Reimagining Renovation and Everyday Belonging with Architect Alfie Koetter of Loaf

In a city known for reinvention, Design Studio Loaf is doing more with less — respecting scale, staying nimble, and letting the bones of a home shine

Founded by longtime friends and collaborators Alfie Koetter and Luke Studebaker, Loaf is a residential design studio rooted in community, subtlety, and careful transformation. Based primarily on the east side of Los Angeles, the duo brings a sensitive, collaborative approach to renovations — one that centers the existing character of a home and the lived experience of its inhabitants.

Loaf’s work is mostly renovations, and that’s by design. “Inherent to any renovation is the act of making a space more one’s own,” Alfie says. “While Luke and I certainly have our own aesthetic sensibilities, we try our best to balance these with those of our clients.” Each project is a conversation, not just between Luke and Alfie, but with the people who will actually live in the space. “I hope that they feel at home. I hope that they feel like they’ve been here before, but are noticing something for the first time.”

“The bones of this house were and are great. So, much of the character of this home was already there; it just needed to be dusted off. We didn’t want to impose ourselves in any way that felt unnecessary. We didn’t want to risk compromising the beauty of what already existed.” Photo: Michael Lockridge

“Spatially, the project demanded a light touch and as a result we tried to be as surgical as possible when taking down or adding any walls.” Photo: Michael Lockridge

The client’s son’s bedroom features wood paneling on all five walls, including the ceiling. Photo: Michael Lockridge

“Many of our design efforts were cosmetic in nature - new finishes, new fixtures, new millwork.” Photo: Michael Lockridge

“Our client - who is not a designer by training, but who has an incredible eye - was very involved throughout the design process. It was a great lesson in how much better a project can be when a client is engaged as a collaborator throughout the process.” Photo: Alfie Koetter

Alfie and Luke first met at the Yale School of Architecture, where Alfie was a graduate student and Luke was an undergrad. Later, Alfie began dating one of Luke’s closest friends, documentary filmmaker Cristina Costantini. When Luke eventually moved to LA in 2021, teaming up professionally felt inevitable. “You could say it’s a family affair,” Alfie says. “Los Angeles has proved to be a great place to live and a pretty good place to work. Architecturally speaking, it feels like there are a lot more opportunities here not only to build, but to be inventive than there were on the east coast. There’s something ad hoc about the built environment here that gives a sense of freedom and possibility that we love.”

“Stylistically we are very much shaped by working here in Los Angeles, a city with such a great diversity of residential housing types and styles. We try to stay nimble and sensitive to the stylistic cues of each specific project to avoid shoehorning one aesthetic into a space it doesn’t belong. To us a successful project is where something new and unexpected arises from riffing on an as-built condition, a pre-existing style, or something as small as a trim detail.”

This garage conversion for a Hollywood music composer in Los Feliz kept opened up the original footprint of the space with a sliding glass door into the garden. Photo: Michael Lockridge

“The space needed to be acoustically insulated, so we took this requirement as an opportunity and designed perforated wood wall panels that integrate with the rest of the built-in wood elements.” Photo: Michael Lockridge

The circular motif present in the custom wood panels is featured in the cabinet pulls, lights, and mixer knobs. Custom millwork by Aaron Hauser includes the panels, a bench, cabinets, and a large composing desk. Photo: Michael Lockridge

“Bigger isn’t always better,” Alfie notes. “We’ve become very good at making more out of less, heightening the impact of how different spaces come together, and being judicious in understanding just how big or small a space needs to be.”

When it comes to sustainability, Loaf’s philosophy resists wasteful overhauls. “Doing more work — demolishing and throwing away existing materials, using more new materials, spending more money — is not always the best option,” Alfie says. “We like to find the solutions that have the greatest impact at the lowest cost, not just financially, but also spatially. Yes, you could certainly tear out every wall to squeeze an extra bathroom into your house, but you might also just be able to move that once closet wall ever so slightly to have the same end result. We prefer the latter option.”

“One of the first things we noticed about this house is how cut-off the kitchen was from the rest of the social areas of the home. It was a squirrely space, tucked in a corner of the house behind a series of walls that weren’t efficiently organized.” Photo: Alfie Koetter

“The project is quite simple: we aligned some wall segments and removed others, keeping the kitchen largely in the same place but opening it up to the rest of the house. With a couple small spatial changes, we were able to transform the kitchen, allowing it to become the heart of the house.” Photo: Alfie Koetter

When asked about his advice for others to bring intention into their own design, his guidance is simple: “Live in it for a while. Many clients buy a new house and are eager to immediately renovate — but it takes time to understand how you and your house fit together. Sometimes the things you think you hate, end up being the things you love. You have to learn about your house before you can have an intention.”

Intention is a cornerstone of Alfie’s home in Highland Park, and the neighborhood has deeply shaped Alfie’s rhythm and worldview. His home’s proximity and walkability to the York town center, layered character, and casual familiarity offer a sense of connection in a sprawling city.

Loaf’s’ project known as Toland, Toland, Toland — Alfie’s personal home in Highland Park that he shares with wife Cristina, daughter Penny, and pug Harriet — features a circular motif throughout the space. Photo: Alfie Koetter

“I love walking down the street. It is one of my primary hobbies and interests. There’s a real sense of community here in Highland Park. For me that community has been cultivated specifically along York Blvd. I love saying hi to people I don’t exactly know, but see often enough to be familiar with. eventually, they become my friends.”

Details in the kitchen. Photo: Michael Lockridge

The built-in dining nook features custom millwork by Aaron Hauser. Photo: Michael Lockridge

This appreciation for local spaces—especially those that feel like extensions of home—is something Loaf hopes to bring more of into the world. “In a car-centric city like Los Angeles, the interiors of certain places become worlds unto themselves that have the power to transport you. There are certain places along York - Belle’s Bagels comes to mind - that not only have a distinctive character, but also feel like an extension of one’s own home. As much as we love designing people’s homes, we would love the opportunity to design communal spaces like these.”