How Total Trust Rewrote the Story of a Dated 2004 Mediterranean Home

When Michelle Price of 805 Interiors first toured this 2004 Mediterranean home, the outcome felt uncertain at best. Her client was eager to relocate to Westlake Village and planned to live in the house while slowly renovating it, piece by piece. Most of the dated finishes didn’t bother her. Larger changes, however, were met with hesitation. “Her brother was pushing her to consider a larger overhaul,” Michelle says, “but she seemed reluctant about the changes I suggested. In fact, I was convinced that we were never going to hear from her again.”

Time, it turned out, changed everything. After sitting with the house and its potential, the client made a decisive shift: a full renovation, completed before move-in. With that decision came clarity. She told Michelle she felt the existing home was “modern,” but that she “liked traditional design and didn’t really know or understand modern design.” That realization became the project’s anchor, guiding Michelle as she stripped away the home’s generic, faux-Tuscan layers and replaced them with warmth, history, and restraint.

Design: 805 Interiors | Photography: Shelby Bourne

An Entry That Rewrites the First Impression

The transformation announces itself immediately. What was once a heavy, muddled arrival sequence, complete with an awkward under-stairs bar and lingering ’90s soffits, has been completely rethought. The staircase was redesigned with clean-lined ironwork and warm custom wood treads, replacing glossy marble with something far more grounded. New arched openings now frame the entry’s sightlines, offering a softer, more intentional transition into the home’s main living spaces.

The Kitchen, as a Love Letter to Materials

If the entry sets the tone, the kitchen is where the house really starts to make sense. It opens up toward the water beyond, so the view is always present—something you catch while making coffee in the morning or moving between the island and the sink.

While this was a full gut renovation, it never reads as overly precious or overly designed. Warm oak cabinetry establishes an easy, natural base, while hand-painted Portuguese tile and zellige bring in variation and character without tipping into nostalgia. Leathered Taj Mahal quartzite keeps the surfaces practical yet elevated, and the Venetian plaster hood adds a sculptural moment that feels organic rather than showy. Above it all, rustic beams replaced the original soffits, restoring a sense of proportion and age that the house had been missing.

Spaces Designed for Gathering

From the kitchen, the home opens into a series of spaces meant to be lived in generously. In the family room, bi-fold doors dissolve the boundary between indoors and out, turning the lake view into a continuous, constant backdrop. A limestone fireplace adds classic Mediterranean gravitas, while arched niches introduce balance along the walls. Thoughtful details, like concealed motorized drapery tucked neatly beside the niches, ensure nothing competes with the view.

Nearby, the dining room and breakfast nook continue this theme of relaxed togetherness. The dining room is defined by its arches and anchored by a large antique tapestry, set intentionally within a clean, contemporary frame. Upholstered ivory chairs and a distressed buffet keep the space approachable rather than formal.

Private Spaces, Done With Restraint—and Drama

In the more private areas of the home, the design shifts in tone but not intention. The primary suite was reshaped architecturally, with new bi-fold doors opening to the lake and heavy soffits replaced by an arched surround behind the bed. Rather than layering on excess, the design lets a dramatic marble soaking tub and shower (perfectly positioned to frame the view) do the talking.

The bathrooms, however, were given full permission to be expressive. Each one was designed with a distinct personality, particularly for the client’s adult children, to encourage return visits. Bold star-patterned tiles, contrasting marble and pink stone, richly veined quartzite, and an unapologetically moody powder room wrapped in mural wallpaper and viola marble bring moments of drama and delight.

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