Chad and Lara Hogan went out for a hike and came back with a home. Although the couple had been house hunting around California’s Topanga Canyon for a while, they were taking a break when they stumbled on a place for sale. Built in 1948, the 1,800-square-foot house was perched on a hillside of California pepper and coast live oak trees, with expansive windows and four porches providing big views. They wanted it immediately.
The couple, recent Brooklyn transplants who were renting in West Hollywood at the time, wound up closing on the post-and-beam structure a few months later — and that’s when the real fun began. They embarked on a renovation to preserve the character that drew them to the house, while thoughtfully updating it.