If you think you’ve seen Stacey Warnix’s home at 6934 Hammond Ave. before, you’re not having deja vu. Our own Cassie Evans featured this home as an off-market listing just weeks ago. This five-bedroom, three-bath renovated Tudor is in one of the mos picturesque areas of Hollywood Heights and has such fabulous finish-out thanks to Warnix’s own superb tastes.
While she absolutely adores this home, Warnix is ready for a fresh start in a new house. After a previous offer fell through due to financing woes, she’s putting this beauty on MLS hoping to get more bites. Surely, buyers will love some of the creative uses of space in this lovely abode, and the second floor, a converted attic, is just so cozy and chic.
In fact, she’s had so much interest in this remodel that Warnix is planning to launch her own firm that will do upscale renovations. To get a sample of her style, don’t miss the Hollywood Santa Monica Neighborhood Association Home Tour April 25-26, where you can tour Warnix’s home as well as several other gorgeous Hollywood Heights houses. Hurry and buy your tickets today!
To see what makes a great historic renovation, jump for more photos of Warnix’s terrific Tudor.
daltxrealestate.com: What are you doing to prepare for the Hollywood Santa Monica Home Tour?
Stacey Warnix: Gosh, sometimes I wonder what I am not doing – that list might be shorter! My attention this past year was predominately occupied with the addition of a second story and major structural renovations, but the list is down to little details now. I am currently completing some “touch ups” around the house and in the yard, refinishing and reupholstering several pieces of furniture that have long been on my to-do list. I’m afflicted with a creative bent, so I can’t recall a time I’ve ever NOT had a project going somewhere in my home!
CD: What are your favorite design elements in your home and why?
SW: I value the architectural aesthetic that conservation and historic districts preserve, but for me, preservation is about more than saving the exterior of a structure. It’s about finding ways to embrace original elements inside the home and integrate them into our modern lifestyle and shifting design preferences. I love that there’s something architecturally unique in every corner of my home. From the art deco stained glass window and the original crystal chandelier and slip shade sconces in the living room, to the old glazed plaster and cove and barrel ceilings throughout the home, and even the abandoned telephone niche, there are so many reminders of times gone-by.
For all the wonderful conveniences our modern lifestyles afford, even the best custom builders rarely build to the old, hand-crafted standards. It was a struggle to select subcontractors and artisans who could execute my additions in a way that was authentic and congruent to the original space, while still lending a lightened and brightened aesthetic that feels current. I spent a great deal of time sourcing complementary, vintage style materials and custom designing a stair rail that leaves the impression it could have been there from the start. But I think the original and new spaces blend together nicely, and the finished (for now) effect is one I am proud to have designed.
CD: Which rooms do you love the most?
SW: As I mentioned, the entire second floor of my home is new, converted from old attic space. I faced a long list of challenges trying to add a bedroom above the high coved plaster ceiling that is original to my living room below – conservation rules meant the front roof could not be modified. I now hear from most visitors, both young and old, that the little dual-section room I designed over that cove is their favorite space in the house. It certainly stands to show that big impact can come in small packages!
My other favorite room is the converted sleeping porch. That room has been used for a multitude of purposes, from a sitting room where we would watch thunderstorms and snow showers, to a reading room, an art studio when children visit, and more recently, as a nursery. That little bit of added real estate has proven quite flexible in its function!
CD: What feature, furnishing, or artwork should home tour goers pay special attention to?
SW: I’ve been fortunate to live, work, and travel in many amazing locations and have acquired a lot of artwork and furnishings along the way. My sewing room has an old cabinet that I acquired while living in London. Now home to my dress shoes, the antique piece served for decades as a mens shirt and tie display in a bespoke clothing shop in central London.
The large artwork in my dining room is a charcoal drawing I acquired on a cultural exchange trip to Cuba. It was rendered “en plein air” by Frank Mujica Chavez, an up-and-coming artist who The New York Times recently marked one to watch as trade relations improve. Frank has historically offered small drawings that are so detailed you could initially mistake them for black and white photographs — they are really quite remarkable to behold — but he recently started to offer larger format pieces, and my selection was his first sale.
CD: What does it mean for you to have your home featured on this long-running tour, benefiting the entire Hollywood Santa Monica historic conservation district?
SW: I have long loved old homes and the historical home tours that allow sneak peaks into how modern families live inside these wonderfully dated structures. I sometimes joke that the streets of Hollywood/Santa Monica have become a living museum within Dallas, as so few areas remain intact where one can literally see and feel how the generations before us lived. For those of us who desire to see more of these architectural gems preserved, the simple reality is that shared access is key. Showcasing old homes for all their challenges and splendors is a critical step in inspiring others. I was humbled to have been invited and am honored to do my small part.
