When designer Shanty Wijaya, of Allprace Properties, got to work on the midcentury home she was renovating in Los Angeles, she knew that she wanted to incorporate a mix of two of her favorite styles: Japanese and Scandinavian design aesthetics.
Using that exact combination, dubbed Japandi, she artfully worked the look into the entire space to completely transform the three-bedroom hillside home. “To me, each of these design influences support a healthy, meaningful lifestyle and reinforce a connectedness to nature,” she says. “From the zenlike tranquility of Japanese wabi-sabi to the minimalist, warm, and neutral elements of Scandinavian hygge, I wanted to create a fusion of cultures that was intentional, artful, and sustainable.”
Todd Sussman (left) and Melanie Ryan in the Los Angeles home they designed themselves.
Built from the ground up in the neighborhood of Echo Park, in Los Angeles, the 1,560-square-foot home of consultant Melanie Ryan and architect Todd Sussman, cofounders of design studio Open for Humans, is a work of love and dedication. Though it felt like a big challenge, building a house from a design to its full form, the final product has become both their personal refuge and workspace.
âOnce we began our search for land, we decided on two must-haves,â Todd says: anti-isolation and views. Although tempted, Todd and Melanie steered clear of more remote hillside lots, instead aiming for something that provided more connection with a community and walkability. Plus, coming from Florida where they were surrounded by miles of at-sea-level terrain, they were drawn to something with elevation.