STYLE / HOME RENOVATION : One Step at a Time

With the cost of new construction starting at about $100 a square foot and soaring to $250 on Los Angeles’ West Side, many Southern Californians are keeping their existing homes and adding on only the space they need. Retaining the “footprint” of the house saves money, while not worrying about old matching new guarantees some unique architectural hybrids amid an already eclectic mix. Here are five home expansions, plus the hows and whys of choosing a partial renovation over a total redo.

Renovating in phases rather than launching a complete redo is a new trend that has its merits. Keith Lehrer’s 1950s ranch-style home in Bel-Air is a case in point. While Lehrer spent six months sleeping on a mattress in his dining room, architectural designer David Hertz of Syndesis in Santa Monica transformed the south end of the house into, as Hertz puts it, “a private, visually tranquil space for his jet-lagged international guests.” He began by establishing a separate entrance, then he reorganized the three-bedroom area into a private study and two bedrooms, each with adjoining baths. A sleek wall set on a diagonal creates an interior hallway with a large central skylit rotunda. At the end of the hallway, an L-shaped door of Douglas fir closes to form the end of the suite or swings open to allow entry into the as-yet-unrenovated main house.

Although renovating a house in phases is not always cost-effective (plumbing, electrical, and roofing are best done in one fell swoop), it does have advantages. Lehrer didn’t have to pay for lodging during renovation, and he had time to evaluate craftsmen and their work. Acting as his own general contractor, he could negotiate lower prices for labor and materials by dangling the prospect of phase two, which represents 80% of this job. And despite the discomforts of living on a construction site, he was able to keep an eye on each day’s progress. Phase two is scheduled to begin soon; this time, Lehrer will camp in luxury in his new guest bedrooms.