All in the Family

Author:Abigail Stone

Design Hutch Interior Design transforms a rundown house in Westwood into a warm and welcoming home

“We were pregnant with our first child when we got an alert this house was on the market and it was in a great neighborhood so, we went to check it out,” the client remembers of the first time she saw the 3,200-square-foot, five-bedroom home in Westwood. “My husband immediately saw the vision. Me? Not so much.” It was an understandable reaction. Close to a century old—ancient in Southern California terms—it was outdated and falling apart. There was asbestos and mold. But the husband prevailed.

They tapped Design Hutch Interior Design to spearhead the transformation. “They wanted a home that felt warm and welcoming and reflective of their family while remaining true to the original architecture,” remembers Hutch Interior Design principal Brooke Snyder. “The plan was to create an environment that balanced timeless design with everyday functionality, that felt collected, layered and full of character without relying on trends.”

The renovation focused on improving the flow of the rooms and creating spaces that could accommodate family life while still feeling refined using natural materials and rich textures. “Every selection was made with longevity in mind, ensuring that the home would remain beautiful and relevant for years to come,” Snyder explains. 

A significant obstacle was that the original architectural plans for the house did not accurately reflect how the spaces should function. “That meant we had to reimagine significant portions of the home to improve not only the proportions of each room but how you movhed from room to room,” Snyder recalls. The exterior also required a complete redesign, from the facade to the front entry, the stairway and the porch, with only a small portion of the original structure remaining.  “Throughout the process we prioritized creating a layout that supported the family’s everyday routines while also enhancing the home’s architectural integrity,” Snyder says. Excited by the process, the clients became increasingly adventurous with their design choices. “After establishing the foundational finishes and layouts, they embraced more personality through furnishings, textiles, lighting and color, allowing the home to become truly reflective of who they are.” 

Snyder points to the custom millwork, the marble-wrapped kitchen kitchen window, the entry’s limestone flooring, and the custom stone fireplace as some of the home’s standout moments. “But,” she adds, “what makes the home especially successful is not one singular statement piece but how every detail works together to create an environment that feels warm, sophisticated and functional.” The result is a timeless family home that feels uniquely personal, beautifully layered and perfectly supportive of the family’s life. Home sweet home indeed!