Before and After: Grandmotherly Westwood cottage gets a modern makeover that is age-appropriate

With its flowery furniture and pink-tiled fireplace, the quaint two-bedroom, one-bathroom Westwood cottage struck real estate investor George Gonzalez as grandmotherly when he spotted it on Redfin.

“It just felt so dated,” Gonzalez said of the 1925 home, which he purchased for $1.375 million in December 2016.

Having worked on the renovation of the Betsy Drake home in the same neighborhood, Gonzalez knew he could modernize the property while keeping it in line with the area’s more traditional look.

“I knew a modern home wouldn’t fit in that neighborhood,” said Gonzalez. Instead, he created a warm home that skillfully blended traditional and modern while keeping with the neighborhood’s overall architectural style.

After seven months and a little more than $1 million in construction and renovation, Gonzalez had turned this humble cottage into a 3,708-square-foot, five-bedroom, 5.5 bathroom elegant farm-style home.

The developer used a neutral color template of grays and whites. To signal a retro kind of luxury, Gonzalez also used beveled glass on all of the windows facing the curb.

Gonzalez designed the first floor with families and large gatherings in mind.

“The triple crown molding in the living and family rooms makes the 11-foot ceilings look like they’re 13 feet,” said Gonzalez, who also installed wainscoting, oak floors and recessed lighting throughout.

The home’s gleaming kitchen now features a 48-inch Wolf range and oven, a built-in Wolf coffee maker, steamer and microwave, plus a SubZero refrigerator.

The family room looks out onto a newly landscaped garden that bears no signs of the steppingstone path and detached garage that previously marred its spacious lot area.

“I kept [the yard] simple so the new buyer can add a pool, a patio or their own barbecue. They could put their stamp on the home,” said Gonzalez. The garage is now attached to the home and has direct access to the first-floor hallway.

In the private areas, Gonzalez splurged by ensuring that every bedroom had an en suite bathroom. In the master suite on the second floor, he also installed his and hers showers as well as a rain shower.

“It feels like you’re in a five-star-hotel bathroom,” said Gonzalez.

For those calm evenings, Gonzalez carved out a patio between the master suite and the fourth bedroom. He equipped the space with its own television and speaker system so that the home’s new owners can enjoy California’s famed weather and their favorite programming at the same time.

The thought to detail and the hints of luxury are what Gonzalez takes pride in as a developer, he said.

“I like being different by adding my touches to the house. I think buyers notice that, too,” he said.

The home is now listed with Robert Silverman of Magno Realty Group for $3.389 million.

hotproperty@latimes.com

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