At Home with...Angelo Surmelis

The renovation began with removing the white acoustic tiles stapled to the living room ceiling, ripping off paneling to discover two windows on either side In the living room, the area rug is used to pull the look together. Photo by Angelo Surmelis. of the fireplace and removing small louvered windows where the French doors stand today. The brick fireplace was covered by yellow paint, and two plywood planters stood on either side of the fireplace. After the paneling came down, drywall went up as the plaster had crumbled underneath the paneling. He installed molding in both rooms and built bookcases on either side of the fireplaces to help the area feel larger and more unified and to add needed storage space. Since the dining room felt like a small box, Surmelis added two very large mirrors to help the room look larger as well as reflect the outdoors. White wicker chairs and a dark round table complete the look in the dining room. "I chose the dining room chairs because they are incredibly comfortable,” he says, “and people want to linger and talk." Outdoor Rooms and Landscape Minutes from downtown Los Angeles, Echo Park is dotted with hills and sloping landscapes, with some streets that rival San Francisco. French doors to the patio bring in more light. Photo by Angelo Surmelis. When Surmelis brought his home, the side yard looked like a giant dirt pile. He soon became a one-man army, working long hours hauling supplies up the incline and then up the front stairs with pebbles, bricks, rocks, planters, a gazebo, outdoor furniture and various containers of foliage, shrubs and trees. "The exterior had no plants, no deck, no nothing," admitted Surmelis. "The front yard consisted of ivy and the lower front landing was simply a concrete block of cement." To improve the front yard, Surmelis had it landscaped and a fence and gate built to perk up first impressions. Southern California weather is usually temperate, so he wanted the outside of his home to be inviting and to have as many outdoor seating spaces as possible for entertaining friends. "I wanted a living area, dining and lounge area along with a fire pit and deck,” he says. “By creating tiered, separate areas, I was able to achieve that effect.” Doing his homework, he searched out the best weather-durable elements for outdoor living. "If I found a piece of furniture that I loved and it wasn't weather-resistant, I made sure I could make it so." Sylish patio living. Photo by Angelo Surmelis. Using the same elements outdoors that he used inside such as lighting, scale, color, balance and texture, he was able to achieve the sense of comfort in his outdoor living, too. And, as much as he wanted the outdoor rooms to flow into each other, "I also wanted to create areas that felt private,” he says. “The plantings, the layout and the gazebo all helped." He put in a variety of plants, from drought-resistant succulents to plum trees, bougainvillea, hydrangeas, ficus trees, roses, ferns, climbing wisteria, lavender, rosemary and citrus trees. "I've gotten into a groove—nature and I," Surmelis says, smiling. With the bathrooms and the bedrooms on the list as the next major projects, Surmelis still has work to do on his home. Quick to admit that he uses his home as sanctuary and a design laboratory, he says, "I try everything here before I ever do it for the first time in someone's home with one exception: It's less about trends and more about my evolving style that mirrors that change. The one exception is, it MUST always be comfortable.”

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