Perched above the Silver Lake Reservoir, this 3,500-square-foot home was built in 1928 at the height of Los Angeles’ Tudor Revival boom.
Like many historic house designs in the area, it had already been opened up and modernized once before, smoothing out some of the quirks that gave it character in the first place.
When designer Amy Sklar stepped in alongside Architectural Designer Kathryn McCullough and Art Advisor Shannon Timms, the bones were already good, so their brief wasn’t to undo the updates but to restore a sense of charm by layering period detail, pattern, and patina back into the home.
Nearly a century after it was built, this L.A. home now feels neither frozen in the past nor stripped of its history. And from the moment you step inside, that intention is clear. Designed for new grandparents, this home had a tall order to please a family of multiple generations – and boy, does it deliver.
'This nearly 100-year-old home was built in the Tudor Revival style, which was popular in this area of Los Angeles at the time,' Amy explains. 'As transplants flocked into the area, home styles became diversified, leading to the eclectic architecture that we know as “Hollywood” today. Aesthetically, the home is minimalist traditional with a healthy mix of vintage and antique furniture pieces, highlighted by traditionally influenced patterns and materials.'
The tone is set immediately in the entryway, where bold floral wallpaper pattern drenches the petite space and a custom Tudor Rose medallion is inlaid into the restored hardwood floors.
'A strong, stylish first impression was the goal.' Amy says. And rather than relying on oversized furniture or dramatic color, she let pattern and patina do the heavy lifting. 'The pattern is a new design, but it has a vintage flair and coloration, which was a great fit for this nearly 100-year-old home.'
'We wanted to embrace the modernizations made previously, and then add in a layer of period details that honored the home’s heritage,' she says of the custom-designed Tudor Rose detail.
'The homeowners have adult children, and they are new grandparents,' Amy explains of the clients. 'This home is perfectly located for them to all spend time together as a family. They wanted the spaces to remain flexible for not only this stage of life, but also the future as their extended family grows.'
From the entry, the open-plan home unfolds into a series of airy yet cozy spaces perfect for a busy family. The dining room, seen through a curved archway, feels both connected to the adjacent living room and yet still set apart.
This sense of almost-closed concept allows the home to benefit the best of both open- and closed-plan living. And that arched threshold does a lot of the storytelling here. Rather than flattening the floor levels in the name of modern flow, Amy embraced the subtle shift in height, allowing the room to feel intentional and defined without closing it off.
The layered furniture scheme has a wooden dining table at its center, surrounded by mismatched woven and upholstered chairs that introduce texture and depth. The palette leans into the home’s broader blue-and-green story, while the oversized artwork pulls in soft washes of color that feel distinctly Californian.
When asked what detail in the home we shouldn't miss, she adds: 'In the dining room, we custom-designed a new China cabinet. The top portion of that piece recreates the design of the Palladian window in the living room, tying those two spaces together perfectly.'
Meanwhile, across the hall, in the living room, it’s the original window that commands attention.
'The Palladian window in the living room was my jumping-off point for this project, Amy explains. 'It’s a beautiful, original element that we wanted to highlight. This motif became a throughline that guided my approach to this home.'
Rather than competing with it, Amy allowed that window to inform not just the furniture placement, but the elegant curves and symmetrical lines that follow throughout the room.
She resisted the temptation to over-style the room, instead building warmth through texture and patina. 'A big part of the goal in our work was to reclaim the original soul of the home in a fresh and modern way,' she explains. 'Our work is an homage to the history of the home, not a period recreation.'
A caramel-toned leather sofa introduces richness against the creamy walls, while woven vintage armchairs and layered textiles bring a subtle sense of craft. This is a room you want to sit in, not just admire.
The marble fireplace surround nods to tradition, but the abstract artwork above it introduces a contemporary energy.
'Decorating with vintage and antiques is a hallmark of my work, especially because I love working in the older, architectural homes that the Los Angeles area is known for,' she adds.
A vintage French desk sits comfortably beside the marble fireplace, adding a touch of romance to the scheme thanks to an unexpected discovery. 'The French secretary desk in the living room was a great find with a special surprise – inside one of the secret drawers was a collection of love letters – written in French! Of course, we translated them, but that’s my secret now.'
In contrast, the kitchen leans a little more modern.
Here, Amy’s approach was to bring in some contemporary upgrades, seamlessly folded into a stylish, sensitive framework. 'The kitchen was renovated with a new upper cabinetry, feature lighting, a kitchen island with additional storage, power, and a hydraulic standing mixer lift,' she adds.
The new kitchen cabinets were painted a soft, muted green, which introduces color in a way that feels timeless rather than trendy. The tone subtly nods to the greenery surrounding Silver Lake, while the warm wood floors, classic millwork, and a dark wood island countertop add depth.
'The homeowners were not afraid of color, and I chose to lean into blues and greens that recalled the views, reservoir, and greenery of the area,' Amy continues. 'We added color to the home primarily through wallpapers, fabrics, rugs, tile, and art, but also through paint, although more selectively and intentionally. For example, the kitchen cabinetry is a soft green.'
If the entertaining spaces celebrate pattern and architecture, the downstairs primary suite offers something softer: subtle color, light, and a connection to the outdoors.
'We had to lobby hard for replacing two pairs of windows in the primary suite with French doors,' she explains. 'The result is a bedroom with abundant natural light and new, easy access to their rear garden. It was beyond the original scope of work, but ultimately became one of their favorite features.'
Neutral grasscloth walls wrap the bedroom in warmth, while layers of cream drapery soften the black-framed doors. The blue-green bedding introduces color in a way that feels connected to the color scheme for the whole home, while the rug helps to zone the sleep space and provide softness underfoot.
Upstairs, this warm family home reveals another secret.
Tucked beneath a soaring vaulted ceiling, this bold second-floor room feels grand in scale. 'The “cathedral” room, as we nicknamed it, had very unique and challenging elements – for example, our 40-foot built-in library wall is actually on a raised platform,' Amy explains.
'The color palette is ultimately red, white, and blue, which could go terribly wrong, but here, it just sings,' she adds. 'That Tudor Rose medallion detail was repeated again in the bold, blue painted custom library wall, tying the first floor to the second.'
Drenched in a deep, inky blue, this home library stretches the full length of the wall and acts as part style, part storage, accessorized with vintage trinkets, artwork, and wicker storage bins for more unsightly items. A rolling ladder (both functional and a little romantic) draws the eye upward, emphasizing the height of the space.
At the other end of the room, Amy really leaned into the views. 'My favorite room in this home is the "cathedral" room. I can imagine spending every day on that daybed, daydreaming, taking inspiration, and soaking in the views.'
'On the second floor, we designed a custom daybed under a picture window, nestled within the eaves of a soaring 30 ft vaulted ceiling,' she explains. 'It is the perfect spot to daydream while taking in the sweeping views of the iconic Silverlake Reservoir beyond.'
'My favorite antique find for this home is the large English dining table that we placed in the “cathedral” room, which serves as a shared office space. It is proportionately perfect and has a beautiful patina.'
Just beyond the library, the upstairs family room offers a more intimate place to gather. Tucked beneath the slope of the vaulted ceiling, the room is anchored by a striking Gothic-style arched window that frames the landscape.
'We decided to forgo window treatments in the second-story family room to let the unique window shape and stunning views take center stage,' Amy explains.
'The Tudor revival elements of this home, from shapely windows to dramatic ceilings, were key to the inspiration and execution of our work in this home,' she adds. 'We let the original architectural details lead the way.'
The furnishings here are intentionally relaxed. Wood accents, of course, are part of the scheme, while a tailored sectional in creamy upholstery wraps the perimeter of the room, creating an inviting, conversation-friendly layout. At its center, a blue ottoman introduces subtle color, while the vintage rug underfoot brings warmth and a pop of unexpected red.
Equally as charming, this family bathroom is wrapped in a soft blue botanical wallpaper that echoes the Arts and Crafts motifs that sit within this Tudor Revival home.
The airy color scheme keeps the space feeling light, balanced with half-height tiles and pale herringbone underfoot. At the center, the bathroom vanity is the star of the show.
Crafted in a rich, antique-style wood with turned legs and bamboo-style molding, it feels more like a piece of furniture than built-in cabinetry. The marble countertop and traditional bridge faucet reinforce that traditional spirit, while the generous mirror above helps bounce light around the room.
Tucked out of sight is a petite powder-coated clawfoot tub that befits a Nancy Meyers movie.
For all its architectural detail and thoughtful renovation, what ultimately gives this home its warmth is the layering of vintage and antique pieces throughout.
'I hope people feel a sense of warmth when they enter this home,' says Amy.
From the patina of an antique English table upstairs to the hidden love letters discovered inside a vintage desk, and the Tudor Rose motif that ties one floor to the next, Amy has woven 'beautiful, comfortable, and soulful' elements through this family home.
Her mission? 'To create a home that felt comfortable and in the vernacular of the style of the home, but for modern living.'
When asked to sum up which room captures the spirit of this home best, Amy says it happens right at the front door. 'The formal entry really captures the spirit of our work in the home because it showcases the original architecture, as well as a mix of vintage and antique elements.'
'The lighting is contemporary, and while the wallpaper pattern is new, it feels era-appropriate. For the entry floor, I conceived and designed a contemporary Tudor Rose medallion that would immediately signal the style and taste of the homeowners and directly connect our work to the history of the home.'
