The original home, configured as a square donut with a central atrium, was built for Frank LaForge, a famous pianist and composer during the early 20th century. The original kitchen was tiny, about the size of a butler’s pantry. The current owner, a gourmet chef, wanted a larger and more open kitchen. She wanted the addition – above a two-car garage – to look as though it had always been there, so it was designed to be sympathetic to the original house’s Mediterranean style.

The existence of the original construction drawings was a valuable resource in recreating the original home’s details.