Investor MWest Holdings has revitalized the historic Wilshire Royale apartment building in Koreatown. Inspired by an original photo of the 1920s property, the investor restored the Moroccan-style architecture and design in the building. Interior units have also been renovated and will continue to be renovated as they turn. The renovation has helped drive value at the property and occupancy rates. It is currently 100% occupied.

“We had some historical photos from its initial use as a residential hotel,” Karl Slovin, president of MWest Holdings, tells GlobeSt.com. “It was built by a local prohibitionist builder, and she was part of an organization that was serving its own customers. You could stay there on a long term or short-term basis. We love to bring back the original history of the building as much as we can. We sat down with the architect and said lets run with the details from the photo. It was a lot of fun being able to run down that line. We try to find a thread of the existing history and pull on it and make it exciting for today's customer.”

To add a unique touch, Slovin purchased pieces from the former Figueroa Hotel. It is under renovation, and the décor—which was collected over decades—was auctioned off. Slovin was able to purchase pieces during a preview session. “That was really urban archeology,” he says. “We've got a little bit of 1920s mixed up with a different part of 1920s from a different part of Los Angeles.”