Approachable Design – Cliff May Restoration by Venn Studio

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California has this weird kind of pull with me that I really never expected. Back in 2016 I spent many weeks on a “design retreat” of sorts, visiting every Modernist piece of architecture I could find in Los Angeles and the surrounding suburbs. The Eames house, Stahl House, properties built by Richard Neutra, all were part of the list and gave me a deep dive in to Mid-Century modern first hand. In all honesty, I feel it has shaped my understanding of design and architecture in more ways than I first anticipated.

So I was really pleased to come across this project by Los Angeles firm Venn Studio founded in 2017 by Tyler Thomas and Gabbi Sun. They are currently working on a variety of project types, but one I noticed they had a particular flair for is remodels. The one I am pointing out today is the ‘Cliff May Restoration’ that they are currently working on with a client who purchased an original house designed by American architect Cliff May.

Cliff May is best known for developing the suburban Post-war “dream home”, and inspiring the Mid-century aesthetic that we have come to love. The owners of this property wanted to restore and maintain the beauty of the mid-century architecture. What Venn Studio have done looks really incredible, and even though still under construction the renders and details are great. I recommend reading their in-depth article on the Venn Studio website as it delves more in to the history of this style of architecture.

These Post-war suburban residential homes are not everyone’s cup of tea, but you have to appreciate the philosophy for living and how they radically changed the design landscape. Great to see two designers in Tyler Thomas and Gabbi Sun upholding design tradition and revamping this style of living for the modern age.

vennstudiola.com

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