A 1920s Childhood Home Remodel in Mid City, Los Angeles
A stylish, period-conscious update in LA brings grandma’s house into the 21st century
- Homeowner: Leigh posted her home remodel on Sweeten
- Where: Mid City neighborhood in Los Angeles
- Primary renovation: The kitchen and surrounding rooms got a redo—with a preservationist-inspired touch
- With: Sweeten general contractor
- Homeowner’s quote: “It was important to me to work with a contracting team that had experience with older homes and appreciated the history here.”
Written in partnership with homeowner Leigh. “After” photos by Jill Weller.
A house full of family memories
I moved into my home several years ago, after inheriting it from my dad. The house was originally purchased by my grandmother, who raised her two boys here. Later, I grew up in it. We celebrated the house’s centennial last year. It’s been in my family for three generations.
Located in Mid City, Los Angeles, the house is 3,200 square feet. It has a Tudor-inspired design and it sits on a wide, quiet tree-lined street. I wanted to honor the traditional elements and the memories there while bringing in my style to make it my own.
Contractor disappearances—and a solution
My name is Leigh Lehman and I work as a communications director. In the years prior to listing my project on Sweeten, I’d met with a number of other contractors. It was important to me to work with a contracting team that had experience with older homes and appreciated the history here. After our conversations, every contractor made promises to deliver on varying tasks or iterations of the project. But then they just never returned. I had become increasingly frustrated but didn’t want to give up.
Sweeten gave me the peace of mind I was missing in dealing with contractors. The fact that the platform had vetted the GCs I interviewed, and that there was accountability through the dashboard, helped alleviate the angst I’d been holding for a while.
Nostalgia and personal style meet
Approaching the project, I knew I wanted to remain true to the house’s bones, which were structurally sound. I wanted the home to improve functionally and to align with how I lived. But I didn’t want to lose the home’s character.
Specifically, I knew I needed to gut renovate the kitchen and laundry room. The dining area and other interior spaces just needed a cosmetic refresh. Other parts of the scope included refinishing floors, repainting the walls, replacing windows, and updating the electrical work.
Before starting on the kitchen, I did a lot of research on what kitchens in the 1920s in Los Angeles looked like. I wanted the space to feel updated and fresh but in line with the style of that time when the house was built. For example, the tile floor is beautifully colored. Design-forward floors were common in kitchens during that time. The dark counters and beadboard-style cabinets were also design elements from ‘20s kitchens. Sweeten brings homeowners an exceptional renovation experience by personally matching trusted general contractors to your project, while offering expert guidance and support—at no cost to you. Renovate to live, Sweeten to thrive!
I worked with my Sweeten contractor and her team to design the nostalgic details I wanted. The selection and use of tile in the renovation was our idea for a fresh take on period tile patterns. We also collaborated on the custom cabinets, from the layout to the clean look of the beadboard.
A modern convenience for the kitchen
One aspect I knew I wanted to update: the dishwasher. Spending so much time at my home during the pandemic, I had washed a lot of dishes. I love to cook and I looked forward to hosting dinners. So aside from the aesthetics of a refreshed kitchen, the idea of installing a dishwasher for the first time to help with clean-up was a driver for the renovation. I was looking forward to spending more time doing things I enjoyed.
The layers were tedious, I’ll admit! As anyone can imagine, a 100-year-old home has had a few touch-ups over time. So whether paint or wallpaper, the work to get under those layers and back to the base definitely took some extra elbow grease.
Nostalgia and a very big sink
In the laundry room, the big sink was original to the house. I wanted to keep it, but it needed attention. An average sink faucet spread is 13 inches—but this one is 18” wide. My Sweeten contractor recommended parts vendors who allowed me to restore the beauty of the sink on my timeline and within my budget. I love how it turned out.
"Sweeten gave me the peace of mind I was missing in dealing with contractors."
All eyes on the details—and budget
The greatest worry I had was about exactly that—creating my budget and sticking to it. I didn’t want to end up with unexpected costs. My Sweeten contractor and her team were great professionals to work with; they laid everything out upfront and we aligned before work started. Once we began, any additional costs we incurred were outlined in a change order, which I approved before moving forward. Throughout the process, I always knew what my numbers were.
My advice as a now experienced renovator: Ask the minor questions, or the ones you may think are silly. Never assume that the team working on your job will do something without it being discussed. Walk-through every last corner of the space and look at all the details before the project wraps up to ensure any issues that concern you are addressed.
Small details make the difference
The thing I learned after posting this renovation is that you’ll make a lot of little decisions that only matter to you, but when your vision comes together well, it’s magical. We changed the swing of the kitchen door so that it now opens into the family room. It was a minor change that no one will ever notice—but it made a big difference in opening up the space.
The kitchen and the breakfast room, with that gorgeous old stained-glass window, are closely tied for my favorite rooms in the house. The laundry room no longer feels dark and cramped—the natural light is incredible. What do I feel about the result? Happiness!
Thank you, Leigh and mom, for sharing your home with us!
Renovation Materials
KITCHEN RESOURCES:
- Paint in Kitten Whiskers, #1003, and Simply White, #OC-117 (trim): Benjamin Moore
- Moda Del Mar “Fiorella” Matte Ceramic 8”x8” Tile in Blue: Floor & Decor
- Custom kitchen cabinets: Sourced through contractor
- Countertops in Vanilla Noir, #5100: Caesarstone
- Elkay Quartz Luxe farmhouse sink in Ricotta: Build with Ferguson
- Filtered and traditional faucet in chrome: Water Inc.
- Glossy ceramic backsplash tile, Cloe 5”x5” in white: Bedrosians
- Heritage wall-mount faucet: Kingston Brass
- 24.8 cu. ft. french door refrigerator: Whirlpool
- 800 Series SHV878ZD3N dishwasher: Bosch
- Hiemey glass crystal, brushed-nickel octagon knobs: Amazon
- Oil-rubbed bronze knobs: Amerock
- Massey oil-rubbed bronze bin pull: Semihandmade
- Greenwich single sconce light: Rejuvenation
- Dempsey 52-inch LED indoor ceiling fan in Fresh White: Hunter
DINING AREA RESOURCES:
- Paint in Kitten Whiskers, #1003, and Simply White, #OC-117 (trim): Benjamin Moore
- Dempsey 52-inch LED indoor ceiling fan in Fresh White: Hunter
LAUNDRY RESOURCES:
- Paint in Kitten Whiskers, #1003, and Simply White, #OC-117 (trim): Benjamin Moore
- 4.8 cu ft stackable smart front load washer and 7.8 cu ft 10-cycle gas dryer: GE Appliances
- Faucet, 445 Series Chrome #445-GN8AE3RABCP and Spout #GN8BE4JKABCP: Chicago Faucet
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