A strong connection to the outdoors is a plus for any renovation, but for two LA homeowners, it was a must.

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The couple purchased a mid-century ranch in Laurel Canyon right before the 2020 lockdown, so the full renovation they were planning with And And And Studio suddenly had to be tackled in piecemeal fashion. Principals Daniel Rabin and Annie Ritz began with the exterior in an effort to make the most of the social distancing period—alfresco dining area, outdoor kitchen, firepit, and all—so when it came time to attack the second phase, there was nowhere to look but out.

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Next on the hit list: the primary suite, where decades of updates had resulted in a mishmash of styles that just wasn’t working. Daniel and Annie completely overhauled the space to achieve the tranquil, adults-only oasis the homeowners were seeking. “They wanted a serene retreat from their kids—a place to lock the door and have some peace and quiet,” shares Annie.

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To make the most of the newly refreshed backyard, Daniel and Annie installed a large glass sliding door, incorporated an abundance of natural white oak, and crafted an earthy color palette. They also peppered in bits of retro flair to honor the home’s history, which provided just the right amount of warmth and playfulness.

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The project: A mid-century ranch

The location: Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles, California

The room: A primary suite

The client: An entertainment industry couple with two young children

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The biggest problem to solve

The door is a two-part slider that pockets into the wall behind the vintage chair. That was a bit of a tricky technical undertaking. And it took us a while to find the right curtain fabric. We had to go through a few of them because it had to be able to withstand crazy sunlight and not fade. In the end, we used linen. Somehow the curtains cinch it all together. —Daniel

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The item that started it all

The first thing we bought was the terrazzo tile for the bathroom floor. It has really beautiful caramels and browns in it with a nice cream background. The green wall tile from Heath Ceramics was second. We knew it was going to pair really well with the beautiful white oak and everything just unfolded from there. —Annie

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The piece that anchors the space

The Lawson-Fenning brass dome pendant is an anchoring piece. We’re obsessed with it. It’s a little cheeky. —Annie

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The splurge and steal in the room

On the built-in headboard, we installed these great resin lights by Jason Miller. They're cast and then ground down to create flat surfaces. Those were a bit of a splurge because they’re handmade. —Daniel

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We ended up going with a generic linen from the curtain maker, so the price went way down. For the impact they have on the space, the curtains were an absolute steal. —Annie

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The design risk with the biggest payoff

In the bathroom, we used a lot of tile. That felt really important to the whole serene getaway feeling. It was more expensive to use so much tile, but it did pay off immensely because the space feels like this little capsule. —Annie

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The biggest learning

Because of the pandemic, we had to break the project into phases. What was challenging but exciting at the same time was figuring out how to keep our work holistic and all tied together. We had to design this suite thinking about what the future of the house would be, but we weren’t working on that yet. It's just a different way of working. —Annie

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The little detail with a big impact

The skylight over the shower is really big in terms of your everyday experience. You’re bathing in natural light. And we love the niche in the bedroom and other little built-in moments. —Annie

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The Forbes & Lomax electrical plates, those small things that you touch repeatedly every day, are nicer than your average, so you have that nice interaction 30 times a day. —Daniel

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We really had to sell our clients on

The polished nickel finish on all the bathroom fixtures, which is more mid-century. This is not one of those spaces that's an homage to patina, plaster, and aging. Day one versus day 500 is still bright and shiny, so polished nickel is a good fit in this space. —Daniel

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Why this space works so well

The limited color palette keeps it calm and every material makes a big impact. —Annie

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The final vibe

Serene and rich with an underlying nod to nature that's not overly stated. —Annie

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Want personalized design advice from And And And Studio? Book a consultation.

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The Goods