Originally built in 1965 by Conrad Buff of Buff & Hensman, the Jennings Residence is a 2,200-square-foot residence located in Eagle Rock, Los Angeles known for its midcentury design. A renovation in 1990 steered it away from the original design intent of the home. Los Angeles firms Cover Architecture and EEK Studio were tapped to bring the Jennings Residence back to life, while adapting it to fit its current residents: producer Laura Millersmith, her husband Jason, and their son, Colin. Cover Architecture and EEK Studio studied the original drawings to revive its midcentury glory.
“The challenge was how to impart mutability to an architecturally notable home through careful consideration of what should be restored from the house’s past design and what needed further elaboration,” Erin Kasimow, founder of EEK Studio, shared with AN Interior. “As designers we advocate that good design must look forward AND back.”
Using Buff’s floor plans and drawings that he designed for his high school friend, Carrol Jennings, Cover Architecture and EEK Studio reconfigured the layout to best match what was originally intended. There were a number of rooms that the design team sculpted back: the original foyer which was made into a laundry room is now an entryway; a bathroom and closet upstairs formerly separated are now reconnected as part of the master suite; and the new pantry off the kitchen replaces the pre-existing powder room.
Texture and materiality were also enhanced in the renovation. Kasimow shared, “It’s all in the details. We were very interested in the ‘texture’ of the house created by the exposed assembly of the main support beams and columns and sought to amplify this effect throughout the interior. All the millwork was meticulously crafted and detailed to reference these larger spatial elements at an intimate human scale.” The beams can be seen throughout the home: out front and center stage, lining the stairwell like a quiet accent, and above the desk in the bedroom. The beams are covered in a faded green coat adding a cool touch. The architects added other rectilinear forms but at a smaller scale throughout the home to reference this original design, incorporating pulls, floating shelves, and edges of the kitchen island.
The home plays with old meeting the new. The cabinetry used in the kitchen and bathrooms are cherry wood in geometric frames—new materials that nod to the midcentury style of the home. Above the new Ceppo Di Gre Marble island are Sven Middleboe lights, original to the home. “The seamless integration of these elements contributes to a cohesive and harmonious design narrative, enriching the experience of the space,” said Yan Wang, principal at Cover Architecture.
The goal of the project was both to bring back to life the original ethos of the Jennings Residence while adapting it to accommodate a modern family. Cover Architecture and EEK Studio’s intervention follows through with a tasteful and restrained amount of TLC.