My Houzz: Mila Kunis Surprises Her Parents With a Home Makeover
In this exclusive Houzz video, Kunis uses the site to shop for products and find pros to help create a bright, open home
Mitchell Parker
25 April 2017
Houzz Editorial Staff. Home design journalist writing about cool spaces, innovative trends, breaking news, industry analysis and humor.
Houzz Editorial Staff. Home design journalist writing about cool spaces, innovative... More
If you trace back Mila Kunis’ 18-year career as an actor, it all happened after she moved as a child from Ukraine to the Los Angeles condo where her parents, Elvira and Mark, still live today. While there, she landed her breakout role as Jackie Burkhart on the television series That ’70s Show, on which she dated the character Michael Kelso, played by Ashton Kutcher, who’s now Kunis’ husband. “My career happened there,” Kunis says of the condo.
Open-plan living and kitchen areas at a Glance
Who lives here Mark and Elvira Kunis, parents of actor Mila Kunis
Location Los Angeles
Size 55 square metres; 6.7 by 8.2 metres
Designer Breeze Giannasio of Breeze Giannasio Interiors
Photos by Carolyn Reyes
Watch now See Mila Kunis surprise her parents with a condo makeover
Recently, Kunis decided to surprise her parents with a renovation of the living, dining and kitchen areas in their home. That way, when the growing extended family got together, her mother, who loves to cook, wouldn’t feel isolated in the kitchen from the group. The renovation is part of the latest episode of My Houzz, a video series documenting public figures as they surprise a close family member with a home renovation. The pilot episode of My Houzz featured Kutcher, who is an executive producer of the series.
Who lives here Mark and Elvira Kunis, parents of actor Mila Kunis
Location Los Angeles
Size 55 square metres; 6.7 by 8.2 metres
Designer Breeze Giannasio of Breeze Giannasio Interiors
Photos by Carolyn Reyes
Watch now See Mila Kunis surprise her parents with a condo makeover
Recently, Kunis decided to surprise her parents with a renovation of the living, dining and kitchen areas in their home. That way, when the growing extended family got together, her mother, who loves to cook, wouldn’t feel isolated in the kitchen from the group. The renovation is part of the latest episode of My Houzz, a video series documenting public figures as they surprise a close family member with a home renovation. The pilot episode of My Houzz featured Kutcher, who is an executive producer of the series.
BEFORE In the original living room shown here, a brown sofa on the left rested against a wall that divided the space from the kitchen, which isolated Elvira from everything else. Straight ahead was a pair of front entry doors. To the right of those was a coat cupboard.
Convincing her parents to move was a non-starter. “You cannot get my parents out of that condo,” says Kunis. “They’re never going to move. They love it.”
Convincing her parents to move was a non-starter. “You cannot get my parents out of that condo,” says Kunis. “They’re never going to move. They love it.”
AFTER Here’s a look at the new room from about the same angle (the two entryway doors are in the right corner). Kunis thought that a more open-plan concept would be beneficial to her parents and more comfortable for large family gatherings. “Knowing how hard I work now for what I have puts things into perspective for how much harder my parents had to work to have given us the life my brother and I had,” says Kunis. “So I desperately want to give them something they deserve.”
For the project, Kunis used Houzz to search for a designer in the Los Angeles area and found Giannasio. “She had incredible reviews and I loved her style, everything about her, and knew she was right for this project,” says Kunis. She and Giannasio bought almost all the new furnishings and accessories from the Houzz Shop.
Giannasio approached the project from two angles, one concerning the aesthetic of the space, and the other how the construction would be handled. The condo sits on a floor beneath the penthouse, and Giannasio first determined which walls were load bearing. Working with Addition Building & Design on the construction side of the project, she was able to open the living room up to the kitchen, but she had to keep a structural column in place, which is seen here behind the lamp near the kitchen, for budget reasons. The structural column dictated the layout of the kitchen.
They had considered removing all the walls and the column, and installing one large beam across the ceiling for support to create one big, open space. “But I feared that without any delineation and architectural demarcation of different spaces, it would feel like a sterile bachelor pad,” says Giannasio .
Next, she focused on selecting a warm greige paint to unify the spaces, then set about choosing comfortable furnishings.
Base, ceiling moulding, cased opening and columns, all painted in Strong White; walls painted in Cornforth White, both Farrow & Ball.
Considering an open-plan living space? Follow this useful guide
For the project, Kunis used Houzz to search for a designer in the Los Angeles area and found Giannasio. “She had incredible reviews and I loved her style, everything about her, and knew she was right for this project,” says Kunis. She and Giannasio bought almost all the new furnishings and accessories from the Houzz Shop.
Giannasio approached the project from two angles, one concerning the aesthetic of the space, and the other how the construction would be handled. The condo sits on a floor beneath the penthouse, and Giannasio first determined which walls were load bearing. Working with Addition Building & Design on the construction side of the project, she was able to open the living room up to the kitchen, but she had to keep a structural column in place, which is seen here behind the lamp near the kitchen, for budget reasons. The structural column dictated the layout of the kitchen.
They had considered removing all the walls and the column, and installing one large beam across the ceiling for support to create one big, open space. “But I feared that without any delineation and architectural demarcation of different spaces, it would feel like a sterile bachelor pad,” says Giannasio .
Next, she focused on selecting a warm greige paint to unify the spaces, then set about choosing comfortable furnishings.
Base, ceiling moulding, cased opening and columns, all painted in Strong White; walls painted in Cornforth White, both Farrow & Ball.
Considering an open-plan living space? Follow this useful guide
BEFORE Originally, the TV and glossy yellow floor overpowered the living area.
AFTER Giannasio initially considered a layout consisting of a sofa and two chairs. But after meeting with Kunis and reviewing her ideabook of inspirational images, she didn’t feel that would be comfortable enough. “The modular sofa is more family friendly, and that got me back on track prioritising comfort over everything else,” she says.
The new floor is French oak.
Watch now See more of this surprise makeover
The new floor is French oak.
Watch now See more of this surprise makeover
BEFORE Originally, the galley-style kitchen meant that Elvira, a keen cook, often felt closed off. “It looked like a giant cupboard to me,” says Kunis.
AFTER Kunis knew that her mother would want a clean-looking kitchen in shades of white. This photo shows the kitchen at the same angle as the previous image. The original wall of cabinets on the right came down, and the fridge and cooker were pushed to the back wall.
The free-standing island, bought on Houzz, takes the place of a fixed one, for which there wasn’t enough room. “It was amazing to find that island,” says Giannasio. “It’s on wheels, so it’s portable and leaves enough room for circulation. And it offers the function of having a place to set down a cookie rack or set up buffet serving.”
At the time of the photoshoot, the cooker hood hadn’t arrived, so a clock was used to hide its wires.
The free-standing island, bought on Houzz, takes the place of a fixed one, for which there wasn’t enough room. “It was amazing to find that island,” says Giannasio. “It’s on wheels, so it’s portable and leaves enough room for circulation. And it offers the function of having a place to set down a cookie rack or set up buffet serving.”
At the time of the photoshoot, the cooker hood hadn’t arrived, so a clock was used to hide its wires.
A mix of glass-front cabinets, deep drawers and open shelving — built by Creative Woodworks — gives Elvira plenty of storage and display options.
Pullout racks for spices flank the oven. A vertical pantry holds dry goods to the right of the refrigerator and there are Lazy Susans in each corner.
Cabinets painted in Strong White, Farrow & Ball. Noble Grey worktops by Caesarstone. Rivarolo Mushroom splashback tiles by WestSide Tile. Taps by Antique Brass.
Need to sort out your kitchen storage? Check out these top tips
Pullout racks for spices flank the oven. A vertical pantry holds dry goods to the right of the refrigerator and there are Lazy Susans in each corner.
Cabinets painted in Strong White, Farrow & Ball. Noble Grey worktops by Caesarstone. Rivarolo Mushroom splashback tiles by WestSide Tile. Taps by Antique Brass.
Need to sort out your kitchen storage? Check out these top tips
This photo shows how the new kitchen opens up to the living space.
In the dining area, the rustic table can extend to accommodate more guests as needed.
Bar stools provide additional seating at the kitchen peninsula.
Sufficient lighting was important because natural light only comes in from one side of the condo. “We were trying to look for opportunities to add additional sources of light for a warm and cosy environment,” says Giannasio.
She had a fake beam built that’s intended to give some separation to the different areas. “It helps frame the space,” she says.
Giannasio focused on neutral shades for the large pieces that anchor the space, a move that allowed her to be flexible with accent colours. The cushions and blankets are easy to swap to transform the look in the future.
“In general, I was trying to make it sophisticated but family friendly, with fabrics that speak to that,” she says. “There’s no pure white. Everything is a polyester blend that’s durable and washable. The dining chairs are darker to hide staining. The jute rug is not overly precious. If it gets beat up, it’s not a big deal to replace.”
She had a fake beam built that’s intended to give some separation to the different areas. “It helps frame the space,” she says.
Giannasio focused on neutral shades for the large pieces that anchor the space, a move that allowed her to be flexible with accent colours. The cushions and blankets are easy to swap to transform the look in the future.
“In general, I was trying to make it sophisticated but family friendly, with fabrics that speak to that,” she says. “There’s no pure white. Everything is a polyester blend that’s durable and washable. The dining chairs are darker to hide staining. The jute rug is not overly precious. If it gets beat up, it’s not a big deal to replace.”
Kunis wanted to make sure that Giannasio incorporated the three paintings that her parents had brought from Ukraine. The art “represents our family’s past, present and future,” says Kunis.
Giannasio showed three chandeliers to Kunis in their first meeting. Kunis liked this one right away, so they ran with it from the beginning.
Giannasio showed three chandeliers to Kunis in their first meeting. Kunis liked this one right away, so they ran with it from the beginning.
BEFORE With the TV off to one side of a separate seating area, the previous layout felt imbalanced.
AFTER A built-in TV creates a better focal point and introduces symmetry in the design to help further delineate the spaces.
Moulding near the ceiling hides the curtain rail for a built-in look. “Those subtle design elements really help complete the space and make it look more refined,” says Giannasio.
Moulding near the ceiling hides the curtain rail for a built-in look. “Those subtle design elements really help complete the space and make it look more refined,” says Giannasio.
Sconces and two zebra-print benches create a graphic, symmetrical element in an area that would have gone undefined.
Kunis wanted to take down all the walls, but Giannasio felt that an entry enclosure was needed to keep the space from feeling like a big city loft, which she knew the family didn’t want.
“I think she took whatever we put together and made it not only come to life but made it a million times better,” says Kunis.
“Seeing my parents’ reaction to the condo for the first time made everything worth it. All the stress, the timing, everything and anything became null and void when my mum started crying,” says Kunis, who was pregnant during the beginning stages of the remodel and took a three-week break from coordinating the project to deliver her baby.
“There’s more air and light in that room, and I think that will translate into their own lives,” she says. “I definitely think there’s going to be a lot more Sunday dinners there.”
Watch now Don’t miss Mila Kunis’ parents’ tearful reaction to this apartment makeover
“I think she took whatever we put together and made it not only come to life but made it a million times better,” says Kunis.
“Seeing my parents’ reaction to the condo for the first time made everything worth it. All the stress, the timing, everything and anything became null and void when my mum started crying,” says Kunis, who was pregnant during the beginning stages of the remodel and took a three-week break from coordinating the project to deliver her baby.
“There’s more air and light in that room, and I think that will translate into their own lives,” she says. “I definitely think there’s going to be a lot more Sunday dinners there.”
Watch now Don’t miss Mila Kunis’ parents’ tearful reaction to this apartment makeover
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Would love to see more condo renovations. More and more baby boomers are down sizing and moving into condos, most of the condos are 25+ years old and definitely have restrictions, stories such as this give great ideas!
Sweet!
Beautiful renovation and wonderful expression of gratitude that looked nearly as welcome as populating that large table with grandchildren! Congratulations to all!