Beautiful Virgin Islands

Wednesday, Aug 27, 2025

A Sustainable Renovation of a Los Angeles Midcentury Channels Its Designers’ Utopian Ideals

A Sustainable Renovation of a Los Angeles Midcentury Channels Its Designers’ Utopian Ideals

The principles of the Wonderland Park community and the owner’s interest in renewable energy inspired this transformation by Assembledge+.

Situated along a gently curving street in the hills of Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles, is a little-known planned community called Wonderland Park. Developed in the early 1950s by a group of architect friends, it was created-like many developments of the era-as a postwar utopia, meant to embody ideals of integration, tolerance, and modern design. So when it came time for Nina and Yaniv Tepper to remodel their 1956 ranch home in the neighborhood, they wanted it to express these same sensibilities.



The couple hired Assembledge+ to devise an addition and renovation that "is in complete harmony with the core principles upon which the neighborhood was founded," explains studio principal David Thompson, who describes the Teppers, old friends of his from middle and high school, as "a progressive, forward-thinking family."



Yaniv is a partner at a private equity firm that invests in clean energy-naturally, sustainability was core to the project. A solar array generates enough energy to power the home’s electricity, and a gray water system captures wastewater to irrigate the drought-tolerant landscape.



Clever application of materials and the introduction of a 30-foot skylight along the original pitched roof seamlessly link the original structure and second-story addition. Sustainably harvested Western red cedar continuously runs from the ceiling of the family room up through the skylight and wraps the exterior, giving the sense that the volume floats above the main floor.



The owners often host large groups of friends and family, and interior designer Vanessa Alexander was tasked with creating distinct, yet cohesive rooms in the open-plan living area. The kitchen is literally and figuratively the heart of the home. Warm white oak custom cabinetry adds two islands with waterfall Caesarstone countertops, maximizing seating and serving options when entertaining.



"We kept profiles fairly low to allow the spaces to communicate with each other, so that if you were having a party and groups of people were in different areas of the home, you felt like you were having a connected experience," says Alexander.



A minimalist fireplace clad in smooth, troweled plaster anchors the living room, where a custom sofa, daybed, and vintage chairs sit on a Mehraban rug. A wall of Arcadia windows opens up to the patio, allowing for indoor/outdoor living.



"[Yaniv] wanted all of the rooms to feel connected to the outside," says Alexander. Nowhere is this more evident than in the family room, where a plush custom navy sectional doesn’t face a television, but instead looks out through a wall of operable windows onto the pool.



Upstairs in the new primary suite, the design team brought the outside in through wraparound windows that maximize views of the canyon and neighborhood, where landscape architect Garrett Eckbo’s original master plan for tree planting is still on display.



"The entire canyon is filled with oaks and eucalyptus trees," says Thompson, explaining that the shape of the roof is "inspired by the notion of a tree house, allowing the occupants to feel as though they lived among the trees."



Alexander even designed a custom bed that’s slightly taller than typical so the owners would have a better vantage point out the windows, which start at 50 inches off the ground: "We wanted the clients to have a view when lying in bed to the trees and wooded landscape."



A dreamy reading nook bathed in shades of cream features a built-in sofa that’s a perfect perch for looking at the trees. "We wanted it to feel super comfortable and soft, yet curated," says Alexander. "The idea being that once you come upstairs to the master suite, you could be somewhat self-sufficient and not want to leave this haven."


Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Manhunt in Australia: Armed Anti-Government Suspect Kills Police Officers Sent to Arrest Him
China Launches World’s Most Powerful Neutrino Detector
How Beijing-Linked Networks Shape Elections in New York City
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
2 Australian Police Shot Dead In Encounter In Rural Victoria State
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
A new faith called Robotheism claims artificial intelligence isn’t just smart but actually God itself
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
Labour set to freeze income tax thresholds in long-term 'stealth' tax raid
Coca‑Cola explores sale of Costa coffee chain
Trial hears dog walker was chased and fatally stabbed by trio
Restaurateur resigns from government hospitality council over tax criticism
Spanish City funfair shut after serious ride injury
Suspected arson at Ilford restaurant leaves three in critical condition
Tottenham beat Manchester City to go top of Premier League
Bank holiday heatwave to hit 30°C before remnants of Hurricane Erin arrive
UK to deploy immigration advisers to West Africa to block fake visas
Nurse who raped woman continued working for a year despite police alert
Drought forces closures of England’s canal routes, canceling boat holidays
Sweet tooth scents: food-inspired perfumes surge as weight-loss drugs suppress appetites
Experts warn Britain dangerously reliant on imported food
Family of Notting Hill Carnival murder victim call event unmanageable
Bunkers, Billions and Apocalypse: The Secret Compounds of Zuckerberg and the Tech Giants
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
×