. These were Sarah’s:

We did have to turn a dining room into a sitting room/future screening room. The layout was tough because it butted up to the kitchen and dining room. We decided on a modular sofa with ottomans so it doesn’t feel too overwhelming in the space. We also replaced a lot of the old recessed lighting with pendants and fixtures and had to do quite a bit of electrical and patching work.

It’s wild to think this wasn’t always the layout because it makes so much sense.

Dining Table | Dining Chairs | Rug | Pendant

Did you gasp when you first saw this shot? It’s so happy I can’t stand it. The color palette makes my heart sing. I grew up in a warm-toned house so maybe I’m partial but regardless it’s so pretty. Now, my first question to Sarah was about that wall treatment. I couldn’t tell if it was wallpaper or special paneling or something else so here’s the 4-1-1:)

This was here when the clients moved in and from what I can tell it is a brushed plaster treatment that has a ribbed effect. We painted the walls in Ash Grey by Farrow and Ball.

Also those mustard-colored drapes!!!!

Postcards (vintage) | Postcard Rack (vintage)

Here are the postcards! Collections are such a great way to show off your personality. But the fact that they displayed it how you would buy a postcard usually in a store is truly such a perfect and out-of-the-box way. So while her client already had the holder, Sarah decided to put it in the dining area so that they could be enjoyed more readily. It’s just the coolest and now I want to collect postcards.

What a glorious angle of that screen. That pendant (which Julie also used in her bedroom reveal) calls to the pendant in the entry but has a geometric shape that calls to all of the lines in the dining and sitting room.

Also, I love how Sarah played with a few different wood tones BUT they all have a warm undertone so that’s why it works so effortlessly.

Here you can get a better look at that plaster treatment. I don’t think it’s for every style of home but I love it in this one.

Now let’s enter into the final room that Sarah designed. And as you can see it’s a pretty special one.

Wallpaper | Sofa | Coffee Table

These jewel-toned colors, that sofa (the same one Emily had in her LA house), the blue planter, the coffee table, the everything… At first, I thought this was just the coolest office ever (see next picture) and wanted to know the details of the decision to not wallpaper the ceiling and drop ceiling…

“This is actually a living room with a desk that we haven’t fully shot because a few large art pieces hadn’t arrived. So it’s a really big room with a ton of wallpaper and I didn’t want it to feel overwhelming or for there to be too much reflection of the green from the wallpaper.”

Desk | Desk Chair | Lamp | Art

I also noticed in both rooms that there were recessed drapery tracks for the mustard drapes. SO beautiful and chic. I clearly needed to know more…

“I had never done this before so I’m glad I have this one under my belt now. I had my handyman cut out the drywall and install the tracks flush with the ceiling and then patch and paint the entire ceiling. Then the window treatment fabricator installed the drapery. Some companies will do the entire process, but our window treatment installers do not.”

I think it’s such a nice detail because of how seamless it looks. Especially perfect for modern or mid-century modern style homes.

Shelving Unit (custom)

If you know anything about Sarah she is a custom-furniture-loving gal (which again, speaks to my soul). So I asked her to walk me through all of the custom pieces to make sure we got them all:

“The sitting room cabinet, the entry cabinet, the green sectional, vintage kilim floor pillows, built-in walnut shelf in the living room, blue Moreno Sofa from Lawson-Fenning in Holland, and Sherry performance velvet and drapery.

Well, my friends, this tour has sadly come to an end. I feel so inspired and I hope you do too. Thank you Sarah for letting us feature this wonderful project! Ok now let’s chat about out favorite parts in the comments:)

Love you, mean it.

*Design by Sarah Zachary
**Styling by Emily Bowser
***Photos by Sara Ligorria-Tramp

0 0 votes
Article Rating

WANT MORE OF WHERE THAT CAME FROM?

Never miss a single post and get a little something extra on Saturdays.

69 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Sarah McDowell
2 years ago

this is stunning

KarenCM
2 years ago

True perfection/intuitive details. LOVE that color is everywhere, flowing throughout. Every pic is inspirational!

Susan
2 years ago

The way the linear designs in the dining room contrast so much with the organic leafy wall paper in the next room makes me feel compelled to go in and explore. I love it. Love all of the choices. This is so different from anything else I’ve seen before yet it’s a place I would love to spend time in

yep, i also gasped any my heard sang at that first dining room shot! i too love a warm toned happy home. sigh!

Ellie
2 years ago

WOW

MKP
2 years ago

I am not a warm color palette person. Like I really do not like warm tones AT ALL. And this house has almost converted me. It is AMAZING. Absolutely stunning.

Lori
2 years ago

Oh, man, I love it. And I also love how you break down why everything works so well!

Deborah
2 years ago
Reply to  Lori

I agree Lori, the house and it’s new interiors are gorgeous and Jess did a great job pointing the details with the how & why it works. Wow oh WOW! 🙂
~Deborah

Deborah
2 years ago
Reply to  Deborah

“pointing out the details” 🙂

Timmi
2 years ago

I have a custom green couch, marble coffee table and concrete floors ~ I had not purchased a rug yet ~now I know what to look for!

Jenni
2 years ago

This is so good. I want to see more posts like this!

BeckyB
2 years ago

When I die, I hope heaven is largely saturated with the color of those drapes. It’s so good.

Lisa
2 years ago

B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L! Every single thing is gorgeous to look at yet looks very livable, cozy and personal. I also loved the potential call back (if it was intentional of course) of the poppy bouquet to the poppy postcard that was the original colour inspiration. A truly beautiful shot regardless!! 🙂

Dena
2 years ago

I love every detail of this house!! All the vintage details are perfectly integrated!! I have a postcard holder that I display pictures in! Such a fun detail. I also love that the kitchen was not opened up on that side. Would love to see the rest of the house.

Dena
2 years ago
Reply to  Dena

I said “detail” way too many times, ha ha!

Deborah
2 years ago
Reply to  Dena

Lol! 🙂

Deborah
2 years ago
Reply to  Dena

Very cool that you have a postcard holder for displaying pictures too – I loved that detail in this feature!

Dena
2 years ago
Reply to  Deborah

Yes, I can print packs of photos from different trips or just yearly pics that we love and put them in the slots. Then pick a stack of photos to look at and go down memory lane.

Deborah
2 years ago
Reply to  Jessica

Thanks for sharing that link Jessica! 🙂

KarenCM
2 years ago
Reply to  Jessica

Many thanks for posting the listing/befores. The house has great bones! I would have fallen in love as is. However the color/wall treatment/additions/decor maximize impact. This is a designer I’ll follow and emulate.

Cris S.
2 years ago

While not my style, this is a really gorgeous home with a warm yet exciting and consistent palette and I really enjoyed getting to look at all the wonderful details. My grandparents had a fairly modern style in their home and I feel they would have been able to move in here with no difficulties, especially with the wonderful wood. You get a sense of the homeowners (or at least, the designer) in a way that you don’t with some other homes.

A couple of questions – if the green sofa is in the former dining room to create a screening room, where is the TV located? I would love to see how they handled that. And lastly, was the primary bedroom done by the designer? It would be lovely to see how they carried the design scheme into a quieter more personal space.

Thank you for sharing this with us!

Lisa
2 years ago
Reply to  Cris S.

I think that the TV might be in the blue-and-green wallpapered room, since they said that this was actually a much larger living room that they just didn’t shoot fully since a few of the big art pieces hadn’t come in yet. If that’s true it looks like it would make a beautiful, cozy, fantastical TV-watching and hanging-out place. I adooooore the combination of the wallpaper with that couch and if I could have that exact roum in my home I would be eternally happy….

N
2 years ago

Where is the hutch type thing in the dining room from?

Juanita
2 years ago

This home is gorgeous. I love the mix of high and low – all that Lawson Fenning and custom furniture paired with a $200 CB2 rug and $90 pendant lamp! Just goes to show that it doesn’t always make sense to buy high for the sake of it; it all comes together beautifully.

Amanda
2 years ago

WOW so impressed

Karyn Meadows
2 years ago

We have warm tones throughout our mid-century house in the Bay Area and I love them so much. This house is GORGEOUS!! I love the floors but concrete is too hard for me to walk on so we will keep our hardwoods! I love everything about this house. Referencing color and geometry throughout is why you hire a designer…could never do that myself!!

priscilla
2 years ago

wow, just wow. intention and restraint are attributes i definitely pine for. very, very cool. brava.

Julie
2 years ago

Awesome timing – I have a lot of similar details in my new house (1969), such as the vaulted ceiling in the entry and display ledge up high. I never thought about displaying artwork up there, so that was some good food for thought. My husband jokes about putting Christmas decor up there. LOVE the built-in cabinets under the wall mural. Really great architecture here complimented by the design!

Deborah
2 years ago

Oh my goodness this house!! LOVE how Sarah worked with many of the original features – that MURAL!!! The amber wall divider, the stair rail such great original design and it’s wonderful to see them incorporated so beautifully with the new things and design. WOW!!! Those custom furniture pieces, the credenza below the mural and the bench are perfect with the house. Thank you Jess for pointing out the features and why they work so well and together, great job!! The house has such great lush, cozy vibes! Not my style but gorgeous nonetheless! 🙂 I see the color palette as being very late 60s, avocado, harvest gold, burnt orange very rich and lush colors which I remember from homes of that era – like my stepdads custom mid-century home which my mom lighten up with creams and tans. I love the idea of using a vintage postcard floor display rack for the postcard collection!! I have LOTS of art postcards (travel postcards from family and friends too) and used to display them with swagged black ribbon and tiny bullclips but when I moved out of that office I took them down and now they’re sadly boxed up. Now I’ll… Read more »

Kathryn V
2 years ago

ohmygoodness, I can’t even tell you how much I love every single bit of this home. It’s absolute perfection!

Sandi Smith
2 years ago

Beautiful detailing of the original house!! So glad the designer kept so many of those elements.

Lucy
2 years ago

I don’t usually care for mid-century modern or Asian-inspired design, so I was not drawn in at the beginning UNTIL I STARTED SCROLLING. This is stunning. I love how Sarah used some of the features already in the home like the mural and amber glass partition and made it look so much more contemporary. Such a fun tour.

deb
2 years ago

The postcard rack is brilliant! Would be so great for photos as well, or special greeting cards that have been saved, but just sit in a box, holiday cards or photos…. So many ideas, I want one now.

Tracy
2 years ago

I’m speechless! This home interior reminds me so much of growing up in Hawaii and my Japanese friend’s homes. So similar and comforting. Great interior work with everything! Thanks for sharing.

2 years ago

wonderful color combination, I always pay attention to it

Julie
2 years ago

I am also typically not a warm tones person, but WOW. This home! I really liked the way you wrote this up, with the designer and with your (Jess’s) voice, pointing out the details and why it works is so helpful! I also loved how they honored the history of the home, kept many of the Asian influenced features (that MURAL, AMAZING) and respected the architect and yet it seems so liveable and approachable! Hats off, stunning home, talented designer, talented EHD team and lucky us readers. 😉 Thank you!

Kristen Leigh
2 years ago

I love this SO SO much! Do you know who made the custom green sofa?

Jenna R.
2 years ago

THE COLORS. I’m in love! I am so tired of all white and neutral design and this is like a beautiful firework explosion of color. And add in all those fab vintage pieces and thoughtful design elements? Just, perfection.

Patricia
2 years ago

What a beautiful home ! So comfortable and pleasing to the eye ! Does anyone know where the white rug with black edges (in the living room with the gorgeous green sectional sofa is) is from ? Couldn’t find a source, but thought maybe someone would know….

2 years ago

Loving the vibe of this place!

Tumtum
2 years ago

Masterful use of colour!

Sandi Lane
2 years ago

Gorgeous,. EXCEPT I can’t handle the dining rug pattern or colors. It’s off, too busy with geometric lines and the wall art gave all the contrast needed. Rug has to go.

Crissy Perham
2 years ago

What a thoughtful renovation and beautiful home…so put together and inviting. I used to have a postcard holder exactly like that but I sold it at Rose Bowl, I think. If this is it, it clearly is where it belongs!! 😉