This Hollywood Hills Home Is a Masterclass in Small Space Innovations

When interior designer Olivia Korenberg of Twofold LA first visited this two-story townhouse in the Hollywood Hills she and her team advised their clients Eben and Tassia Davidson against buying the property.

The 1440-square foot, two-bedroom, two-bathroom home that was originally built in 1979 had recently been flipped, resulting in rather sterile interiors punctuated by lacquered blue kitchen cabinets, inset electric fireplaces, and harsh finishes that looked nothing like Eben or Tassia's personal styles.

Nevertheless, something drew the couple to the Los Angeles townhouse and the Twofold LA team was soon brainstorming major renovations, which (along with all the new furnishings) came to a grand total of about $150,000. The team was tasked with three central challenges: to make a small townhouse look and feel spacious, to transform the property from a cold, impersonal environment to one that felt comfortable and inviting, and to redecorate the space in a way that combined both Eben's and Tassia's individual tastes—he likes clean lines and heritage brands; she likes bohemian textures and Moroccan textiles.

Despite the obstacles, the team was able to create a bright and airy home for the growing family that feels much larger and warmer than it originally did, while meeting both Eben's and Tassia's design requests. They achieved this goal by making compromises, giving the home a fresh coat of clean, white paint, drawing the eye upward wherever possible, and leaving breathing room in between the furnishings throughout the home.

Keep scrolling to take a look inside the newly renovated townhouse that proves even a small space can feel like a mansion.

Korenberg's goal for the living room was to create a multi-functional space that expertly balances formal with comfortable and beautiful with casual. In order to design a room for entertaining and relaxing, the interior designer went with a large, extra deep sectional with scotch guarded exterior fabric to keep it child- and pet-friendly.

Then, it was a matter of incorporating a few organic shades of color and some elevated pieces of décor. "We added pops of sage, olive, and gray-blue to create a serene but inviting palette," Korenberg notes. "We then created some sharp contrast with a Serge Mouille style wall sconce and beautiful artwork by The Heidies which was sourced by our go-to art-consultant Gia Canali," she adds.

This cozy nook sits in the living room across from the sectional. The space, specifically the recliner, was designed with Eben in mind. "One fun point of contention was Eben’s insistence on purchasing a recliner for the formal living room," Korenberg explains, noting that it was a challenge to find a piece that appealed to both Eben's and Tassia's styles.

"My dad and grandparents have [recliners] and while I know they aren't necessarily design-forward it was important for me to have," Eben shares. In the end, the couple and designers compromised on a mid-century modern chair with custom alpaca upholstery. "It's one of my favorite seats in the house," he admits.

Understanding that this was most likely not going to be a "forever home" for the couple and their growing family, Korenberg and her team opted for a superficial renovation of the kitchen. This included working with Semihandmade to replace the cabinet fronts with matte white slab doors, swapping out the original hardware for matte black pieces, and upgrading the backsplash with pearly zellige tiles.

"We are so happy with how this kitchen turned out," Korenberg shares. "It's clean but warm, modern with just the perfect amount of a bohemian touch," the designer adds.

Yet another room with limited space, the dining room's design was dictated by its size, leading the Twofold LA designers to select a rectangular table with benches instead of traditional chairs. The benches feature custom cushions made with an exterior fabric held in place with rustic leather straps. "They are not only incredibly comfortable to sit on but add a beautiful graphic punch that directly correlates to the graphic artwork used in the living room," Korenberg says.

Along with the custom benches, the dining room features two Hans Wegner chairs upholstered in an olive leather material at the head of the table. They provide "delicate warmth," according to Korenberg.

The objective of the kids' room was to create a space Eben and Tassia's young son Jayden could continue to love into his early teen years. "We provided Jayden with a few options for wallpaper and settled on this gray-blue chevron removable wallpaper by Chasing Paper," Korenberg notes.

Then they paired the wallpaper with a striped rug and more chevron patterns found on the curtains for a layered look. "To tie it all together, his bed is styled with a gingham duvet and a mix of gray and blue linens," the designer continues.

"In the primary bedroom, we wanted to create a more feminine space that could feel like a sanctuary for Eben and Tassia," Korenberg explains. She and her team did this by selecting a natural linen upholstered bed frame, a linen duvet cover, and fringed pillows. Additionally, a custom window seat features leather hardware and layered pillows for a cozy feel.

In order to maximize the small space, they also turned to innovative lighting solutions. "We opted for bedside sconces which left our nightstands free for book and storage space," the designer says.