Tour a Los Feliz Bungalow With Major Vintage Style

Lovingly renovated to restore its 1930s Art Modern soul and filled with chic family heirlooms and antique finds, this LA gem’s interiors are just as dazzling as its panoramic view.

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By: Lauren Oster

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Photo By: Engel Studios

Photo By: Samantha Dean

Photo By: Engel Studios

The Ultimate Passion Project

Drew Cohen — AKA Mayer Hawthorne, a Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter and producer — knows promising material when he sees it. This 1937 bungalow in the hills of Los Feliz, a neighborhood in Los Angeles, had all the makings of a masterpiece. Drew and his now-wife, Karina Nicholson, were goners as soon as they arrived for a tour.

“As soon as we first walked into the house and saw the view, we knew that it was our home,” Drew says. “We weren't necessarily looking for a fixer upper, but we loved that it still had a ton of original detail and character. That made it worth the investment.” Working in stages, they spent two years renovating their home themselves. It now reflects its elegant original style and their personal vibe. Have a look at the groove they developed in that collaboration.

Time for a Follow-Up Project

Karina and Drew are understandably proud of their painstaking renovation: “It definitely feels like an extension of our own unique style and personality, which was really important to us — having fun with it and not taking anything too seriously,” Karina says. Their work will now pass into new hands, as they’re in the process of selling their home and moving on — but there’s excitement beyond this farewell. “We learned so much during the process, and we're looking forward to applying that experience to whatever we do next.”

A Fresh Coat of Exterior Paint Makes All the Difference

Though Drew and Karina’s home boasted a spectacular view, the structure itself was not postcard-worthy. Featuring four different shades of pinkish-beige paint and iron bars on the windows, it cried out for a makeunder. “Painting the exterior was a huge expense, but it was the most impactful thing we did,” Drew recalls. They chose Benjamin Moore’s Spanish White, a creamy, classic shade that suits both the stucco and the terra cotta tile roof.

Making Gradual Exterior Changes Has Its Advantages

Karina and Drew expected to pry up the hardscaping in the sunken patio that leads to their front door, but they were pleasantly surprised as their work progressed. “We initially thought we would replace that patio tile, but after we painted the house it made the tile look right!” Drew says. Long-term renovators, take heart: You never know what you might learn when you aren’t in a rush.

Lessons From Early Renovation Errors May Pay Off, Too

Learning as they worked meant that Drew and Karina were eventually able to plan more effectively. They began by addressing the foundation and repairs, “then came the kitchen and bathrooms,” Drew says. “Since this was our first attempt at remodeling a house, we didn't know how to properly budget, and we learned a valuable lesson from that.”

When Adding Greenery to Your Space, Think Outside the Nursery

Taking a good look around their new neighborhood had tangible benefits, as Drew recalls. “We got a lot of our large patio plants from an old apartment building nearby that was being sold.” Lucky breaks like that might be few and far between, but it never hurts to ask if local friends might be looking to revisit their landscaping or re-home some of their plantings.

SEE MORE: 10 Colorful Front Doors + Plant Pairings

Treat a Sunken Front Patio Like an Outdoor Living Room

Set back from the street and tucked behind a privacy wall, this sun-dappled sitting area is the perfect spot to enjoy a cup of morning coffee or welcome friends with a cocktail. Bistro lights crisscross the space to add ambience and a welcoming twinkle after the sun goes down.

SEE MORE: 50 Patio Ideas and Design Tips

Use a Bistro Set as Outdoor Furniture

Generations of European sidewalk café proprietors know their stuff when it comes to chic furnishings that can go the distance. Classic and ultra-durable pieces like these cane rattan chair and pedestal table — all the rage inside Americans’ homes — deserve to be deployed outdoors. “We ordered that French bistro set from Maison [Louis] Drucker in Paris,” Karina says.

SEE MORE: 40 Beautiful, Budget Ideas for Patios and Porches

Modernize the Living Room by Combining Stains and Finishes (and Nixing Seascapes)

Don’t let the living room’s current serenity fool you into thinking this space has long been chic: The wall that now features an abstract painting by the couple’s friend Kristen Giorgi once featured a massive undersea mural “that still gives us nightmares,” as Karina puts it. In lieu of marine denizens, they furnished the room with an antique camel bench.

SEE MORE: 20 Neutral Living Room Ideas From HGTV Stars

The Ideal Location Makes Renovation Well Worth the Effort

What Drew and Karina call “the view room” is unquestionably their home’s main character. “We always said that even if the rest of the house had been falling apart, the view would have still sold it for us,” Drew says. Visitors go straight to the panorama as well: “Everyone is immediately mesmerized by the view, and whenever they finally recover from that, they usually notice the more unique features like the kitchen window cutout or the sculptural pillars.”

SEE MORE: 15 Window Treatment Ideas for Bay Windows

Make the Most of Picture Windows With Long, Low Furniture

“We had the couch and ottoman custom made to fit the curve of the wall,” Karina says. “The white boucle fabric was a dangerous choice because we like to drink wine there.” HGTV had a hand in the look of this space: “The plaster side table is from Leanne Ford's collection for Crate & Barrel,” she continues. “We loved her Restored by the Fords show and got a lot of inspiration from it!”

SEE MORE: 20 Refreshing White Living Room Designs

Sculptural Midcentury Lighting Anchors the View Room

An elegant George Nelson bubble pendant functions like artwork when this space is sunlit and offers a warm glow after dark. At the far end of the room, a chrome and smoked acrylic done lamp — a favorite piece Karina and Drew inherited from Drew’s grandmother — echoes its curves.

SEE MORE: 20 Living Room Lighting Design Ideas

Create Cohesion by Matching Cabinetry Between Spaces

Drew has “somewhere in the neighborhood of 10,000 records, so vinyl storage was a real priority,” he says. Our kitchen cabinet guy built the custom shelves for us.” The fluted oak in the space’s custom DJ console matches the corners of the kitchen cabinetry; Drew planned the piece, then commissioned a local friend, furniture designer Colin Sonnichsen, to build it.

SEE MORE: 20 Living Room Storage and Organization Tips + Tricks

Display Beloved Albums Like the Art They Are

Drew hosted “Wine & Vinyl,” a weekly YouTube livestream where he paired rare albums with rare sips, at his DJ station. This Har-You Percussion Group album, first released in 1967, likely made a cameo. “It’s a great record and one of my favorite album covers,” he says. “I'm guessing I paired it with something fun like a sparkling natural rose or some skin-contact orange wine.”

SEE MORE: Sound Matters: A Gift Guide for Music Lovers, Audiophiles and Vinyl Junkies

Hire an Artisan to Create the Piece of Your Dreams

The pendant and dining chairs in Drew and Karina’s breakfast nook came along from their previous home, but the shapely bench and table were made to realize long-held wishes. “One of our dreams has always been to have a cozy banquette area to drink our coffee while working on a crossword puzzle,” Drew says. “The challenge then was to find a table that wouldn't block too much of the walkway, and since we have always loved the freeform look, we asked our extremely talented friend Colin Sonnichsen to build one for us.” The banquette is upholstered with vintage Alexander Girard checkerboard fabric from Maharam. “It’s a cheeky homage to our love of crossword puzzles.”

SEE MORE: 30 Beautiful Breakfast Nooks

Mix Woods and Finishes to Let Individual Features Shine

The sculptural columns flanking the home’s staircase are original to the home, and their warm, deep color contrasts beautifully with both the kitchen’s cabinetry and the flooring Karina and Drew installed. “The original warped floors were a really beautiful thin white oak plank and we loved the look, so we actually just found a nearly identical wood to replace them,” Drew says. “We added cork underneath to make them more quiet.”

Bring Black and White to Life With a Blush of Pink

The Zellige tiles that wrap around the kitchen were an unexpected hit, Karina recalls. “I fell in love with the pink Clé tile as soon as I saw it and pitched it to Drew thinking he would never go for it. Thankfully, he fully saw the vision and we went for it,” she says. “Pink and black and white can be such a chic combination when done right, and the light wood cabinets really helped make it work. Once we saw all of the materials side by side, we knew we had made the right call.”

SEE MORE: Gorgeous Kitchen Backsplash Options and Ideas

Choose Cabinet Hardware That Unifies Your Kitchen Design

Drew and Karina’s cabinets called for accessories that would complement the space’s strong, elegant lines. “The handles were a great find by Drew who had scoured the internet looking for something that felt right,” Karina says. “Their chunkiness really helped balance some of the sharper elements in the kitchen.” They created counters, in turn, with Caesarstone quartz in Georgian Bluffs.

Think of Structural Limitations as Opportunities for Creativity

This showstopping interior geometry wasn’t part of the renovation plan, and it owes its existence to a stumbling block. “We were originally going to remove the entire wall to open up the living area but there were structural elements that made it impossible,” Karina explains. “It ended up being kismet, though, because the window cutout is now one of our favorite design elements.”

Avoid Kitchen Clutter By Skipping Window Treatments and Using Floating Shelves

Drew and Karina knew they wanted a space near the sink to display cookbooks and their Japanese pottery collection, but they had no need for additional upper cabinets. “We liked the clean look of the floating shelves, and they tied in with the oak cabinetry,” Drew says.

SEE MORE: 10 Tips for Making Open Storage Work in the Kitchen

Make Transitional Spaces Feel Special With Bespoke Details

The steps to the left of the refrigerator lead up to the garage and were once obscured by a funky set of trompe l’oeil cabinets, a feature Drew and Karina were happy to deconstruct. Their mineral "runner" is unique to their space. “All of the marble tile in the kitchen was custom cut, so we worked with our tile installer to design the best pattern for each section,” Karina says.

Use Furniture to Draw the Eye to Original Details

Drew and Karina kept renovations to a minimum in the view room, where textural paneling maintains its classic California character. “That stained-glass window was original and such a cool feature,” Karina says. Centering a midcentury statement piece below it creates an atmospheric vignette. “The sideboard is vintage John Van Koert for Drexel,” she explains. “It has that nice marble top so we use it as a bar.”

SEE MORE: 20 Charming Design Features Found in Older Homes

Use Neutral Tones and Natural Materials to Create a Supportive Work Area

“I spend most days in the studio, and I wanted it to feel like a calming, organic space,” Drew says. “I liked the soft look of the cream window shades, and they help with acoustics.”

The instrument to the right of the window happens to be contemporary with his and Karina’s midcentury furniture: “The Rhodes electric piano is from the late '60s and was actually a student model that was used in classrooms,” he explains. “They were all manufactured just south of LA in Fullerton.”

Let a Favorite Piece Take Center Stage in the Powder Room

Diminutive spaces like this one are prime real estate for pieces that could get lost in larger rooms. Case in point: “The powder room rug was Karina's grandmother's from Tucson, Arizona, and we based the colors of the bathroom around it,” Drew says. The framed Fernando Botero echoes its tones, as does the space-maximizing, concrete wall-mounted sink. The sink’s graphic frame is a memento of Drew and Karina’s renovations in other parts of the house: “We made that tile backsplash from leftover Zellige samples that we couldn't bear to throw away,” he explains.

SEE MORE: Punch Up Your Powder Room With These Designer Tips

Take Decor Cues From Spaces That Inspire You

The bloom-strewn piece at the foot of the bed in the guest room is a memento of Drew and Karina’s house hunt. “We actually saw that floral throw blanket [from Anthropologie] at another open house, and we loved it so much that we tracked one down on eBay,” Karina says. When you love the way someone’s room is styled, do your research and bring the look home!

SEE MORE: Proof Throw Blankets Can Transform Any Space

If Vintage Tile Is In Good Shape, Let It Be

The two-tone tiling in the guest bath suited Drew and Karina’s taste, so they leaned into the look and kept the space simple. “Everything in that bathroom was original. All we did was re-glaze the old deco bathtub, and we left everything else as is,” Drew says. A colorful hand towel, a cactus in a ceramic pot and a fantastic view of Griffith Observatory ornament the room beautifully.

Design Classics + Luxe Linens = Cozy Bedroom Chic

Drew and Karina’s bedroom owes its serene splendor to their diligent searches for just-so antiques and their knack for pairing them with both iconic pieces and contemporary finds. The magnificent bed with built-in nightstands is a vintage piece Drew discovered on Craigslist. It’s topped with Restoration Hardware bedding, and the pendant above it is a Louis Poulsen PH5.

Create a One-of-a-Kind Vanity With a Vintage Dresser

Unlike the guest bath and powder room, “the primary bath was a total gut job,” Karina says. Replacing features they didn’t fancy proved difficult — so they got creative. “We couldn't find a vanity we liked so we dropped a new Kohler sink into a vintage Drexel dresser,” she says. The installation above it, in turn, “was a sort of COVID art project that we made ourselves using an Ikea mirror, some small Zellige tiles and epoxy.”