A thoroughly modern makeover

The openness of the communal rooms is complemented by the privacy of the master bedroom. The couple discuss every architectural decision, every piece of art, every detail down to an ashtray. Either person can veto an element of the décor, but they’re usually on the same page, in mutual pursuit of what Becket’s grandfather always strove for: the elegant marriage of function and style.  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Steinberg and Becket added a kitchen with the help of the Los Angeles firm Marmol Radziner. (Another family connection: Managing partner Leo Marmol also happens to be Becket’s brother-in-law.) Bright colors accent the architecture, and a sunshine-flooded open floor plan make the home feel larger than its 1,400 square feet.   (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

“Midcentury Modern” was a term without much meaning to Greg Steinberg, but then he started renovating his bachelor pad off Melrose Avenue with his then-girlfriend, Alexandra Becket. She was more than familiar with the phrase. Her grandfather helped to define it. Welton Becket designed some of Los Angeles’ most iconic Midcentury architecture, including the Capitol Records building in Hollywood, the Los Angeles Music Center and the landmark Cinerama Dome movie theater. To see how they maximized space and added some Midcentury flavor to their two-bedroom L.A. house, keep clicking.  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Steinberg bought the house in 1992. While it was in escrow, the Rodney King riots broke out, and with a recession in Southern California deepening, it wasn’t long before Steinberg found himself upside down on his mortgage. “L.A. looked like a war zone on CNN. Property values plummeted,” he said, adding that the experience was “an instant lesson in real estate. And as we all know, lessons learned the hard way really stick.”

Though the tiling and facade had a Spanish look, take those elements away and the architecture essentially was the modern box the couple wanted. They stripped the home almost down to the beams last year and opened up the interiors significantly.

Citrus hues fill the spaces.  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Becket remembers feeling a bit anxious about seeing her boyfriend’s home for the first time. “When I just started dating Greg, I walked in thinking, ‘What’s this guy really like?’ And then I saw the Heywood-Wakefield and thought, ‘OK, this is good.’ It was a huge relief,” Becket says, referring to Steinberg’s classic Midcentury furniture. “I knew I liked his taste. And, by the way, the house was very clean.” Pictured here: a Heywood-Wakefield dining table.  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

More blasts of color on a table behind the sofa.  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Adding to the vibe: a wall hanging over the fireplace and ceramic pieces in groovy colors.  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

The couple decorated the spaces largely using pieces that Becket discovered at flea markets, estate sales or online auctions. Some pieces from Steinberg’s bachelor days have been redeployed too, including the Heywood-Wakefield credenza pictured here, with an orange lamp on top. It sits across from the dining table, out of frame.  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Above the credenza hangs artwork by Shag, whose imagery includes one of Welton Becket’s most famous commissions, the Capitol Records building.  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Photo of a photo: Welton Becket, right, Alexandra’s grandfather and architect of the Capitol Records building in Hollywood.  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

For the vintage vibe: Vinyl spins, and hats hang on an Eames rack.  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

The master bathroom.  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

The couple converted their garage into a home office.  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

The couple enjoyed remodeling their home so much that they have put their respective careers on hold to go into house flipping, though they intend to keep their personal residence. Becket, an artist and textile designer who has sold her work to Trina Turk, Anthropologie and Los Angeles-based clothing designer Rozae Nichols, has begun remodeling and reselling other homes in Silver Lake and Highland Park with Steinberg under the name ModOp Design, and the couple say they have enjoyed significant success.

They cited forces that prompted their plunge into real estate: low prices, low interest rates, government incentives that helped prospective buyers and, most important, readily available contractors and labor. “In 2005, contractors were prima donnas. They wouldn’t even look at a project unless it was a big one,” Steinberg said. “But now you can get great contractors at good prices.”  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

The couple added a privacy fence in the backyard.  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Steinberg and Becket on their new rear deck.  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Becket styles all ModOp interiors with her designs plus furniture she buys and restores — all offered for sale along with the home. The first home the couple listed went on the market in May and sold for close to $100,000 above the asking price to a couple who made an all-cash offer. They plan to keep their personal residence but recently purchased another Highland Park house to renovate and resell.

Home tours: See photo galleries of 100 home profiles.  (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)