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My Houzz: Hip, Historic Victorian in Santa Cruz
Thrifty finds, bold colors and cheeky top notes give a California Victorian a fresh new attitude
Contributing home tour photographer/writer for Houzz, design enthusiast, blogger and photographer.
Contributing home tour photographer/writer for Houzz, design enthusiast,... More »
Interior designer and boutique owner Suna Lock lives in her dream home: the 1870s Victorian Cope House in the heart of downtown Santa Cruz, California. It lies just blocks away from Lock's eclectic boutique and design business, Stripe. "I felt at home the minute I walked in the door," she says. "I knew this was it."
Lock didn't want to restore and reproduce a traditional Victorian home, but she also didn't want to stray too far from the original architectural beauty. "I wanted to stick to my guns and keep the integrity of the house while making it work ergonomically with a modern lifestyle," she says. By combining her love for thrifted and repurposed decor, she designed the home to reflect her personality and the hustle and bustle of her modern family.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Suna Lock, her two children and their dog, Trigger
Location: Santa Cruz, California
Size: 2,300 square feet; 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
That's interesting: A school of fish lures decorates the top of a hallway.
Lock didn't want to restore and reproduce a traditional Victorian home, but she also didn't want to stray too far from the original architectural beauty. "I wanted to stick to my guns and keep the integrity of the house while making it work ergonomically with a modern lifestyle," she says. By combining her love for thrifted and repurposed decor, she designed the home to reflect her personality and the hustle and bustle of her modern family.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Suna Lock, her two children and their dog, Trigger
Location: Santa Cruz, California
Size: 2,300 square feet; 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
That's interesting: A school of fish lures decorates the top of a hallway.
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| The ladder in this multipurpose room was salvaged from an old school in London. Sofa and rug: flea market; pillows: World Market; chandelier: original to the home |
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| The towering windows and classic features of this room evoke a sense of grandeur yet feel welcoming. The warm hues mixed with thrifted antique decor invite guests to grab a book from the shelf and curl up by the fire. |
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| The sliding wood doors, original to the home, allow the family to section off the two rooms when needed. Lock says, "It's great when we are entertaining and the kids want to watch television; we can have the adults in one room and the children in the other." |
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| Lock designed the sofas in this room and had them constructed in San Francisco. They were designed to fit a lot of people, with large arms that provide a flat surface to eat a meal or enjoy a glass of wine. The coffee table is a repurposed dining room table from an antiques store in Soquel, California. The wooden inlay on the surface is the signature style of the table's designer. Arco floor lamp: personal from London; zigzag pillows: Urban Outfitters |
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Lock uses her creativity and artistic abilities to repurpose ordinary objects into lovely decor. She assembled this lamp stand from found objects such as old teacups; she calls it "the tower of junk."
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Lock marries the traditional and the modern by contrasting fresh colors with classic items, such as this secondhand chair found at a flea market.
Wall paint: Artichoke Hearts, Benjamin Moore
Wall paint: Artichoke Hearts, Benjamin Moore
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| Because her home is a historical site, Lock made few architectural alterations, except in the kitchen. The center room divider was originally a solid wall separating the dining room and kitchen, a traditional setup in Victorian architecture. But for Lock, it was important to turn this part of the home into a modern social area by joining the two rooms. Providing simplicity and durability, the wooden floors throughout the home are stained black. Kitchen table: Arteak; Verner Panton S Chairs: Plush Modern |
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John Wallis, owner of Wallis Wood Works in Santa Cruz, designed all of the cabinetry in Lock's kitchen. The cabinets are made of Plyboo, an ecofriendly alternative to classic materials.
The sliding ladder adds convenience and functionality, enabling the family to access stored items easily. It can be detached and stored on the wall when not in use.
The sliding ladder adds convenience and functionality, enabling the family to access stored items easily. It can be detached and stored on the wall when not in use.
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The kitchen window seat is the perfect spot to bask in the Santa Cruz sunshine. "It's comfortable and warm," says Lock. "I get a lot of work done there." Trigger, the family's dog, gets some napping done there too.
Window shades: Ikea
Window shades: Ikea
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Fresh flowers add a splash of springlike color.
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The original Victorian design was fairly lackluster, with dark colors that distracted from the true essence of the house. Lock simplified the color palette and flow, breathing fresh life into the space while still emphasizing the architectural details. She preserved many of the home's original features, such as the kitchen chandelier and this iron door.
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The claw-foot tub, the toilet and the wooden shutters in the downstairs bathroom are original to the home. Lock added a collection of thrifted mirrors to create a gallery wall and combined sink found on Craigslist with an old college art project to create the bathroom vanity.
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Lock added personality to the hallway wall by lining the top with a collection of old fish lures found at a flea market. She remembers untangling all those hooks as being a very painful process.
Clock: family heirloom from Germany
Clock: family heirloom from Germany
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At the top of the staircase lies a charming sunroom with an antique chair from a garage sale and a gorgeous wooden armoire given to Lock by her Realtor when she bought the home. The armoire provides additional storage in a home that lacks closet space.
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| The master bedroom's soft color palette, floral accents and warm sunlight give the space a sense of enchantment. "My bedroom is my sanctuary," says Lock. The majority of this room's decor was thrifted from various places, including her bed frame and floral rug, which are flea market treasures. Wall paint: Amaryllis, Benjamin Moore |
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| Lock originally purchased this ripped photo at a garage sale because she wanted the frame. But she fell in love with the emotion the photograph portrays and kept it. The chair is also a garage sale find. |
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The adjoining bath, with its electric orange and blue color scheme, is a stark contrast to the master bedroom. The orange shower tiles are Craigslist finds.
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Lock proves you can still create an inspiring space on a budget. She says, "I spent less than $700 total on this entire bathroom." The sink and wood countertop are both repurposed items found at a dump.
Wall paint: How Blue Am I, Benjamin Moore
Wall paint: How Blue Am I, Benjamin Moore
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| Instead of traditional wallpaper, which can be damaged easily, Lock used stickers to decorate the walls of her children's bedrooms. Multicolored butterflies flutter throughout her daughter's bedroom. Bed: Craigslist; storage unit: Ikea |
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Her son's room has a 3-D airplane theme, with stickers and model planes hanging from the ceiling.
Bed: Craigslist; storage unit: Ikea
Bed: Craigslist; storage unit: Ikea
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The exterior is surrounded by lush greens and an iron fence that wraps around the entire property.
More:
Charming, Beautiful Renovated Victorian
Victorian Style, Built for Fun
Zero Energy Renovated Victorian in San Francisco
More:
Charming, Beautiful Renovated Victorian
Victorian Style, Built for Fun
Zero Energy Renovated Victorian in San Francisco
Ideabook published on March 28, 2012.
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yours. Thank you for the beautiful ideas!
Next time, I'd recommend she paint her butterflies. I'm not sure the stickers will cooperate and remove easily, especially the longer they're up.
I also love the teacup lamp, Becky.