Create an ideabook for your next remodeling project!
Browse more than 1,000,000 photos from top designers and save your favorites
Traditional Homes
Top Ideabooks
My Houzz: Casual Elegance in a California Beach Home
An interior designer mixes neutral hues and classic furnishings in her beach-inspired design 'laboratory'
Contributing home tour photographer/writer for Houzz, design enthusiast, blogger and photographer.
Contributing home tour photographer/writer for Houzz, design enthusiast,... More »
When interior designer Gail Madison-Goodhue of Madison Interiors and her husband, Richard Goodhue, first walked down the steps of their dated traditional house, it was "potential at first sight." It wasn't perfect, but it was nestled in their ideal location: surrounded by trees and just moments from the beach in Rio Del Mar, California. Gail says, "I love where I live. I feel like I've landed where I want to be forever."
When Gail remodeled the house, it was essential to design something appropriate to the traditional architecture yet dressed down to fit the couple's casual lifestyle. "The home's original exterior was faux colonial in the worst sense," she says. They did a complete overhaul, remodeling the kitchen and bathrooms and giving the exterior and floors a much-needed face-lift. But instead of purchasing all new furnishings, Gail designed the majority of the home's furniture from scratch. She says, "My home is my laboratory."
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Gail Madison-Goodhue and Richard Goodhue
Location: Rio Del Mar, California
Size: 2,500 square feet; 1 bedroom, 2 offices, 2 bathrooms
That's interesting: The house borders a golf course, which is just steps away from the front door.
When Gail remodeled the house, it was essential to design something appropriate to the traditional architecture yet dressed down to fit the couple's casual lifestyle. "The home's original exterior was faux colonial in the worst sense," she says. They did a complete overhaul, remodeling the kitchen and bathrooms and giving the exterior and floors a much-needed face-lift. But instead of purchasing all new furnishings, Gail designed the majority of the home's furniture from scratch. She says, "My home is my laboratory."
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Gail Madison-Goodhue and Richard Goodhue
Location: Rio Del Mar, California
Size: 2,500 square feet; 1 bedroom, 2 offices, 2 bathrooms
That's interesting: The house borders a golf course, which is just steps away from the front door.
|
by Shannon Malone
»
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| While the home is just a short distance away from the Pacific Ocean, it's also right next to a golf course. The updated landscape of their home complements the well-groomed course. The original exterior did not include any landscaping — no garden, no fence and no lawn. The cedar siding is an original feature of the home that Gail says is part of "the home's good bones." |
|
by Shannon Malone
»
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| Gail admits that with her busy lifestyle, she doesn't even make it into her living room some days, but when she does, it is to relax. Whether she and Richard are sitting by the fire or watching a movie, the room acts as a retreat space. The tree in the corner was saved from a wildfire in Bonny Doon, California. Couch: Restoration Hardware |
|
by Shannon Malone
»
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| As an interior designer, Gail says she often feels like a psychologist trying to blend her clients' personalities with the architecture of their home. She says, "My husband was my client when designing my home. I tried to use design elements appropriate to his personality and the architecture." Collected seashells sit on the coffee table, which is one of Gail's original designs. |
by Shannon Malone
»
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
A unique Scalamandre armchair provides a cozy spot by the fireplace.
by Shannon Malone
»
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
The entry hall is home to an 1800s antique coatrack used to hang sunhats.
Coatrack: Antiques & Interiors; wall paint: Liatras White, Donald Kauffman
Coatrack: Antiques & Interiors; wall paint: Liatras White, Donald Kauffman
by Shannon Malone
»
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
Gail and Richard like to relax in their living room with their grand piano. "Richard dabbles by ear, and I play by music, mostly classical," says Gail.
The collection of artwork on the wall features sketches and etchings acquired by the couple over the years. Gail chose mainly black and white pieces to keep the calmness of the room and added a subtle dash of color with two oil paintings; one of them she painted in seventh grade, and the other is an antique gem.
The collection of artwork on the wall features sketches and etchings acquired by the couple over the years. Gail chose mainly black and white pieces to keep the calmness of the room and added a subtle dash of color with two oil paintings; one of them she painted in seventh grade, and the other is an antique gem.
|
by Shannon Malone
»
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| Gail wanted her decor to be elegant without being overly formal. Stacks of books are housed regularly on the dining table to give the formal room and furnishings a casual feel. The table is an old English antique, and Gail designed the chairs. |
|
by Shannon Malone
»
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| The home's original floor plan was very traditional, with each room isolated and separated. When the couple remodeled the home, they struggled to find a way to open it up to create more socializing space. Gail says changing the original architecture "just didn't feel right," so instead they reoriented the kitchen, opening it up to allow space for an island and a seating area. Bar stools: Pottery Barn |
|
by Shannon Malone
»
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| An oversize clock from an old building in Germany makes sure meals are always served on time. Gail found the clock in one of her favorite salvage shops in Sonoma, California. Wall paint: Monroe Bisque, Benjamin Moore |
|
by Shannon Malone
»
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| Gail added wooden beams to give the low ceilings contrast and depth. A wood turner constructed the kitchen island legs. The countertops are soapstone, a material found in similar traditional Cape Cod architecture. |
|
by Shannon Malone
»
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| Gail chose a simple color palette for the interior, allowing the exterior to be the focal feature of the design. She says, "I wanted the outside to jump in." This corner seating nook in the kitchen is surrounded by windows, allowing for views of their beautiful landscaping. Gail designed the table, which is made of an old fallen cypress tree from Santa Cruz, California. |
by Shannon Malone
»
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
The layout of the home feels nestled in the landscape. The living room, kitchen and dining room are slightly elevated from the rest of the house.
by Shannon Malone
»
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
Gail designed the beach-inspired guest bathroom using elements resembling driftwood. She made the mirror out of pine and sandblasted it to achieve a beachy look.
Sink: St. Thomas Creations; chair: antique
Sink: St. Thomas Creations; chair: antique
|
by Shannon Malone
»
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| The master bedroom color palette reflects Gail's desire to have a calm environment at home. "My house is a tranquil oasis," she says, "not where I need to be charged up and energized." Gail designed the bed, and it's one of her favorite pieces in the home. |
by Shannon Malone
»
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
In the master bathroom, soft limestone tiling resembles sand. Gail designed the unenclosed shower so it appears as if it were meant to be outside, giving bathers a tranquil sense of being at the beach. She also designed the chest of drawers.
|
by Shannon Malone
»
Like it? Save it to your Ideabook »
|
| The red door and yellow chair enliven the front patio. When giving the exterior a face-lift, Gail reduced the number of the original columns blocking the views and enlarged their scale. She also washed the originally bright red brick siding with paint to give it a slightly worn look. Then she finished the look by replacing the window shutters with larger ones. More Houzz Tours Coastal Chic Family Getaway Yacht-Inspired California Beach House Northwest Beach House With Secondhand Flair |
Ideabook updated on May 1, 2012.
What are you working on?
News From Our Partners
Latest Ideabooks
People found the photos in this ideabook after searching for:
View over a million photos:
the house view is pretty and buti
all are excellent