Kitchens: At Home with an LA Costume Designer, Summer Remodel Edition

At Home with an LA Costume Designer, Summer Remodel Edition

A few weeks back, costume designer Gordana Golubovic emailed us photos of her Spanish-style remodel in LA’s Los Feliz neighborhood. We immediately admired the airy, open interiors, wth neutral textures, and the French doors and windows that open to the gardens from nearly every room (not to mention the outdoor gravel garden and luxe, summer-ready pool). But the house was far from luxe when owner Gordana Golubovic first purchased it June of 2015: “Abandoned for seven years, it was boarded up by the city, ravaged by squatters, invaded by vines and branches,” she says. “On the day we came it was gloomy and rainy, and what little light that existed was blocked out by the boards on the window. There were drawings on the wall, stained carpets, and the electric and water were disconnected.” But Golubovic took on the challenge: “It was love at first sight. I couldn’t wait to get started,” she says.

Golubovic started renovating homes at a young age, helping her mother on projects and experimenting with textures and layouts, before becoming a period costume designer for film. “It was a natural transition, because it was creating with materials and transforming,” she says. “I really have a love for natural materials, whether plaster, concrete, wood, linen, cashmere, or hemp.” Case in point: the mix of textures and high/low collection of vintage finds and DIY that gives her LA remodel a low-key summer vibe. Join us for a tour.

Photography by Lauren Moore.

Above: The newly revamped exterior, succulent garden included. “I knew I had to expose her beauty,” Golubovic says of the house. “For six months straight someone would approach us, thanking us for bringing out the beauty in this house.”

Above: An airy living room channels laid-back LA living with low-slung white chaises (Living Divani modular sofas) and a custom white oak table. Golubovic found the midcentury woven chairs at a flea market in Chicago.

Above: Golubovic plastered the walls and ceiling throughout the house with X-Kalibur plaster. The ceramic lamp was a flea market find.

Above: The poured-concrete floors are a new addition. Golubovic added a brown overtone to make it look aged and original to the house.

Above: Golubovic updated the brick fireplace by creating a concrete front and then adding plaster over the top. A built-in bench alongside doubles as log storage.

Above: Another living area off of the central stairway.

Golubovic bleached and soaped the original wood floors with WOCA lye and soap products (see Remodeling 101: Easy Whitewashed Scandi Floors), and removed drywall to expose the ceiling beams. The pendant shade is from Netherlands company Ay Illuminate, purchased from Lost & Found. Golubovic’s collection of vintage African wooden vessels and baskets line reclaimed wood shelves.

Above: The kitchen, with two dining areas attached.

The original kitchen had a tight galley layout (complete with a washer and dryer). Golubovic expanded the space by removing a wall between a small adjoining bed and bath to create an open kitchen-dining space with custom cabinets and limestone counters. (“Everyone thinks it’s concrete, but it will never crack,” Golubovic says. “I made the guy go through 25 slabs before i found the perfect one.”) Above the stove is a custom vent, plastered to match the walls.

Above: The informal, communal dining area.

For the dining area, Golubovic hired a Hungarian craftsman to make a 14-foot-long built-in bench out of bleached and soaped alder wood. “It’s a place where a group can gather and lounge, and it connects to a big outdoor terrace,” she says. “If you sit right in the middle there is this amazing view through the front door of the city skyline and a cactus.” On the other side of the table: Japanese stools from County Ltd. The windows are fitted with latches from Liz’s Antique Hardware. The brass pendants are vintage Alvar Aalto.