“We weren’t intimidated by the fact that the home was in Transparent or that it was owned by Beck. We live in LA, every house has been owned by somebody.” That’s Leah Ring, the founder of Another Human, an imaginative Los Angeles design studio. She’s discussing the process of overhauling a home that many will recognize from the 2014 Prime Video series Transparent, in which it served as the residence of its main character, Maura Pfefferman. But like Ring said, neither this nor the fact that eight-time Grammy winner Beck lived there IRL has really phased her. What did? The house’s architectural history.
It was designed in 1959 by Buff, Straub, and Hensman—architects who created a home for the iconic Case Study Houses program. Like its more famous predecessor, this abode carries all the markers of tried and true California modernism, from its commitment to wood paneled walls to its indoor/outdoor flow. “I was definitely intimidated by the fact that it was a Buff, Straub, and Hensman home,” the designer states. “I just wanted to make sure I didn’t mess it up.”
Homeowners Robia Rashid and Mike Oppenhuizen had to agree—at the beginning of the process, they didn’t feel stressed about figuring out how to create a space that served their family of four, but they did want to honor the existing building. Rashid created the Netflix original series Atypical, which Oppenhuizen has written for, so as a Hollywood couple themselves, they were naturally easygoing about the home’s entertainment industry ties. (Three years have passed since they bought the home and curiosity hasn’t led them to watch even a snippet of Transparent.)
In the decades since Buff, Straub, and Hensman conceived it, the home received round after round of touch-ups, many of which weren’t exactly implemented with quite as much care for the original structure. “When I stood in the entry, I counted 13 different finishes, just within my sight line,” Ring says. “I did a bunch of research into Buff, Straub, and Hensman homes and tried to find whatever color photographs I could.” As much as Ring’s work was about creating something that reflected its new inhabitants, it was also about returning to what Buff, Straub, and Hensman had first conceptualized. “The original design was so incredible. So every time we go back to the original design, the house becomes more enjoyable,” Oppenhuizen says.
Terra-cotta tiles, a material just as common in the ’50s as it is now, were used in the foyer. Linoleum flooring was used in the kids rooms since it felt period appropriate. For the breakfast nook’s banquette, vinyl was employed. (Its easy-to-clean nature was an added bonus for the young family.) Specific accents, like a Murano glass chandelier in the dining room and a Modernica Case Study House daybed in the family room, were chosen to further recall the home’s past. “It’s got a throwback feel to it. It’s just great. If you can say that you grew up in that house, you’re a lucky kid,” Oppenhuizen says.