New England Cozy Meets L.A. Chic in a Charming California Home

A young family yearned to blend their fondness for the homey interior design of Vermont and the refinement of their life in Los Angeles. Here’s the elegant but livable result.

Written By Antonia van der Meer

Photography by Sam Frost

Styling by Lisa Rowe

When Jack Donaldson and Julia Bredrup bought a 1920s house in the Mar Vista neighborhood of Los Angeles, it came with a lot of sunlight but not much warmth. In searching for an emotional back story to inform its new décor, Mr. Donaldson, a screenwriter, and his wife, an attorney, couldn’t help but draw from their meet-cute at Middlebury College in Vermont. When they hired local interior designer Stefani Stein, the shared goal was to inject understated New England style into the more refined L.A. life they live now. “It was a great fit,” said Ms. Stein, who happily brought this mashup-design script to life: “I love the juxtaposition of raw and relaxed with elegance.”