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My Houzz: Beachy Townhouse Getaway in San Diego
With a surfboard workshop in the garage and airiness all around, this townhome near the ocean celebrates sand-inspired style
I write about art, design and travel in Orange County and Los Angeles, California. Where I live: In a little cottage in Laguna Beach. My latest challenge: Trying to live as minimalistically as possible. Favorite philosophy: Live simply. Other favorite philosophy: Nothing feels better than living with art. Please contact me: dananichols8 [at] gmail.com.
I write about art, design and travel in Orange County and Los Angeles,... More »
When Mark and Debbie Clausen bought their San Diego townhouse, they were seeking a change of scenery from their mountainside Craftsman in Mammoth Lakes, California. They sought sea breezes and minimalist style, and bought the 1973 home as an occasional beach getaway and a place for their 24-year-old daughter, Tessa, a teacher, to live year-round.
To integrate flexibility and function with their outdoorsy style, Mark and Debbie aimed for a clean, hotel-inspired look that wasn't too stark. "If a few grains of sand creep in the front door, it’s all part of the aesthetic," Debbie says. The townhome underwent an eight-month renovation including new flooring treatments, bathrooms and furniture, and retextured walls and ceilings. "Our Mammoth house is mountainy and dark, so we wanted it light, airy, open and not a lot of stuff on the walls. Clean and simple, but not supermodern," she says.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Tessa Clausen and her dogs Chloe and Daisy; parents Mark and Debbie drop in occasionally.
Location: Del Mar, north San Diego County, California
Size: 1,600 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 2 baths
That's interesting: The master bathroom shower tiles are made from recycled beer bottles.
To integrate flexibility and function with their outdoorsy style, Mark and Debbie aimed for a clean, hotel-inspired look that wasn't too stark. "If a few grains of sand creep in the front door, it’s all part of the aesthetic," Debbie says. The townhome underwent an eight-month renovation including new flooring treatments, bathrooms and furniture, and retextured walls and ceilings. "Our Mammoth house is mountainy and dark, so we wanted it light, airy, open and not a lot of stuff on the walls. Clean and simple, but not supermodern," she says.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Tessa Clausen and her dogs Chloe and Daisy; parents Mark and Debbie drop in occasionally.
Location: Del Mar, north San Diego County, California
Size: 1,600 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 2 baths
That's interesting: The master bathroom shower tiles are made from recycled beer bottles.
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by Dana Nichols
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| Dana Nichols: What are your favorite elements of the house? Debbie Clausen: The high ceilings are just fabulous. The brick fireplace and mirror extending to the ceiling were original features. What we did was cover up the bricks and put new mirror glass in. I wanted to leave some of the home's original bones, so leaving the mirror is our throwback to the '70s. Sofa and chairs: Design Within Reach; lamps: West Elm; rug: Crate and Barrel; bookcase and coffee table: local shop (now closed) |
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| The townhome has three levels, with the kitchen and living room upstairs, the bedrooms and entry on the second level and a two-car garage downstairs, which the Clausens' son transformed into a surfboard workshop. |
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| Daisy greets friends and neighbors at the front door. A wood floor mat catches sand from her paws after long walks on Del Mar Beach. The townhome is in a nongated community two blocks from the Pacific Ocean. |
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DN: What made you fall in love with this house?
Tessa Clausen: I remember the day we looked at it. We liked how close it was to the beach. That afternoon we walked on the beach and the lighting in the sky was so nice; we actually have a picture from that day.
DC: It had a cream carpet and popcorn ceilings, and the high ceilings had really dark brown beams. I just loved all the openness and the windows. I loved the layout. I like that the kitchen opens to the living room, because I'm always cooking and talking.
Tessa Clausen: I remember the day we looked at it. We liked how close it was to the beach. That afternoon we walked on the beach and the lighting in the sky was so nice; we actually have a picture from that day.
DC: It had a cream carpet and popcorn ceilings, and the high ceilings had really dark brown beams. I just loved all the openness and the windows. I loved the layout. I like that the kitchen opens to the living room, because I'm always cooking and talking.
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| Tessa is a second-grade teacher and an artist. To make these naturalistic beach scenes for her desk, she ripped sunset photos from surf catalogs and set them in box frames with beach pebbles. Her bedroom walls are painted a green-tinted white, different from rest of the townhome's white-on-white. Paint: Navajo White, Dunn-Edwards; vase and artwork: Tessa's own work |
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| Removed cabinet doors over the sink showcase the family's collection of handmade pottery. |
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| A witticism spelled out in chalk reminds dinner guests that they're in the home of an artistic family with a youthful spirit. "The chalkboard paint was actually one of the first things we did," says Tessa. "It's just fun." |
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| DN: What was your biggest home design challenge? DC: It was deciding what to do with the floors. On the lower level we ripped up the carpeting to the concrete underneath, and we love it now, but at the time we were like, 'Should we do that?' ... The [maple] wood floor [upstairs] is pretty well distressed. But there's not much you can do to concrete. Now we love it. TC: They tore all the floors up, grinded it down and sealed it. You can see the tack marks and everything. The more imperfections the better. |
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| The transition from hallway to master bedroom is subtle. The doors are blonde wood and white paint, and there are concrete floors throughout the house. An antler candleholder from West Elm in the corner is a singular ode to the family's mountain life. Every room has white walls. "We treated all the walls and ceiling with hand texture," says Mark. "Removing the popcorn off the 1973-style ceilings and putting a smooth hand texture made a big difference to updating the place." Debbie adds, "The walls are white, and the ceiling and trim are a slightly lighter white. There are two colors of white because I wanted a little bit of contrast. They're so close, you can only tell in a certain light." Wall paint: Swiss Coffee, Dunn-Edwards; ceilings and trim paint: Whisper, Dunn-Edwards |
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| The master bedroom features lofted ceilings and Tessa's artwork painted for her mom in the style of artist Andy Davis. Bed and nightstands: Case Study Series by Modernica, Design Within Reach; bedding: West Elm |
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| DN: What is your favorite room? DC: The bathroom. The countertop is marble, but it's not polished. We really fell in love with that, and everything else came after. Countertop: Stones Unlimited |
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The shower door treatment is artfully simple. Shower tiles made of recycled beer bottles are from Oceanside Glasstile. Both bathrooms feature skylights added during the renovation. "At certain times of the day," says Debbie, "the shower looks iridescent."
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| The guest bedroom is almost always occupied, as their beach home opens up to a rotating cast of surfer and snowboarder friends throughout the year. Artwork: Sticky Shaw |
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| Email messages don't stop coming when Mark and Debbie visit. Mark uses this little desk in the sunlit corner of the living room as his office away from home, with a view of the Pacific Ocean just beyond the trees. "We feel good when we’re here," says Debbie. "It’s very relaxing and soothing for both of us. It's got a great energy to it." |
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| The two-car garage does double duty as a surfboard-shaping room. |
Comments
Janet Paik Digging the chalkboard backsplash, especially the message behind the dish rack. Thanks for sharing, Dana!
13 months ago · Like
Ideabook published on April 13, 2012.
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