This 1920s L.A. Home Lost Its Charm After Modernizations, So a Designer Brought It Back to Its Roots

She paid homage to the home’s architecture while also making it comfortable for modern-day living.

Living Room L.A. Tudor Revival by Amy Sklar

Amy Bartlam

Written by Sarah Yang September 8, 2026

Previous renovations to this 1928 Tudor Revival home in Los Angeles had modernized it, making it easier for everyday life in the 21st century, but it had lost of some its charm and history. Interior designer Amy Sklar was brought in to bring back some of its character back.

Entry L.A. Tudor Revival by Amy Sklar
The goal of the remodel was “to create a home that felt comfortable and in the vernacular of the style of the home, but for modern living,” Amy says.

Amy Bartlam

“A big part of the goal in our work was to reclaim the original soul of the home in a fresh and modern way,” Amy says. “Our work is an homage to the history of the home, not a period recreation.”

Amy and team decided to embrace the modernizations made in previous remodels, but wanted to add in a layer of period details to honor the home’s heritage. In particular, the Palladian window in the living was a “jumping off point” for the project.

Dining Room L.A. Tudor Revival by Amy Sklar
:This home had been previously renovated, so a big part of the goal in our work was to reclaim the original soul of the home in a fresh and modern way,” Amy says.

Amy Bartlam

“The Tudor revival elements of this home from shapely windows to dramatic ceiling were key to the inspiration and execution of our work in this home,” Amy explains. “We let the original architectural details lead the way. The original flooring was restored throughout, and I custom designed the Tudor Rose medallion that we added to the main entry. That Tudor Rose medallion detail was repeated again in the bold, blue-painted custom library wall in the ‘cathedral’ space, tying the first floor to the second.”

Tudor Rose Medallion L.A. Tudor Revival by Amy Sklar
“We restored period inlaid border details to the hardwood flooring running from the front entrance of the home and through the formal living and dining room,” Amy explains.

Amy Bartlam

The minute you step in the formal entry you already notice the homage to the home’s original architecture with the aforementioned Tudor Rose medallion on the floor. The lighting is contemporary, while the wallpaper is new, yet era-appropriate.

Living Room Fireplace L.A. Tudor Revival by Amy Sklar
“The French secretary desk in the living room was a great find with a special surprise—inside one of the secret drawers was a collection of love letters—written in French!” Amy says. “Of course, we translated them, but that’s my secret now.”

Amy Bartlam

“The floor detail around the living room fireplace is original, and the homeowners had not planned to restore that element,” Amy says. “It’s a subtle, but very special detail that frames the contemporary fireplace and grounds it in the history of the home’s architecture. While we restored many original elements, we embraced the newer, contemporary fireplace surround and folded that in to the larger story we were telling with this home.”

Kitchen L.A. Tudor Revival by Amy Sklar
The new kitchen island provides more storage.

Amy Bartlam

A new, custom island was designed for the kitchen that features a walnut butcher block countertop and hydraulic lift for a MixMaster; it replaced a freestanding table that had no storage. Upper cabinetry and a new pendant light were also installed.

China Cabinet L.A. Tudor Revival by Amy Sklar
The top part of the dining room’s china cabinet was inspired by the living room’s Palladian window.

Amy Bartlam

The main piece in the dining room is the custom china cabinet that’s a nod to the living room’s Palladian window—the top portion of the piece recreates the design of the window, which helps tie the two spaces together.

Library L.A. Tudor Revival by Amy Sklar
The “cathedral” room features built-in bookshelves.

Amy Bartlam

Home Office L.A. Tudor Revival by Amy Sklar
The dining table in the “cathedral” room was Amy’s favorite antique find.

Amy Bartlam

“The color palette in the ‘cathedral’ room is ultimately red, white, and blue, which could go terribly wrong, but here, it just sings,” says Amy. “My favorite antique find for this home is the large English dining table that we placed in the room, which serves as a shared office space. It is proportionately perfect and has a beautiful patina.”

Powder Room L.A. Tudor Revival by Amy Sklar
A glass backsplash protects the wallcovering.

Amy Bartlam

The powder room features a block print wallcovering, which Amy says brings a bohemian vibe while also complementing the existing tile flooring. The glass backsplash was added as a solution to protect the wallcovering that surrounds the freestanding sink.

Primary Bedroom L.A. Tudor Revival by Amy Sklar
“We had to lobby hard for replacing two pairs of windows in the primary suite with French doors,” Amy says. “The result is a bedroom with abundant natural light and new, easy access to their rear garden. It was beyond the original scope of work, but ultimately became one of their favorite features.”

Amy Bartlam

The primary bedroom is a long room so Amy and team had to be clever about the layout—they divided it into different zones. One half has the custom bed and the second half is used as a dressing area with an antique vanity armoire, chest of drawers, and a custom swivel chair.

Dressing Area L.A. Tudor Revival by Amy Sklar
The dressing area of the primary bedroom.

Amy Bartlam

“The room is bathed in natural light, so we covered the walls in a grasscloth wallcovering to soften the room while still leaving it bright and airy,” Amy adds. “The woolen sheers and a fully upholstered bed feel like a warm hug.”

Primary Bathroom L.A. Tudor Revival by Amy Sklar
The vanity allows for more movement in the tight space.

Amy Bartlam

The primary bathroom was completely gutted. They designed a custom stepped vanity, which Amy says allows for more movement in the narrow space. Another feature inspired by the Palladian window, the mirror echoes its shape. The soaking tub’s color matches the blue in the bathroom’s wallcovering.

Primary Bathroom Bathtub L.A. Tudor Revival by Amy Sklar
The bathtub was color-matched to the pale blue in the wallcovering.

Amy Bartlam

The family room used to be an attic-like space that was fully open to the second floor, but Amy added a barn door divider for privacy. The centerpiece of the family room is the custom ottoman, which they designed with casters so the homeowners could also use it as a window seat.

Family Room L.A. Tudor Revival by Amy Sklar
“This is the casual family hangout area of the home, where multiple generations can gather,” Amy says of the family room.

Amy Bartlam

“The homeowners and I were very aligned on the overall direction and scope of this project,” Amy says of the finished design. “They trusted me, and happily, they went with all of the big swings that I proposed from the custom powder-coated cast-iron tub with matching bespoke wallpaper to the 40-foot library wall and daybed built-ins in the ‘cathedral’ room.”

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