Sue Abbe Kaplan fell hard for the coastal charm of Venice, California. She loved the gardens in its neighborhoods and its one-of-a-kind walk streets, the sections where homes on opposite sides of the street are separated by pedestrian walkways instead of roads with garage access through the alleyways.
The energy and diversity of the city appealed to her. Venice “felt right,” but it took 12 years before she made the move from Westwood and apartment living.When Kaplan bought her 1,200-square-foot, 1913 bungalow in 1998, she didn’t know much about Craftsman architecture. It was her desire to transform the all-white,
cottage-styled bungalow to a home with personality that motivated her study of the Craftsman era.
“My goal was to bring back the feel of the house,” Kaplan says. “It has beautiful flow.” The comfortable ambience she’s achieved may look casual but it’s actually the product of a good eye and the right combination of furnishings, textiles and fixtures in concert with the talents of interior designer Dayle Zukor. Kaplan and Zukor’s collaboration is smart, sophisticated and subtle.
Kitchen Redux
As a new homeowner, the kitchen was the first project that Kaplan tackled. She converted an all-white room with generic cabinets to Craftsman splendor with all modern appliances. As it worked out, the
kitchen was renovated twice. The first time, she installed upper cabinets made of light maple with glass and wood doors. The bottom cabinets were refaced to match. Ritson built her a stunning island with drawers and a cutting board that can slide for use in two directions and a marble top for baking. She installed a compact wine cellar and new wooden floors.
In 2007, Kaplan grew tired of the glass-door cabinets that required dishes be stacked neatly all the time. She installed new drawer and door faces with a darker wood color and slag glass for the cabinet doors. She replaced the original cook top with a modern one.
A Bit of Notoriety
Kaplan is known as an active leader in the Venice Walk Streets Neighborhood Association, and her bungalow was part of the annual Venice Garden and Home Tour in 2007. A book titled Cottages in the Sun, The Bungalows of Venice, California is due out this spring that will feature Kaplan’s home along with 27 other distinct architectural and decorating styles in the neighborhood (see page 58).
What started out as a labor of love has brought Kaplan a slice of architectural immortality and that is a good thing.
