Drew Cohen — AKA Mayer Hawthorne, a Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter and producer — knows promising material when he sees it. This 1937 bungalow in the hills of Los Feliz, a neighborhood in Los Angeles, had all the makings of a masterpiece. Drew and his now-wife, Karina Nicholson, were goners as soon as they arrived for a tour.

“As soon as we first walked into the house and saw the view, we knew that it was our home,” Drew says. “We weren't necessarily looking for a fixer upper, but we loved that it still had a ton of original detail and character. That made it worth the investment.” Working in stages, they spent two years renovating their home themselves. It now reflects its elegant original style and their personal vibe. Have a look at the groove they developed in that collaboration.

Karina and Drew are understandably proud of their painstaking renovation: “It definitely feels like an extension of our own unique style and personality, which was really important to us — having fun with it and not taking anything too seriously,” Karina says. Their work will now pass into new hands, as they’re in the process of selling their home and moving on — but there’s excitement beyond this farewell. “We learned so much during the process, and we're looking forward to applying that experience to whatever we do next.”

Though Drew and Karina’s home boasted a spectacular view, the structure itself was not postcard-worthy. Featuring four different shades of pinkish-beige paint and iron bars on the windows, it cried out for a makeunder. “Painting the exterior was a huge expense, but it was the most impactful thing we did,” Drew recalls. They chose Benjamin Moore’s Spanish White, a creamy, classic shade that suits both the stucco and the terra cotta tile roof.

Karina and Drew expected to pry up the hardscaping in the sunken patio that leads to their front door, but they were pleasantly surprised as their work progressed. “We initially thought we would replace that patio tile, but after we painted the house it made the tile look right!” Drew says. Long-term renovators, take heart: You never know what you might learn when you aren’t in a rush.