Moroccan Accents Add Flair To A Spanish Colonial Revival

Details

transitional entry red tile floor...

In the entry to Jenny and Luis Li's 1920s Spanish Colonial Revival Santa Monica home, originally the work of architect John Byers, designer Tamar Stein placed a circa 1780 Chinese console from Lief and topped it with accessories from Formations. Tucked below are a pair of Crate & Barrel stools and above is an RH mirror.

transitional living room neutral brown...

Stein incorporated an antique rug belonging to the home's previous owner into the scheme for the great room. Holly Hunt supplied the sofa, in fabric by Manuel Canovas, and the club chairs, in Jerry Pair leather. Facing the fireplace are Magni lounge chairs from Thomas Lavin in Pollack fabric; the coffee table is by Gregorius Pineo. Jane Churchill fabric dresses the A. Rudin chairs arrayed around the games table.

transitional dining area breakfast nook...

A Saarinen table from Jules Seltzer Associates centers the airy kitchen breakfast nook, where Poliform chairs are covered in Summit fabric; the banquette cushions are in a Holly Hunt fabric. Pulling up to the adjacent counter, topped with marble from Walker Zanger, are Bontempi Casa chairs.

transitional white kitchen encaustic tile...

Architects Toni Lewis and Marc Schoeplein and builder Scott Marsh revamped the kitchen, with Marsh crafting cabinetry for the space. Vivid encaustic tile from Mission Tile West paves the floor, and tile from Waterworks faces the wall behind the Wolf range. Adding a modern edge to the space are the pendants by Anu Moser for Louis Poulsen. APD provided the Perrin & Rowe faucets and Rohl sinks.

transitional dining room neutral

As throughout the house, the dining room has a mix of old and new with an antique buffet joining a Troscan table from Holly Hunt and A. Rudin chairs in a Perennials fabric. Scrolls featuring a poem written for Luis's grandfather hang beside a window. Other artwork includes two Jeff Reese photographs above the buffet and a painting by Corita Kent on the opposite wall.

transitional study nook in bedroom...

ven in small spaces, the house brims with character, such as in the master bedroom lounge, where a 1950s Harvey Probber mahogany-and-brass desk from 1stdibs nestles into a nook.

transitional white hallway red Moroccan...

In an upstairs hallway, existing sconces harmonize with a Moroccan rug and, in the niche, an African carving Jenny's parents purchased in the 1960s.

transitional bathroom blue accents little...

Rich materials define the master bath, including limestone countertops from Walker Zanger, floor and wall tile from Mission Tile West and a rustic barn door by Marsh Construction. Kallista faucets accent the tub from Waterworks and the Kohler sinks.

transitional master bedroom sitting area...

Roman Upholstery fabricated the master bed, which is done in a Rogers & Goffigon textile and underneath is a rug from Mansour. Soft light filters in through draperies made by Aero Shade in Clarence House fabric. Adjacent to the sleeping area is a lounge furnished with a Decorative Carpets rug and an Ole Wanscher chair.

transitional exterior pool lounge chairs

At the rear of the house, a veranda and terrace overlook the lush landscape and pool, which was conceived by Lewis and Schoeplein and installed by Lindsey Craft. The RH chaises are accented by pillows covered in Clarence House and Chella Textiles fabrics.

When residents Jenny and Luis Li first saw this 1920s house by the renowned Santa Monica architect John Byers, they fell in love with the original elements that characterize its Spanish Colonial Revival style: arched windows, plaster walls, rich woodwork, iron fittings.

The California homeowners tapped Tamar Stein for the interiors and architects Marc Schoeplein and Toni Lewis for renovations to the kitchen and baths, bringing the residence to modern-day standards while preserving its historic look.

“We liked the architecture, but we didn’t want to live in a period piece,” says Luis.

Playing off the colors in the previous owner’s large Persian rug, Stein began setting the palette for the living room, with notes of caramel — accuentuated by pops reds and blues — spread throughout.

Per the request of her clients, the designer also incorporated textiles from the couple’s travels around the residence. For example, a piece from Cambodia hangs over the bed in the master bedroom.

A sliding barn door in the bathroom features the same tongue-and-groove paneling as the original ceiling of the residence’s entry–on which the new kitchen ceiling was modeled–bringing consistency to the updates.

A Moroccan mosaic in sparkling aqua wraps around the tub, contrasting with the matte finishes. Says Lewis, “Blues and greens in a bathroom always feel right.”