See the Gorgeous Transition That Brought This 1927 LA Tudor Home into 2023

Once owned by a glamorous Hollywood burlesque star, a stunning renovation only enhances this home's original character.

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June 23, 2023

By: Kassondra Cloos

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Shop This Look

Photo By: Christopher Lee Foto

Photo By: Ome Dezin

Photo By: Austin Leis

Photo By: Ome Dezin

Photo By: Austin Leis

Photo By: Ome Dezin

Photo By: Austin Leis

Photo By: Ome Dezin

Photo By: Austin Leis

Photo By: Ome Dezin

Photo By: Christopher Lee Foto

Photo By: Austin Leis

Photo By: Christopher Lee Foto

Modernizing a Tudor-Style House Rich with Stories and Original Details

When Joelle Kutner and Jesse Rudolph found this Los Angeles home once owned by burlesque star Lili St. Cyr, they knew it was their next big redesign. Joelle and Jesse co-founded Ome Dezin to renovate homes together, and this project seemed too interesting to pass up. The Tudor-style house was built in 1927 and presented an incredible opportunity to blend its original features with modern upgrades.

BEFORE: Yellow Walls and Thick Carpeting Led to This Room's Face Lift

When they first bought the house, this room was painted yellow — every room had a dedicated color, Joelle says. To modernize it, she and Jesse painted the walls and wooden beams white, which allows the original hardware on the beams to stand out. The fireplace isn't currently functional because of earthquake damage to the chimney in the '90s, so they tiled over it to make a pretty focal point for the room.

AFTER: An Ornamental Fireplace and Classy French Doors Give a Calming Feel to the Living Room

The house has four functioning fireplaces, so instead of fixing or removing this damaged one, Jesse and Joelle turned it into an ornamental feature. "It's a nice focal point of a room," Joelle says. "If it were me, I would put candles on the hearth. I think it's a nice point to draw your eye into the space." They also removed the closets on either side of the fireplace and added open shelving instead. The pendant lights hanging here are from Astep.

BEFORE: Laundry Closet Eats into a Small Kitchen Space

Jesse and Joelle completely redid the home's kitchen. Originally, the kitchen was small, with a galley-style configuration, and this laundry closet took up too much space. So, they changed the floor plan slightly to expand the kitchen and moved the laundry unit elsewhere.

BEFORE: A Small Galley-Style Kitchen Gets a Complete Redesign

While galley-style kitchens can be an efficient use of space in small homes, this four-bedroom house was in need of a more modern, open-plan kitchen. Jesse and Joelle ripped out all the countertops and cabinets here and added skylights to let more natural light into the space.

AFTER: An Open Kitchen with Added Skylights is Brighter and More Functional

Jesse and Joelle opened up the kitchen and added an island with a stained white oak counter. To let in more natural light, they added two skylights. "People often think they’re hugely expensive to do but they’re actually relatively inexpensive, and they’re an amazing way to get natural light," Joelle says. Caveat? Make sure you don't skimp on installation. A leaky skylight is not a problem you want to deal with, says Jesse.

AFTER: The New Kitchen Features Integrated Appliances

In the new kitchen, just a little bit of color goes a long way. The fridge and freezer are integrated behind mint-green cabinets that match the pantry cupboards. Now, the cabinets stand out against the kitchen's smooth white walls, adding style to the kitchen without overpowering the decor.

A Well-Placed Mirror Further Brightens Up The Kitchen

A classic black-and-white tile floor is a timeless upgrade for the new kitchen — something that won't go out of style so quickly. Placing a mirror opposite the kitchen's generous windows maximizes the natural light and makes the space even brighter. One of the home's four bedrooms is through the white door.

A Built-In Breakfast Nook Adds Easy Dining to the Kitchen

Joelle and Jesse added this built-in bench in the kitchen to add an informal place to dine. It's made of the same stained white oak as the island. A separate dining room offers more space to entertain.

Exposed Wooden Beams Add Character to This Dining Room

Just off the kitchen, a separate dining room features much of the home's original character. Jesse and Joelle had the home professionally staged for market, but included some of their own personal touches, like these vintage wooden dining chairs that belong to Jesse. They sourced the pendant light from Gubi.

A Cozy Den Clad in Muted, Earthy Shades is an Ideal Place to Relax

This den is one of Joelle's favorite corners of the house. With large windows and earthy tones that mirror the view, "it feels like somewhere I would really like to sit for a long period of time," she says.

Vintage, Feathery Glass Sconces from Murano Complete the Den

Jesse and Joelle spent a lot of time scouring online shops to find vintage light fixtures that would pair well with the home’s original character. These feathery Murano glass sconces were sourced from Chairish, a resale site that specializes in vintage furniture and home décor.

Library-Style Entryway is Great for a Quiet Moment

Just off the den, there's a library-style area with extra-calming vibes. Throughout the house, Jesse and Joelle made great use of custom built-ins, like the wooden window bench and bookshelf here.

Home’s Original Mirrors Pay Homage to Hollywood Glamor

These antique spotted mirrors in the principal bedroom are original to the house. Instead of replacing them, Joelle and Jesse kept them and added a similar mirror in the bathroom to match. One of the home’s previous owners was burlesque queen Lili St. Cyr, who was a long-time Hollywood star. The mirrors in the bedroom are “very reminiscent of her living there,” Joelle says, adding that her story was one of the things that attracted them to the house in the first place. As an added bonus, the mirrors reflect an incredible view of the hillside visible from the bedroom windows.

Reading Lamps Elevate This Principal Bedroom

The pink pendant light in the principal bedroom are knitted globes designed by Made by Hand, which add a fun texture to the room. The sconces on either side of the bed were sourced from Etsy.

BEFORE: Pink Color Palette in the Carpeted Principal Bathroom Gets a Tile Upgrade

Before Jesse and Joelle reimagined the principal bathroom, it had a pink theme. They removed the carpeting in favor of tile and added a smaller spotted mirror over the new tub. They also expanded the bathroom slightly. But while the new bathroom looks completely different, it maintains the historic charm you get from the antique mirrors here. That character is what drew the pair to the project initially. “From the get-go, it was really interesting to us, and we thought — with a little love and attention — we could bring in some modernity and have the house function and look really beautiful," Joelle says.

AFTER: A New Spotted Mirror Adds More Character to the Principal Bathroom

Joelle and Jesse added another spotted mirror over the bathtub in the primary bathroom to match those in the bedroom. Throughout the house, they’ve made sure that new additions — such as this clawfoot bathtub — are functional, but not so modern that they detract from the home’s historic quirks and charms.

AFTER: A Gorgeous Wood and Marble Vanity Elevates the Principal Bathroom

With a gorgeous wooden vanity and plain walls accented by a Rosa Portugal marble backsplash, the renovated principal bathroom is almost unrecognizable from the original. If you’re embarking on your own redesign project, Joelle recommends examining your expectations before you get started. You’re almost never going to end up where you started, she says. The finished product may look completely different from what you first imagined, and your budget and timeline will likely change, too. Accepting that from the outset will make the process much easier, she says.

AFTER: A Gorgeous Tiled Shower is an Indulgent Modern Upgrade

Instead of going with a combination tub/shower, Jesse and Joelle installed a decadent standalone rainfall shower in the principal bathroom, with a beautiful marble doorway. While it's a luxurious upgrade, it doesn't distract from the antique charms of the clawfoot tub opposite.“We really wanted to combine new and old in that house,” Jesse says. “We wanted everything to have this old base foundation but to feel like it had been given this new, current life to it.”

BEFORE: Bold Wallpaper and Bathroom Carpeting Gets a More Timeless Makeover

Before the redesign, every room had a dedicated color. The bathrooms had bold wallpaper patterns, and everything was carpeted — including bathrooms. Jesse and Joelle brightened up the house by opting for solid white walls and classic, timeless tiles. This bathroom eventually became the home's powder bathroom.

AFTER: Convex Mirror Makes This Powder Room Stand Out

Jesse and Joelle turned this bathroom into the powder bathroom, and went with a much more calming color palette. They sourced this "smoked" convex mirror from CB2 for far less than similar vintage items they found on Chairish and 1stDibs. If you're on a budget, they recommend scouring the web for more affordable look-a-likes to vintage designer pieces that are easy to fall in love with.

Original Shutters Add Character to This Guest Bedroom

Wherever possible, Ome Dezin kept original features like the fireplace and shutters in this guest bedroom and around the house. “I think if you came in and completely stripped the home and made it a fully modern thing, you would really be doing it a disservice," Joelle says.

A Guest Bedroom with Stained Wood Floors Has Classic Hollywood Vibes

This home is one of Jesse and Joelle's favorite recent projects, and they were sad to let it go when they put it back on the market. "It's a quintessential Hollywood home and feels like a film should be shot here," Joelle says. "It has so many special corners and rooms."

Throughout the Home, Shutters Add a Consistent Element of Historic Charm

In this upstairs guest bathroom, Joelle and Jesse built a gorgeous, walk-in tiled shower with a similar aesthetic to the one in the principal bathroom. As in other places around the home, they kept features like these shutters, which add an air of elegance to the home. “It’s very rare to find such an old home that has so much of its original walls, charm and windows intact,” Jesse says.

BEFORE: Concrete Paths Distract from Tudor Home's Architectural Beauty

The home’s outdoor spaces had a lot of potential but needed some upgrades. When Jesse and Joelle bought it, most of the front courtyard and backyard were paved with concrete. They ripped out those paths and planted new greenery.

AFTER: Cobblestone Paths Beautify the Front Courtyard

To elevate the outdoor spaces, Jesse and Joelle removed the concrete padding and replaced it with a cobblestone path that leads to a limestone fountain. A tall, white wall surrounds the property, which gives the home a feeling of privacy, even though there are neighbors close by on both sides. This also makes the space more useable for a family with kids or a dog, since they’d have more real estate to play outside in safe, enclosed spaces instead of being restricted to a fenced-in backyard.

A Limestone Water Fountain Adds to a Relaxing Ambiance

Having a water fountain you can see and hear from throughout the house was important to Jesse and Joelle. “To be able to hear that water trickling throughout the day and even the evening is a really nice soundtrack to your everyday life," Joelle says. They sourced the limestone basin for the fountain from Berbere Imports, a local vendor who travels the world looking for unique limestone pieces like this. “It’s very, very heavy, and we sort of splurged on that,” Jesse says. “But because it’s the first thing you see, and you see it from all different sides in the house, it was pretty important.”

Built-In Cooking, Dining and Lounge Space Makes for Great Entertaining

Having an outdoor dining area is particularly important in Los Angeles, where great weather encourages blurring the line between indoor and outdoor spaces. So, to maximize functionality, Joelle and Jesse also added a built-in, L-shaped couch, built-in barbecue and an outdoor kitchen area. “We really just tried to make the outside spaces as livable as possible,” Joelle says.

Spacious, Tiled Courtyard is a Gorgeous Place to Host Dinner

Because Jesse and Joelle designed this house to flip it, they had to imagine what a future homeowner might want from a life here—such as outdoor spaces for entertaining guests. They considered which spaces would be good for entertaining, and what kind of person might want to live in a house located near parks and a canyon with lots of hiking. “You kind of put yourselves into the shoes of potential buyers,” Joelle says. Neither she or Jesse are from Los Angeles and often have family visiting them, so they think about spaces to entertain and host guests from out of town. “It’s a lot of dreaming,” she adds.

For Your Own Redesign, Collect Lots of Ideas and Don't Start from Scratch

If you’re about to embark on a home renovation project where you need to share decision-making with someone else, you might consider starting a Pinterest board or a shared image folder where you can both dump inspiration. At the start, “we definitely have a lot of tabs open,” Joelle says. They have a dedicated Pinterest board for each new project, which they flood with ideas and products that could work for the home until they nail down their approach. Then, the narrowed-down options get moved to Google Drive where they’re a little more organized.

And of course, don't overlook the gems your house might already be hiding. Jesse and Joelle left this brick patio essentially untouched, and accented it with a tiled seating area.

See the Gorgeous Transition That Brought This 1927 LA Tudor Home into 2023

Related To:

Shop This Look

Modernizing a Tudor-Style House Rich with Stories and Original Details

BEFORE: Yellow Walls and Thick Carpeting Led to This Room's Face Lift

AFTER: An Ornamental Fireplace and Classy French Doors Give a Calming Feel to the Living Room

BEFORE: Laundry Closet Eats into a Small Kitchen Space

BEFORE: A Small Galley-Style Kitchen Gets a Complete Redesign

AFTER: An Open Kitchen with Added Skylights is Brighter and More Functional

AFTER: The New Kitchen Features Integrated Appliances

A Well-Placed Mirror Further Brightens Up The Kitchen

A Built-In Breakfast Nook Adds Easy Dining to the Kitchen

Exposed Wooden Beams Add Character to This Dining Room

A Cozy Den Clad in Muted, Earthy Shades is an Ideal Place to Relax

Vintage, Feathery Glass Sconces from Murano Complete the Den

Library-Style Entryway is Great for a Quiet Moment

Home’s Original Mirrors Pay Homage to Hollywood Glamor

Reading Lamps Elevate This Principal Bedroom

BEFORE: Pink Color Palette in the Carpeted Principal Bathroom Gets a Tile Upgrade

AFTER: A New Spotted Mirror Adds More Character to the Principal Bathroom

AFTER: A Gorgeous Wood and Marble Vanity Elevates the Principal Bathroom

AFTER: A Gorgeous Tiled Shower is an Indulgent Modern Upgrade

BEFORE: Bold Wallpaper and Bathroom Carpeting Gets a More Timeless Makeover

AFTER: Convex Mirror Makes This Powder Room Stand Out

Original Shutters Add Character to This Guest Bedroom

A Guest Bedroom with Stained Wood Floors Has Classic Hollywood Vibes

Throughout the Home, Shutters Add a Consistent Element of Historic Charm

BEFORE: Concrete Paths Distract from Tudor Home's Architectural Beauty

AFTER: Cobblestone Paths Beautify the Front Courtyard

A Limestone Water Fountain Adds to a Relaxing Ambiance

Built-In Cooking, Dining and Lounge Space Makes for Great Entertaining

Spacious, Tiled Courtyard is a Gorgeous Place to Host Dinner

For Your Own Redesign, Collect Lots of Ideas and Don't Start from Scratch

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