Dwell’s Open Home: Los Angeles occasion presents a uncommon alternative to step inside three architecturally wonderful houses on the east aspect. Learn on for a peek at one of many initiatives our ticket holders are touring—and join our publication to be the primary to learn about different upcoming Open Home occasions.

If houses are snapshots of our lives at a given cut-off date, architect couple Rebecca Rudolph and Colin Thompson’s Atwater Village home is a veritable archive of significant moments since they purchased the property in 2000. It started as a rundown bungalow that was outstanding for all of the issues it lacked. Relationship from the 1910s and clocking in at 500 sq. toes, the construction sat atop cinderblocks turned on their sides. Apart from a tiny storage, the one factor on the principally filth lot was a single, bug-infested tree.

Colin Thompson and Rebecca Rudolph sit of their lounge, which is crammed with artworks by Jean Giraud, aka Mœbius, Emma Larsson, Sam Winston, Per Adolfsen, Geoff McFetridge, and others.

None of that mattered to the couple. “I bear in mind our actual property agent asking us, ‘Are you certain you need to purchase this home?’” Rebecca says. “However we have been younger, and our price range was beneath $150,000. This was beneath $150,000.”

The couple with their dog, Mabel, at the custom bifold front door, which Rebecca designed inspired by the work of English artist Ron King, the founder of Circle Press. In addition to serving as the project’s co-architect with Rebecca, Colin was also the home’s builder. — The couple with their canine, Mabel, on the customized bifold entrance door, which Rebecca designed impressed by the work of English artist Ron King, the founding father of Circle Press. Along with serving because the challenge’s co-architect with Rebecca, Colin was additionally the house’s builder.

Tearing it down and beginning contemporary wasn’t on their minds—or of their price range. “It was fairly shacky—slightly factor in a giant area,” recollects Colin. “However we at all times thought we may add on to it.”

Glass walls dissolve the barrier between indoors and out in the dining room. — Glass partitions dissolve the barrier between indoors and out within the eating room.

Within the 24 years since, Rebecca, a cofounder of the Los Angeles–primarily based agency Design, Bitches, and Colin, a challenge architect at Gensler in addition to a builder, have utterly remodeled the property, with Colin donning his contractor cap to do the lion’s share of the work himself.

Chairs by Thonet and Design Within Reach surround the Hay table in the dining room, which features encaustic floor tiles from Huguet in Mallorca. "The tiles got trapped in customs, but it was worth it," says Rebecca. "The floor connects to the outside, and we like that it’s irregular." The pendant and wall sconce are by Ravenhill Studio. — Chairs by Thonet and Design Inside Attain encompass the Hay desk within the eating room, which options encaustic flooring tiles from Huguet in Mallorca. “The tiles bought trapped in customs, nevertheless it was price it,” says Rebecca. “The ground connects to the surface, and we like that it’s irregular.” The pendant and wall sconce are by Ravenhill Studio.

Their first process was clearing out the rat droppings and endeavor a reasonably priced intestine renovation to make the home livable. A couple of years later, they transformed the standalone storage into an workplace, and in 2006, they expanded the entrance of the present bungalow with a 650-square-foot addition containing a bed room and a toilet.

Colin set concrete pavers on the outside of the kitchen island, which is topped with basalt from Stone Source. — Colin set concrete pavers on the surface of the kitchen island, which is topped with basalt from Stone Supply.

By 2008 their household had grown to incorporate two kids, and it was painfully apparent that they wanted more room. The pair went again to the drafting board and got here up with a plan to switch the previous home with a two-story quantity that prolonged off their unique addition. “We’d put some work into the home, nevertheless it was attending to the purpose the place we couldn’t preserve fixing all these items as a result of it was disintegrating round itself,” Colin explains.

Resident's Offset coffee table is joined by Ligne Roset Togo sofas and a chair by Blu Dot in the living room. The shelving unit is from Vitsœ. — Resident’s Offset espresso desk is joined by Ligne Roset Togo sofas and a chair by Blu Dot in the lounge. The shelving unit is from Vitsœ.

Accomplished in 2022, the home, which has grown to 1,850 sq. toes, has a connection to the outside that it beforehand lacked, with partitions of glass that open to a backyard that includes huge bushes and a much-used pool—the property’s newest addition.

An art work by Judy Kameon and a Scandinavian midcentury pendant designed by Hans-Agne Jakobsson for Swedish model Ellysett are set off by Benjamin Moore’s Blue Word within the main bed room. The bedding is from Mattress Threads.

All through are particulars which have captured the couple’s creativeness, from the eating space’s inexperienced cement tiles from Mallorca to a sitting space with angled partitions that Colin completed with contrasting wooden panels to mark the standing heights of the household—in addition to Shaquille O’Neal, Mom Teresa, and a hippopotamus.

Rebecca pulled the structural walls away from the edges of the house so there would be glass along the full north and south sides. The stair to the second floor is open, to integrate it with the kitchen below. — Rebecca pulled the structural partitions away from the perimeters of the home so there can be glass alongside the complete north and south sides. The stair to the second flooring is open, to combine it with the kitchen beneath.

Colin and Rebecca aren’t afraid to combine issues up: bifold Dutch doorways and two massive, spherical home windows accent the facade, which is clad in staggered cement board panels, whereas the kitchen is outfitted with Ikea cupboards and an island confronted in concrete tiles that Colin solid himself.

A painting by Rebecca’s grandfather Kenneth Taylor⁠ hangs at the far end of the upstairs hallway. — A portray by Rebecca’s grandfather Kenneth Taylor⁠ hangs on the far finish of the upstairs hallway.

The luminous pink paint that highlights the inside and exterior of the upstairs lavatory casts a glow every afternoon on the open stair beneath. “It makes a extremely fairly mild present that we weren’t anticipating,” says Rebecca. One other bonus: The colourful blue hue that envelops the first bed room additionally seems to vary as the sunshine shifts all through the day.

Colin and Rebecca chose graphic Futura Bird floor tile by 41zero42 for the upstairs bathroom. The Pastille Wayfind sconces are by RBW. — Colin and Rebecca selected graphic Futura Chook flooring tile by 41zero42 for the upstairs lavatory. The Pastille Wayfind sconces are by RBW.

There have been challenges alongside the way in which. The black cement flooring that runs from the first bed room by way of the lounge was poured on a 100-degree day, leading to an uneven floor. They put in a inexperienced roof atop the addition earlier than constructing the second flooring, so that they discovered themselves climbing a ladder to are likely to it. And the 2 upstairs bedrooms are, on reflection, a bit small—however the couple motive that the wall separating them isn’t load-bearing, so it could possibly be eliminated to create one massive room.

Just off the upstairs hallway is a deck and a planted roof that adds insulation while continuing the indoor/outdoor flow of the main floor. Over the years the couple have experimented with growing native plants and grasses as well as cacti and succulents. — Simply off the upstairs hallway is a deck and a planted roof that provides insulation whereas persevering with the indoor/out of doors circulate of the primary flooring. Over time the couple have experimented with rising native crops and grasses in addition to cacti and succulents.

What was as soon as the storage has undergone its personal evolution. For a time, it served because the workplace for a design-build agency the couple based, earlier than changing into the headquarters for Design, Bitches, which Rebecca launched with architect Catherine Johnson in 2010. “It was our workplace for six years,” Rebecca remembers with a smile. “There have been 4 of us, and our convention desk was an outside desk.” Right now the 240-square-foot area serves as a guesthouse, TV room, and exercise area. “It’s a magical additional room,” Rebecca says.

Rebecca and Colin’s son Nick relaxes on the second-floor balcony that overlooks the backyard. — Rebecca and Colin’s son Nick relaxes on the second-floor balcony that overlooks the yard.

The couple say that having two architects within the household retains issues fascinating. “We spend a whole lot of time speaking about concepts that will or might not ever occur,” Rebecca says. “Colin likes issues which can be extra inward-turning and closed, and I like large partitions of glass and feeling like all the pieces is open—so on the subject of the precise designing, that’s the place the compromises must occur.”

Colin agrees: “I feel we each like the identical issues, however we get there in very other ways.”

Now a shady haven with a pool, the backyard was once an empty stretch of dirt and weeds. At right is a guesthouse, TV room, and workout space that they converted from the garage. "The daybed near the pool is my joy spot," says Rebecca. "Or just being in the pool. I probably worked on Colin for 15 years to get a pool, and I think he uses it more than I do." The daybed and lounge chairs are from CB2. — Now a shady haven with a pool, the yard was as soon as an empty stretch of filth and weeds. At proper is a guesthouse, TV room, and exercise area that they transformed from the storage. “The daybed close to the pool is my pleasure spot,” says Rebecca. “Or simply being within the pool. I most likely labored on Colin for 15 years to get a pool, and I feel he makes use of it greater than I do.” The daybed and lounge chairs are from CB2.

Practically 1 / 4 century since they first purchased the place, the couple really feel the home is just about full—or is it? “It’s nearly completed,” Rebecca says with amusing. “We’ve talked about making the entrance portion a separate unit and renting it out as our retirement plan.”

Like life, the evolution of the home continues.