Contemporary Interior and Landscape
This home was the feature article in the May issue of SAN DIEGO HOME & GARDEN LIFESTYLES magazine.
This was the real life version of Green Acres!
Gail, is from New York City and liked ultra contemporary design and couldn’t wait to update her traditional one story ranch style house. She’s an avid reader of contemporary design magazines and it pained her to see such beautiful design and then come home to an outdated environment. Steve who is a veterinarian and loves the rustic outdoors, wanted a super comfy, animal friendly home to welcome all sorts of guests, invited or not. Guests like HUGE tortoises that might stroll through the door at any moment. Literally. He wasn’t at all interested in remodeling the existing house, especially if it would become cold and austere.
My job was to figure out a way move forward with a remodel and marry these polar opposite view points. I balanced their two personalities by creating a streamlined contemporary design for Gail and yet outdoorsy, warm and easily cleaned and maintained look for Steve.
• The outdoors were brought in by opening up the back of the house with a LaCatina folding glass door system (with screens). The kitchen upper cabinets were removed and a huge picture window to the back yard was installed in their place. All of the dishes and glasses were put into drawers below the counter.
• Bullet proof porcelain floor tile that looks like wood was installed in every single room in the house. The introduction of the wood texture on the tile made it less industrial looking.
• We added wood throughout - in the dining and kitchen tables, wood cabinets, soffits and bar stools to introduce warmth. The cabinets either dark brown or Zebra Wood which both naturally hide dirt.
• The living room sectional is contemporary styling yet a nubby texture and 100% polyester fabric making it indestructible. And again it's animal friendly brown!
• The walls are painted a soft gray taupe, not too contemporary and not too traditional.
• Yellow was a brought in to add a contemporary punch but also warmth.
* Bright white glass lights were added throughout the house to add
freshness.
* Polished nickel faucets and shower controls were installed in both
bathrooms to add a bit of bling.
• The living space of the back yard is all concrete so it can be easily hosed
off and little maintenance.
This was one of the most interesting and challenging, yet satisfying projects I’ve worked on in a while because of Gail and Steve’s polar opposite aesthetic and functional requirements going into it. But now that it's done, they're BOTH completely happy, in fact ecstatic, with the outcome. Peace reins again in the animal Kingdom.
This was the real life version of Green Acres!
Gail, is from New York City and liked ultra contemporary design and couldn’t wait to update her traditional one story ranch style house. She’s an avid reader of contemporary design magazines and it pained her to see such beautiful design and then come home to an outdated environment. Steve who is a veterinarian and loves the rustic outdoors, wanted a super comfy, animal friendly home to welcome all sorts of guests, invited or not. Guests like HUGE tortoises that might stroll through the door at any moment. Literally. He wasn’t at all interested in remodeling the existing house, especially if it would become cold and austere.
My job was to figure out a way move forward with a remodel and marry these polar opposite view points. I balanced their two personalities by creating a streamlined contemporary design for Gail and yet outdoorsy, warm and easily cleaned and maintained look for Steve.
• The outdoors were brought in by opening up the back of the house with a LaCatina folding glass door system (with screens). The kitchen upper cabinets were removed and a huge picture window to the back yard was installed in their place. All of the dishes and glasses were put into drawers below the counter.
• Bullet proof porcelain floor tile that looks like wood was installed in every single room in the house. The introduction of the wood texture on the tile made it less industrial looking.
• We added wood throughout - in the dining and kitchen tables, wood cabinets, soffits and bar stools to introduce warmth. The cabinets either dark brown or Zebra Wood which both naturally hide dirt.
• The living room sectional is contemporary styling yet a nubby texture and 100% polyester fabric making it indestructible. And again it's animal friendly brown!
• The walls are painted a soft gray taupe, not too contemporary and not too traditional.
• Yellow was a brought in to add a contemporary punch but also warmth.
* Bright white glass lights were added throughout the house to add
freshness.
* Polished nickel faucets and shower controls were installed in both
bathrooms to add a bit of bling.
• The living space of the back yard is all concrete so it can be easily hosed
off and little maintenance.
This was one of the most interesting and challenging, yet satisfying projects I’ve worked on in a while because of Gail and Steve’s polar opposite aesthetic and functional requirements going into it. But now that it's done, they're BOTH completely happy, in fact ecstatic, with the outcome. Peace reins again in the animal Kingdom.
Country: United States
Zip Code: 92037
