Los Angeles Spanish by David Lucido
In a respectful homage to the 1920s origin of the Spanish-style residence, Los Angeles Spanish is renovated to connect to its current custodian. David Lucido adopts a modest and restrained approach to connect past and present, overlaying clarity to the planning and opening up the interior to the elements.
Purchased from afar and sight-unseen, the owner of Los Angeles Spanish could envision a future past the ill-fitting additions of previous iterations. In engaging David Lucido, the aim was to bring a European sensibility to the home, focusing on crafted details, texture and openness. Originally built in the 1920s and in the popular Spanish style so prevalent within California, the allowance for indoor-outdoor living remained. However, a series of dramatic revisions and amendments were needed to allow movement within the home to flow more effortlessly. After repairing structural, pest, mould and asbestos damage, David Lucido turned the focus to modernising the home while retaining connections to the past.
The proposal aimed to both uncover the home’s original character and connect to the owner’s French heritage. “[The owner] didn’t want it to feel too fancy or lean too traditional or overly contemporary,” says David, “so I straddled a line that fused different styles and eras, with an indoor-outdoor focus.” Along with redefining movement and access between spaces, and instilling a consistency in all architectural elements, a fresh approach binds the old and new with purpose.
Blending classic charm with a refreshing contemporary inclusion of furniture, lighting and artwork, each of the spaces features pieces that add richness and character. There is also a clear international influence at play as well as indications of the time the owner spent living in New York. Fusing these various styles and lineages underpins the experience as one that is truly personal. The neutral palette is complemented by the warmth of natural materials and textures. Features such as the terracotta paving, used both inside and out, dissolve the dividing threshold to the surrounds.
Through a process of total realignment, Los Angeles Spanish directs views and movement outward. The understated yet elevated approach by David Lucido draws the focus back to the origins of the home, the area and the owner.
Interior Design by David Lucido. Build by Shlomi Ben Yair. Styling by The Coveted.
