Transforming an existing home to contemporary requirements while maintaining a sense of a building’s original character and intention is no mean feat. Doing all this during a pandemic is even more impressive. This balance of old and new, peppered with challenges brought by local lockdowns and various other restrictions, is something architect Susan Nwankpa Gillespie had to keep into consideration in her latest project, Curson Residence. The project, completed by the architect's studio, Los Angeles-based Nwankpa Design, involved the redesign of a 1920s Storybook-style house in the city, which was artfully delivered by an all-women-of-colour design and construction team during the Covid-19 lockdown of 2020.
The house featured a distinctive roof with steep pitches and a prominent street-facing, tapered chimney. Nwankpa Gillespie worked with the original structure's main features – such as its defining roof outline – to enhance its architectural presence externally, but also its functionality and sense of space inside. Maintaining most of the roof, the architect pushed the walls out to add an extra 400 sq ft to the existing 1000 sq ft home. Clever landscaping around the building will soon grow into a mature garden, adding a touch of nature to the urban site.
Inside, the changes allowed for an expanded living space, containing a flowing living room, dining area, kitchen, and family room. This complements three large bedrooms, three bathrooms and a walk-in wardrobe, arranged on the opposite side of the plan. The lightly altered roof and new surrounding shell offered the opportunity for a variety of openings, which range from clerestory windows and skylights to vertical slits that bathe the interior with rich light throughout the day.
The roof's angles are echoed indoors, creating a sense of drama and height. Meanwhile wood cladding adds warmth. The overall simple palette of oak, honed quartz soapstone, and Italian ceramic tile feels crisp against the clean white walls – and natural, light colours contribute to a calm atmosphere. At the same time, custom cabinetry both showcases Nwankpa Design's bespoke design approach and provides storage that contributes towards the prevailing minimalist aesthetic.
‘It has been such a rewarding experience working with this group of professionals,' says Nwankpa Gillespie. ‘It's still rare to find projects led entirely by women of colour, so I’m glad to have these opportunities. I’m really proud of our collaboration and the design vision we delivered for our client, especially given how important home has been during the pandemic.'
INFORMATION
-
Samuel Ross begins a new chapter with Zara: ‘Clothes give you the power to transform’Samuel Ross gives Wallpaper* a first look at his ‘multi-chapter design dialogue’ with Zara, which begins with a clothing collection launching this February
-
A new lakeshore cottage in Ontario is a spectacular retreat set beneath angled zinc roofsFamily Cottage by Vokac Taylor mixes spatial gymnastics with respect for its rocky, forested waterside site
-
Chanel has made a face massage tool from the husks of camellia flower seedsChanel Beauty’s new gua sha-inspired tool, designed by in-house experts for rejuvenating facial massage, is the latest launch from its sustainable skincare line, No.1 de Chanel
-
Apple’s new Miami store employs the principles of biophilic designApple’s first mass-timber store connects shoppers to nature while echoing the Art Deco architecture of Miami
-
The World Monuments Fund has announced its 2025 Watch – here are some of the endangered sites on the listEvery two years, the World Monuments Fund creates a list of 25 monuments of global significance deemed most in need of restoration. From a modernist icon in Angola to the cultural wreckage of Gaza, these are the heritage sites highlighted
-
Reflections from Los Angeles: a local writer's personal account of the LA firesArchitecture writer and local resident Michael Webb reflects on the devastating 2025 Los Angeles fires and offers his personal account of the events of the last two weeks in California
-
LA Mayor Karen Bass outlines her plan for rebuilding the cityFollowing the devastating LA wildfires, which have destroyed more than 12,000 structures, the city’s mayor has outlined her plan for reconstruction
-
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Weisblat House, a Usonian modernist Michigan gem, could be yoursFrank Lloyd Wright’s Weisblat House in Michigan is on the market – a chance to peek inside the heritage modernist home in the countryside
-
Cabin House is a simple modernist retreat in the woods of North CarolinaDesigned for downsizing clients, Cabin House is a modest two-bedroom home that makes the most of its sylvan surroundings
-
A Texas ranch house blends Californian charm and Asian minimalism in a 'balance in hybridity'Pontious, a Texas ranch house designed by OWIU, is a home grounded in its owner's cultural identity, uniting Californian, Chinese and Japanese roots
-
The three lives of the Edith Farnsworth House: now, a modernist architecture icon open to allThe modernist Edith Farnsworth House has had three lives since its conception in 1951 by Mies van der Rohe; the latest is a sensitive renovation, and it's open to the public
