Before and After: Transformed West Adams home no longer a pink eyesore

When designer and builder Hassan Majd found his latest project, a dilapidated cotton-candy-colored property on the western edge of the West Adams neighborhood, he was hardly tickled pink.

“When I opened it up, there was nothing there,” he said. “The building was just rotting away. It was really bizarre to see that it was still standing.”

Over the next eight months, Majd spent half a million dollars transforming the two-bedroom, one-bathroom 900-square-foot home into a three-bedroom, three-bathroom home in 1,559 square feet of space.

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After buying it for $300,000 last year, Majd listed the renovated home in March for $899,000. A sale is pending.

In overhauling the property on Homeside Avenue, Majd kept its boxy shape — “It doesn’t want to be anything other than a box,” he said — but gave it a dark slate-gray exterior and drought-tolerant landscaping.

First, Majd stripped the house down to one wall, which is now embedded in a new wall, and raised the entire foundation by 12 inches to place the home above the 100-year-flood level. Then he created a master suite by building a triangle-shaped addition with a patio at the back.

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He tilted the roof so excess water can drain to a planter that grows produce such as strawberries, tomatoes and rosemary, things he hopes the new owner can use in the white and stainless-steel kitchen equipped with a Wolf range and quartz counters.

The roof’s strange trajectory translates into a slanted ceiling that can be viewed from the living room and the master suite.

“I wanted to create a dynamic quality to the rooms,” Majd said.

Vaulted ceilings and skylights soak the modest home in sunshine; white walls and hardwood floors further brighten up the interiors.

Outside, the master suite’s patio deck leads to a small, graveled outdoor area with a vertical garden made of shipping pallets.

“It would be awesome for entertaining or just chilling in the backyard,” Majd said.

A separated garage could also be used as a studio space for a live-work homeowner.

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