Fixer Vision

Worked example

1962 mid-century, Mid-City

Listed at $1,150,000. Good structure and glass behind dark finishes and a chopped-up plan. Opened up, it changes completely.

As listed

The direction An illustrative renovated direction

Before and after are illustrative concept imagery, not the same room.

Open the plan and add glass to the garden$120,000

Kitchen and two baths$105,000

Systems: electrical, plumbing, HVAC$65,000

Solar and efficiency package$45,000

Estimated renovation$335,000

Purchase, as is$1,150,000

Plus estimated renovation$335,000

All-in$1,485,000

Versus a turnkey comparable nearby$1,850,000

Build it to your own plan and come out roughly $365,000 ahead of buying it done.

The kind of result

Now check the ADU math

What you get

Three answers, from one listing

First

A design direction

What the home wants to be: the plan to open, the light to chase, the materials and character to bring back or add.

Second

A renovation budget

A line-item estimate for the work, grounded in current Los Angeles costs, so the upside is a number and not a feeling.

Third

All-in versus turnkey

Purchase plus renovation, set against a comparable finished home nearby, so you know whether the project actually pays.

The thinking behind the plans

Design lenses we draw on

Every direction borrows from a few enduring traditions. Open any one to go deeper.

Biophilic designReconnecting a home with nature+

People feel calmer and think more clearly around natural light, greenery, and natural materials. In practice this means orienting living spaces to the sun, widening sightlines to the garden, adding plants and natural ventilation, and choosing wood, stone, and plaster over plastic. It is the difference between a room you tolerate and one you want to be in.

Wabi-sabiBeauty in the natural, aged, and imperfect+

A Japanese sensibility that values patina, handwork, and quiet imperfection over the showroom-perfect and brand-new. In a renovation it argues for keeping original tile, exposing honest materials, and choosing a few well-made things over many disposable ones. It ages gracefully, which is also how it holds value.

HyggeWarmth, comfort, and everyday ritual+

The Danish art of cozy contentment. It shapes the small decisions that make a house feel like home: a window seat that catches the afternoon, soft layered lighting instead of overhead glare, a kitchen built for slow mornings. Comfort, treated as a design goal rather than an afterthought.

Feng shuiPlacement and flow that bring balance+

An ancient Chinese practice concerned with how energy moves through a space. Stripped to its useful core, it is good circulation, uncluttered entries, and rooms arranged so you feel settled rather than exposed. You do not need to believe the metaphysics to benefit from a plan that simply feels right to move through.

Vastu shastraOrientation, proportion, and light+

An Indian tradition of building in harmony with the sun and the elements. It informs where to place the kitchen, where the morning light should land, and how proportion and orientation affect daily life. Much of it overlaps with sound passive-design principles that lower energy use as a bonus.

UbuntuSpaces that connect people+

A Southern African philosophy often summarized as "I am because we are." Applied to a home, it favors gathering spaces, generous tables, and thresholds that welcome rather than wall off. A house designed for connection, not just for storage and sleep.

Start with a listing