ARCHITECT ANDREI POGANY ON STORY, SANCTUARY & THE SOUL OF A HOME

Architect Andrei Pogany turns storytelling into structure, crafting his home as a haven for family, collaboration, and the art of making a place your own.

Photos by Tanveer Badal

When architect Andrei Pogany and his partner Deborah Gorman left New York after a decade, Los Angeles wasn’t the plan, it was a pause. They were supposed to spend three months in LA before heading to Indonesia. But the city had other ideas. “Our friends showed us Joshua Tree, the Sierras, and tacos,” Andrei laughs. “Three months later, we had jobs.”

Now based in Highland Park, Andrei leads Pogany Studio, a practice that has evolved beyond architecture into furniture, interiors, and material exploration. His office sits just minutes from his home, both nestled in the same hillside community. “That’s by design,” he says. “My clients are here, my family’s here. We work nine to five, and then I spend my evenings with them. That balance was intentional and part of what drew us to LA in the first place.” Nearly all of Pogany Studio’s projects are within a short drive of his home on Sparkletts Hill, on the border of Eagle Rock and Highland Park - a choice rooted in community rather than convenience.

The large pink painting is by Andrei’s father Miklos Pogany. The stone table is Campan Vert, leftover from the kitchen backsplash, and was made by Dexterous Creative. Photo: Tanveer Badal

The Pogany family home on Sparkletts Hill overlooks a stretch of York Boulevard in Highland Park and the San Gabriel Mountains in the distance. Photo: Tanveer Badal

“IT’S FUN COLLABORATING WITH FRIENDS ON LOCAL PROJECTS. THE ARTWORK, THE FLOORING, THE LIGHTING - THEY’RE ALL BY PEOPLE WE KNOW. OUR CONTRACTOR USED TO WORK FOR ME AND NOW RUNS HIS OWN COMPANY. IT’S THIS WEB OF RELATIONSHIPS THAT MAKES THE WORK FEEL PERSONAL.”

The primary bedroom opens up into a large en suite bathroom. The bed faces a sweeping view of the San Gabriel Mountains, while the bathroom faces the privacy of their half-acre lot. Photo: Tanveer Badal

The bedroom features custom millwork by Monsterkraft, lights by Ravenhill Studio, and textiles by Block Shop. Photo: Tanveer Badal

The bathroom features the Air 4 Double Full Arch Steel door from Pinkys Iron Doors that opens out onto their backyard, deck, and a barrel sauna. Photo: Tanveer Badal

That spirit of collaboration also extends to the Pogany family’s own home, a layered renovation on a hillside lot that began in 2017. “The original house was a 1950s cube box with every room closed off from the next,” he recalls. “We opened it all up, created a flow between kitchen and living, because that’s how we live - together, in one space.”

Over time, the house expanded vertically, growing with the family. The upper level now frames sweeping city views, while an in-law suite below welcomes visiting parents, and occasionally friends testing out LA life. “It’s the same thing our friends did for us,” he says. “We’re hoping they’ll fall in love with it too.”

The upstairs kitchen features all hidden appliances behind custom Monsterkraft millwork, including an induction stove that is hid beneath the counter marble. The artwork on the right is by Lily Stockman. Photo: Tanveer Badal

When asked about his design philosophy, Andrei doesn’t cite a particular style or period. “I love stories,” he says simply. “Every client has rituals - how they make their morning coffee, where they watch the sunset - and I design spaces around those narratives. The movements of a day become the architecture.” In his own home, those stories meet at a literal intersection. “The kids have their side, Deborah and I have ours, and we meet in the middle,” he says.

“THE CEILING RUPTURES LIKE TECTONIC PLATES. LIGHT POURS IN FROM OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS: MORNING ON ONE SIDE, AFTERNOON ON THE OTHER. IT’S SYMBOLIC OF OUR LIVES COLLIDING AND COMING TOGETHER.”

Clerestory windows and cedar lines are Andrei Pogany’s nod to Schindler and the rhythm of California light. Photo: Tanveer Badal

That sense of natural choreography runs throughout the house: clerestory windows nod to Schindler, folding doors erase the line between indoors and out. “When the walls open, the living room doubles,” he says. “It’s classic Southern California, the kind of space where you can feel the hillside breeze roll through at dusk.”

The back wall is a folding Pinkys Iron Door that opens up the entire wall, effectively doubling the size of the living room. Photo: Tanveer Badal

When asked what sanctuary means to him, Andrei pauses. “I thought about that all day,” he says. “When I was a kid, I’d play outside with my friend Jack. We’d build forts and pick our own spots; I remember realizing it wasn’t about the spot. It was about how you made it your own.”

“TO ME, SANCTUARY IS HOW YOU MAKE A PLACE YOUR OWN,” HE SAYS. “IT COULD BE A HOUSE LIKE THIS, OR A TENT IN THE MOUNTAINS. WHEN YOU CLEAR THE GROUND AND MAKE SPACE FOR YOURSELF, THAT’S SANCTUARY.”

The stairs lead down to the original house, which now functions as a guest house for family and friends. Photo: Tanveer Badal

Andrei designed this bathroom for his two girls, Klara, 9, and Amalia, 5, to share, featuring Zia Tile. Photo: Tanveer Badal

In the end, Andrei’s favorite moments are the quiet ones. “After the kids go to bed, I still walk around the house. It’s the first new home I’ve ever lived in. The floor doesn’t creak, and it still surprises me,” he says with a smile. “But what feels best is that we use every inch of it. The kids spill their Legos everywhere, we cook, we draw, we live here together. That’s the real success.”

Reflections from the primary suite balcony, looking through to the hillside back yard. Photo: Tanveer Badal

Architectural Design: Pogany Studio
Construction: Dexterous Creative
Millwork: Monsterkraft
Lights: Ravenhill Studio
Tile: Zia Tile
Doors: Pinkys Iron Doors
Interior Design: Carla Toutz Interiors
Flooring: Madera Surfaces
Textiles: Block Shop
Select Furniture: Scout Regalia

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.