In Los Angeles’s Silver Lake neighborhood, architect Barbara Bestor has reimagined a modest 1940s residence into a vibrant and functional personal home. Since purchasing the property in 2011, Bestor, 59, has modified the boxy midcentury structure extensively, removing several walls to create a more open floor plan. She later expanded the house by adding bedrooms to the lower level and converting the original garage into additional living space.

Bestor describes the home as a “no-name architectural midcentury” but emphasized that it suits her lifestyle well, especially as her two daughters, who were raised there, have grown up and moved out but still want to keep the house in the family. The design allows her to live comfortably on the main level, which includes an open kitchen, dining, living area, and a single bedroom, all arranged for easy access without stairs. The residence remains a gathering place where friends and family can congregate comfortably.

Despite having lived in the house for over 15 years, Bestor continues to update and personalize the interior. One distinctive feature is a custom-made pin board in her kitchen, designed to display rotating personal mementos such as family photos, postcards, and event invites. Constructed from Homasote fiberboard with a painted yellow wooden frame, the pin board is carefully sized and positioned alongside a piece of artwork by Geoff McFetridge, creating a balanced and lively visual element in the space.

Bestor also recently invested in a new dining table by British designer Tom Dixon, replacing an older table that was less practical for hosting. The oak table’s broader top, unobtrusive legs, and curved corners accommodate more guests, which proved essential during a recent fundraiser for Los Angeles mayoral candidate Nithya Raman, where Bestor hosted approximately 15 attendees. The table complements her favorite cobalt-blue Valencia dinnerware, highlighting her attention to both function and aesthetics.

Among the home’s eclectic furnishings, a vintage turquoise ceramic hippo stands out. Bestor found this piece at Hedge, a vintage furniture store near the Sunnylands estate in Rancho Mirage, California, while on a work project. Although initially not for sale and used merely as decoration by the store, Bestor persuaded the owners to part with the piece. She believes the hippo evokes the style of Bitossi ceramics and the spirit of 1970s design culture from her youth in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Bestor characterizes her home’s overall aesthetic as “optimistic modernism,” blending nostalgia for midcentury design with a lively, personal touch that reflects her experiences and tastes over time.