Built in classic Cape Cod style, this mid-century bungalow harkened back to the days when homes were smaller and southern California beach towns were haunted by artists, Beats, and hippies. Rather than adding square footage they didn’t need, the owners took a design-above-all approach, revamping their forever home with a modern aesthetic, ocean-front views, top-of-the-line finishes, and highly customized furnishings and storage. The end result is a high-end showpiece full of natural stone and seamless transitions, with an angled roof—a preserved nod to the post-war transitional it once was.
We took this three bedroom, two-level down to its studs, giving it an entirely new style and layout, opening up the dining nook, relocating the entryway, and extending the front of the house.
We replaced the exterior shingles with natural stone and stucco and added a top-level patio with a mirrored-glass balustrade, accessible by a wall-sized pocket-door. New windows created an oceanfront view, and the unfinished basement became a man-cave, office, laundry and full-bath.
The owners wanted everything as streamlined, as possible, so we inset ceiling fixtures and outfitted the halls with recessed, dimmable baseboard lighting. The custom-created steel windows are trimless, and door tracks are flush with flooring. Transitions from baseboard to floor, and wood to porcelain tile, are fluid, while all of the custom cabinetry—from the kitchen, to the bathrooms, to the bar—open with hidden finger pulls or by light touch, rather than with hardware.
The kitchen has a quartzite island with a waterfall edge, the cabinets are stain-grade lumber with hand-mixed finishes. HAVC is delivered through hidden baseboard grates. The completed home is a marvel of wayfaring, efficiency, and sleek luxury, all within a limited footprint.
