Kazovsky updated the home’s poorly planned kitchen with stainless steel appliances, granite countertops,
limestone flooring, and smart Italian black oak veneered cabinetry. Though the
remodeled kitchen is smaller in square footage than the home’s original model, the design is infinitely more spacious and functional. Adding
to the feeling of spaciousness is a translucent glass-and-aluminum pocket door;
the door separates the kitchen from the adjacent dining room and, when left
open, extends the sightline into the dining room and clean-lined family room
beyond.
Kazovsky’s adjustments in the kitchen also improved the modern master suite. Kazovsky
gave the master bath a feeling of spaciousness by borrowing square footage from
the updated kitchen. “There used to be a pantry behind the laundry room, adjacent to the kitchen. I
took the space away and gave it to the master bath to enlarge it,” she says. “It has breathing room [now]. It’s all about feeling that the spaciousness of it gives me a sense of abundance.”
Elsewhere in the three-bedroom home, Kazovsky transformed what was once a dingy,
two-car garage into a functional, flexible work space for her architecture
practice. “I have always been drawn to artists and thought of studios as sacred spaces,” she says. “I wanted to have one of my own with all the tools at myfingertips and lots of
work and display spaces.” To give her work space a professional sheen, she replaced the roll-up garage
doors with commercial storefront doors, and inside, she employed shelves and
perforated steel seating and tables that showcase her talent for furniture
design.
Outside, Kazovsky crafted a series of outdoor spaces that capitalize on the
region’s warm climate and the large space she had to play with. “In California, outdoor and indoor are interchangeable, so I embraced the
opportunity to create outdoor spaces here,” she says. “And with the house, I couldn’t expand the footprint, but in the garden I had the freedom to do what I wanted
to do. So I had a ball.”
The inviting outdoor spaces include a dining area with a small kitchen, a serene
lap pool and spa, manicured rose gardens, and plentiful patios to provide
seating for guests. “I wanted the outdoor space to be as functional as possible. Function is the key
to everything in my life,” says Kazovsky. “And if I were to entertain, I wanted everything at my fingertips out here.”
Inside and out, the home is now an urban family retreat, a showcase of Kazovsky’s considerable talents, and, most importantly, the hillside home that led her on
a creative journey of her own. 
Architect and homeowner Alla Kazovsky created multiple outdoor spaces that
capitalize on the region’s warm climate and the large space she had to play with, including a serene lap
pool and spa, and plentiful patios to provide seating for guests. Inside,
Kazovsky used the homey brick to her advantage to create a warm living
environment.
