Restoring a Mid-Century Gem in the Hills of Silver Lake

Their approach wasn’t about adding more—it was about refining what was already there. By opening up the rear façade, extending the deck, and introducing full-height Fleetwood windows and doors, they created a natural flow between interior and exterior spaces. The result feels calm, cohesive, and true to the home’s mid-century roots.

The homeowner, a creative director at a marketing agency, discovered AAHA Studio through a kitchen showroom connection—one of those chance introductions that leads to the perfect fit. Together, they transformed his first home into a thoughtful retreat that feels expansive without a single added square foot.

Design: AAHA Studio | Photography: Amy Bartlam

A Respectful Refresh

Rather than expanding the footprint, the team focused on maximizing what already existed—embracing the home’s structural potential while deepening its connection to the outdoors. “We wanted to bring the home’s original mid-century spirit back to life,” Harper explains.

The prior remodel had left the interiors feeling closed off from the sweeping views, despite the property’s enviable perch above Silver Lake. AAHA Studio’s design approach was to reopen the home to its surroundings, using the principles of classic mid-century modernism as a guide.

Opening Up to the View

One of the most transformative updates was reworking the rear façade and extending the deck. By replacing undersized windows and doors with full-height Fleetwood units, Harper and her team created a seamless line of sight—from the front patio, through the kitchen and living room, to the Ipe-wood deck and the reservoir beyond.

Inside, layers of previous remodels were peeled back to reveal the home’s natural structure. Exposed beams, custom walnut millwork, and a warm, cohesive palette bring depth and continuity to the interiors. “We approached every change with a sense of restraint,” says Harper. “It was about doing more with less—enhancing what was already beautiful.”

Doing More With Less

From the kitchen’s updated millwork to the new glass doors that open directly onto the patio, every detail was approached with restraint. “We wanted to bring back the home’s mid-century spirit,” says Harper. “All of the changes were made with respect for scale and budget—proving that good design doesn’t have to mean more space.”

Fleetwood’s clean-lined doors and windows became the quiet anchors of the project, flooding each room with natural light and reframing the home’s relationship to its hillside view.

In the living area, new glazing floods the open floor plan with light, while the exposed post-and-beam structure blurs the distinction between indoors and out. The continuous roofline carries from the main living space to the covered deck, a hallmark of mid-century design brought back to life.

Outside, the rear deck—completely rebuilt in solid Ipe wood—frames the postcard-worthy view with a clean, uninterrupted line, offering a front-row seat to the California sunsets that inspired the home’s reawakening.

Design Balance

Every design decision, from the selection of Fleetwood doors and windows to the restoration of natural materials, reinforces the project’s central idea: that true expansion isn’t always about adding square footage—it’s about connection.

What stands out most about Rotary is its sense of balance—between openness and intimacy, modernity and history. By focusing on connection over expansion, AAHA Studio created a home that feels just as timeless as the day it was built.

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