Before & After: He Gave His Hollywood Hills Midcentury an All-Electric Upgrade

Sherwood Kypreos revives a 1959 home with verde granite, rich walnut, and a suite of high-performing systems for a homeowner who works in green tech.

Concrete and travertine slabs were installed on the exterior, alongside an ipe deck with mahogany railings.
Concrete and travertine slabs were installed on the exterior, alongside an ipe deck with mahogany railings.

At first, it was the view that took everyone’s breath away. This midcentury home stood for decades as a veritable time capsule perched high above the Sunset Strip in the Bird Streets neighborhood of the Hollywood Hills. Near dusk, the sky is ablaze with pinks and oranges, and the grid of Los Angeles shimmers long into the distance before extinguishing into the soft blue of the ocean beyond.

"The view was quite impressive," says architect George Kypreos, who cofounded the firm Sherwood Kypreos with his wife, interior designer Shana Sherwood. "The site itself was very interesting, because it felt expansive from one end, but actually quite intimate and enclosed by nature at the other."

Before: Exterior

The existing home's exterior had touches of midcentury modern style.
The existing home's exterior had touches of midcentury modern style.

After: Exterior

The original brise-soleil on the front facade was kept but repaired.
The original brise-soleil on the front facade was kept but repaired.

The home was built in 1959, and its facade bore several hallmarks of the era: a sloping roof and a brise-soleil in front of the living room. "But beyond the drama of the site and the key architectural elements toward the front, the house was fairly nondescript," Kypreos explains. "Past the living room, it was just a mishmash of random openings with cheap finishes from the early 2000s."

Before: Exterior

The renovation wanted to still capitalize on the view, with new decking throughout.
The renovation wanted to still capitalize on the view, with new decking throughout.

See the full story on Dwell.com: Before & After: He Gave His Hollywood Hills Midcentury an All-Electric Upgrade
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