A Home Reforged with Love

By Jordan Staggs | Photography by Amy Bartlam

Creating a home is most often a labor of love for the architects and designers who work closely with their clients to build a refuge for their family, lifestyle, and unique needs. Reworking a beloved project in the wake of devastation makes the design experience even more emotional. One of AAHA Studio’s latest residential projects, the Corsica Residence in Pacific Palisades, embodies quiet California luxury while also telling a story of resilience.

A collaboration with Jenn Feldman Designs and Shorecal Real Estate, the six-bedroom, eight-bath home was designed as a ground-up build, with AAHA overseeing the architecture and Jenn Feldman Designs curating finishes, custom furnishings, and art.

The project took on a second life after the January 2025 wildfires caused smoke damage to the newly finished home. Rather than a setback, it became an opportunity: the design team and homeowners rebuilt every custom furnishing, textile, and upholstery piece, making the home a true labor of love, completed twice over.

“For us, the design story really begins with the facade and entry hall—they set a tone that is regal, yet quintessentially Californian,” share AAHA founders Harper Halprin and Aaron Leshtz. “We aimed to capture a sense of quiet luxury that isn’t just a surface treatment, but a holistic experience that transitions seamlessly from the street to the interior. By curating a precise dialogue between the exterior stone and the interior’s wood and marble, we created a clean, cohesive identity.”

A true standout among those custom features is the first-of-its-kind waterfall stone island in the kitchen. Clad in marble that cascades down the sides, the island brings the family together in the large-scale space, with comfortable bar seating for four. The kitchen also includes a beautiful concealed millwork pantry door, which blends seamlessly into the wall when closed. The oversized butler’s pantry beyond it provides not only storage but also an excellent prep and staging area for entertaining.

Jenn Feldman Design and AHAA set out to create a sanctuary for the homeowners, especially during the redesign, when the family needed extra peace and comfort in the wake of the wildfire. 

“When working within such a disciplined, tonal palette, the emphasis really had to be on texture to ensure the home felt warm and lived-in while maintaining that controlled, monolithic presence,” Halprin and Leshtz explain. “By specifying lime wash walls and tonal grass cloths, we were able to envelop the rooms in a way that feels like being wrapped in cashmere—creating a cohesive, calming backdrop for the life and furnishings within.”

Designing rooms for children can be whimsical, providing an opportunity to bring in playful elements that might not work in other spaces. Mural wallpaper in those spaces provides a fun yet timeless look that can grow with its occupants. The cloud-like design was also brought in through a rounded headboard, light fixture, and other furnishings that evoke a sophisticated fairy-tale feeling.

All the home’s furniture and art were curated by Jenn Feldman Designs. While the lines of the home are distinctly clean and modern, sherpa and bouclé textures appear in cushions and furnishings, along with warm wood and custom millwork throughout the house, bringing in warmth and an organic sense of comfort and calm. The mostly neutral palette is complemented by vintage rugs from Morocco and Turkey, abstract art pieces, gold accents, and plants that provide a serene yet inviting atmosphere.

AAHA Studio and Shorecal builders worked with landscape architect Harlan Zusman on the outdoor spaces, including the beautiful backyard, which includes a garden, pool deck, patio, and lounge. Its clean lines reflect the home’s exterior, while natural stone textures provide focal points in the facade and the outdoor fireplace. Native flora surrounds both the front and rear of the home, reminding its occupants of nature’s beauty and ability to flourish even in the wake of disaster.

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Visit www.AAHA.studio to learn more and see more projects from this Los Angeles-based architecture and interior design team.