In a design industry still caught up in the allure of absence—white walls, pale woods, and careful planning of curb appeal—this small bungalow in Silver Lake offers a gentle but deliberate counterpoint. Here, creativity does not take a backseat. It accumulates, collides, and settles into a deeply personal space and an eclectic sanctuary formed by instinct.
Nestled along one of Silver Lake’s storied streets, the 1,000-square-foot, 1940s bungalow sits in quiet dialogue with its surroundings—an East Los Angeles neighborhood long synonymous with artistic production and architectural experimentation. Within walking distance of landmarks such as Neutra VDL House and Silvertop, the home occupies a cultural space where modernity once suggested a new way of life. But instead of imitating that lineage,New Performance Workshop—led by founder Gabriel Yuri—depends on a different kind of legacy: one based on accumulation, memory, and physical diversity.
The renovation, which was completed during the year, was less about changes than about moderation. The challenge, Yuri explains, was to modernize the home while maintaining its 1940s charm. The original structure remains intact: a one-story, two-bedroom structure attached to a front porch that stretches the length of the house. But inside, the project appears as a layered interior world, where objects carry a narrative weight above the buildings.
At first glance, the space seems to be in line with the modern preference for neutrals. The walls are painted white, the floor is finished in white oak. But this is not minimalism in the strict sense – a platform designed to maximize the presence of objects. And things, here, are many.
A reupholstered vintage Marenco sofa in burnt orange velvet anchors the living room, its rich tone pushing firmly into the quietness of the envelope. Chrome elements—fixtures, planters, and furniture—permeate the home, catching light and connecting different rooms with a continuous sheen. Black leather, plywood, matte black hardware––each element is written as a separate voice rather than part of the integrated palette.
This approach is largely based on Italian architecture of the 1970s, a time when interiors embraced opposites—softness versus metal, gloss versus texture, rigidity versus playfulness. But Yuri’s references do not dwell on nostalgia. Instead, they meet a wide frame: Eileen Gray and Charlotte Perriand lighting, Isamu Noguchi lamp, Poul Kjærholm PK22 chair. These canonical pieces meet the artworks of friends and emerging voices, completing the continuum between collectible design and personal artifact.
If the living spaces function as a kind of selected salon, the kitchen and the bathroom take on a dynamic role where preservation and intervention meet. In the kitchen, all-white cabinetry nods to the home’s authentic feel, resisting the current desire for heavy-duty finishes. The hardware, however, changes the tone: dark wood and matte black materials present a subtle tension.
The bathroom tells a clearer story of recovery. Following what Yuri describes as a “brutal” renovation of the 1990s, the space was stripped back to its original living space: the glass block wall. Instead of changing it, the design builds around pairing white tile, chrome fixtures, and plywood with an unexpected detail: a latex sink skirt that introduces a note of humor, irreverence.
That action—playful, slightly counterintuitive—feels emblematic of the project as a whole. When many internal things strive for unity, this creates conflict. Where minimalism tends to organize life down to its essentials, this bungalow allows for excess—not in quantity, but in expression.
However, the home is never chaotic. Its success lies in a careful balancing act: between relaxation and refinement, between historical sensitivity and modern instinct. As Yuri explains, the goal was to create a space where “the history of the home and its surroundings can breathe while showing a passion for design.”
In that sense, the project reframes the conversation about what a “creative” interior can be. It is not a blank canvas waiting to be filled, or a fully resolved composition, but something dynamic—a living archive of influences, relationships, and moments over time.
To see more of the studio’s work, visit newoperationsworkshop.com.
Photos courtesy of Graham Dunn, Clarke Tolton, and Gabriel Yuri.
