Before & Afters You Need to See to Believe details some extensive architectural makeovers that included our Santa Monica project.
Located in a compact historic district immediately adjacent to the beach in west Santa Monica, this charming cottage is typical of the original houses in this seaside neighborhood. Built about 1903 as a weekend retreat on the sparsely-developed coastline, the house originally sat on the windswept sand dunes of what was a remote and rustic locale at the time. Access to the cottages of the area were by boardwalks laid on the sand, or by automobile for those brave enough to venture into the dunes by car.
Fast forward to the present day...the streets are now paved, and the once remote enclave of vacation cottages is now tightly nestled between the vibrant metropolis to the east and the busy beach to the west. The cottage our clients purchased here had been badly remodeled, and was the victim of many years of deferred maintenance. But the charm of the architecture was apparent, despite the tarnish of age.
Our challenge was to bring the original delightful architecture back to life, and to amend the features of the house to reflect more modern tastes and lifestyle. This renovation included a restoration of the main public spaces, now enhanced with a white and bright color scheme, intended to show off our clients' eclectic taste in art and furnishing. The kitchen was reinvented to include a butcher-block topped island, modern appliances and spacious pantry and cabinetry. The upstairs of the house was completely replanned to provide four bedrooms for a growing family, including the serene master bedroom, with views down the street to the ocean, and a gracious, bright master bathroom with claw-foot tub in a cozy bathing nook.
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