In L.A., the house that Google SketchUp built

Janna Levenstein’s 1950s house was a maze of small, dark rooms. With the help of a draftsman, UCLA architecture student, Google’s free SketchUp software and her contractor, Levenstein turned the space into a bright, sleek, indoor-outdoor living space where every room opens onto nature. The home’s new modern look comes partly from the immense amount of glass she installed.
More...
•
Also in Home & Garden:
•
•
•
•
•
Janna Levenstein’s 1950s home was a maze of small, dark rooms. With the help of a UCLA architecture student and Google’s free software, she turned the space into a bright, sleek, indoor-outdoor living space where every room opens onto nature.

The remodel created two units from one. Levenstein uses the two-bedroom, two-and-a-half bath unit at the back of the property, shown here, as her home. The one-bedroom front unit serves as a guest house and office.
More...
•
Also in Home & Garden:
•
•
•
•
•

Levenstein, shown here in her bedroom, used large commercial glass pieces from L & D Aluminum Doors on Normandie Avenue in Los Angeles.
More...
•
Also in Home & Garden:
•
•
•
•
•

An iPod dock in the living room sends music throughout the house.
More...
•
Also in Home & Garden:
•
•
•
•
•
Advertisement

Natural light fills the remodels open plan. High-gloss white kitchen cabinet doors are custom pieces painted at an auto-body shop and placed on IKEA cabinetry.
More...
•
Also in Home & Garden:
•
•
•
•
•

The entry to Levensteins main unit opens onto the living and dining area. The dining table is her design. The table and its steel stools were made at a now-defunct metal fabricating shop in El Monte. The tops of the stools were painted to match the kitchen cabinets.
More...
•
Also in Home & Garden:
•
•
•
•
•

A long, panoramic window frames Levenstein in the kitchen. Says the voice-over actress turned house flipper: I went nuts doing the inside.
More...
•
Also in Home & Garden:
•
•
•
•
•