When the ability to customize and fabricate nearly anything for your home is at your fingertips—flooring, furniture, fabrics, fixtures and more—the only real limit is your imagination.
Such is the superpower, per se, of designer Cory DeFrancisco, the owner and principal of Muskoka Living. So, as he was reenvisioning the Brentwood Park property he shares with his wife, Catherine, and their two sons, tapping into his firm’s abilities—which span made-in-L.A. bespoke furniture manufacturing as well as interiors, architecture and construction—allowed him to tailor nearly every element of the home to their needs.
“Our goal was to build a new house,” DeFrancisco explains. And the down-to-the-studs renovation of the 1980s-built, avocado-colored Mediterranean-style house he and Catherine transformed is just shy of that. Purchased to live in between projects with the intention of tearing it down, they realized they liked its overall structure and bones, “but it needed a ton of modification,” notes the designer, “so much so that we essentially rebuilt the whole place.” They opted to retain just one wall, rebuilding the foundation to expand the original footprint and adding a separate pool house that doubles as guest quarters—as well as a hangout for their kids. “We saw this house as where our boys would finish out school; a welcoming home where they’d bring their friends, with a big yard where we could play catch every night,” explains DeFrancisco. “And we wanted something airy, light and calming in terms of aesthetics, colors and textures.” It only follows that the existing lime-green stucco exterior was replaced by a façade of antique reclaimed brick given a slurry wash and painted an off-white hue.
In contrast to most ground-up builds where a steady stream of contractors and specialists tackle different elements, nearly every component of this house was handled, well, in-house. “We milled the wall panels and the flooring, we built and designed all the cabinetry and the sofas and chairs, we made the lighting and even the wall art,” DeFrancisco divulges. “We didn’t look at the architecture or interiors independently; we took it as one big unit that we were putting together.” The result, rather than feeling matchy-matchy, is expressed in waves of commonality and cohesion.
The designer took a layered approach, beginning with a palette of brown, clay, cream and gray in quiet finishes meant to evoke an organic feel. The wire-brushed poplar paneling used throughout the public spaces features an artisanal paint applied by brush, producing a subtle nonreflective plaster-like appearance. Alongside natural marble, fluted wood and warm rustic wood floors, the rooms all exude a muted softness. “Machine manufacturing processes sometimes get a little too perfect and, in that perfection, you lose any real hand in a piece’s origination—but our stuff is literally handmade,” observes DeFrancisco. “We embrace some imperfections and want to create something that looks like it’s been there awhile.”
“We didn’t want to live in a museum. We wanted a comfortable, welcoming and beautiful home, where our kids would have fun.”
—Catherine DeFrancisco
In the kitchen, more Calacatta Reclusa marble lines the counters and backsplash, playing off a white oak island and light beige cabinetry. Textural velvet bouclé dresses up the counter stools. The pendants are also Muskoka Living designs.
The furnishings were all custom-made for the house and share in the cohesive atmosphere. To wit, the soft sweep of the living room’s armchairs repeats in an undulating bench in a bedroom; the thick, cylindrical legs of the dining table share the round language of the marble drum side table and of a half-moon upholstered headboard. Curves, featured not only on furnishings but highlighted in cabinetry and case goods (such as the gently arched kitchen island and cabinets) help meld various elements together in a timeless way. “There’s an overall contemporary influence, but given a traditional feel,” muses DeFrancisco.
The home was also grounds for experimentation. Lighting, for instance, is the rare item Muskoka Living doesn’t typically manufacture, but they did so for DeFrancisco’s residence. “That was a massive undertaking,” the designer admits. “It was the first project where we considered how lighting could be integrated into the architecture rather than added as an afterthought. We made it part of our process instead of a piece of jewelry.” Some of the fixtures he designed nest quite tightly into their allotted spaces—like the unobtrusive pair inset above the living room coffee table—while others are functional, illuminated sculptures.
While the fully realized house doubles as a showpiece for the breadth of what DeFrancisco’s company can do, he and Catherine also love living here. Chimes Catherine: “We didn’t want to live in a museum. We wanted a comfortable, welcoming and beautiful home, where our kids would have fun.”
A new pool house that doubles as additional guest quarters backdrops the pool and spa, with aluminum sliders allowing for seamless access. The lounge chairs feature a limestone plaster frame and a gray outdoor performance fabric.