Designed By: Richard Bustos Photos By: Jeri Koegel Ron and Kathy Chaisson have lived in many homes throughout Orange County, including three homes on the Balboa Peninsula and one at Pelican Crest. But when the “kind of retired” couple, as they describe their current status, decided to finally build their ultimate dream house in the flower streets of Corona del Mar, they opted not to skimp on the amenities. “We wanted this house to have the features of a resort,” says Ron. “So we designed it to have a pool on the roof, five patios, a spa, a gym, water walls in the courtyard, fire-pits and steam showers.” To bring that five-star level of luxury to their newly constructed home, the couple enlisted Orange County’s top talent, including our very own rock star design consultant Richard Bustos, who worked alongside interior designer Trish Steel and Patterson Custom Homes as well as Brandon Architects. Together the team created a 4,500 square-foot, five-bedroom, seven-and-a-half-bathroom contemporary house where R&R get top billing in almost every room. Two stories tall and with lots of open spaces, it manages to feel spacious despite its narrow location. And from its third floor patio, it boasts panoramic ocean views. “Overall we wanted this to be contemporary, but we also wanted it to feel warm,” says Ron. Key to creating that look was Richard, who selected the primary pieces from our extensive portfolio of top-quality furnishings. Richard also focused on clean lines and neutral colors to achieve the couple’s modern aesthetic, while allowing both the home’s gorgeous views and Kathy’s art to take center stage. As for that mahogany-lined elevator? “It’s a requirement,” states Ron. “With three levels, and lots of entertaining, we need that elevator for keeping the bar stocked up at the cabana, and for our big barbecue parties.” He adds, “my wife wears high heels a lot of the time, so riding the elevator instead of taking the stairs makes life that much better for her.”

A few months after moving into this aging 2200 s.f. 3 bedroom 2 1/2 bath Spanish bungalow, a creative couple decided to renovate to better fit their lifestyle. In phase one, we demo-ed the entire downstairs to create a sunny, open-concept living area with a bar, kitchen, and dining. We also added built-in storage and a powder room, to make the home more functional. When we finished this space, not only did the rooms flow into each other, but the new interior stucco flowed throughout the house. The stucco curved around corners and the edges of ceilings, forming a seamless fireplace mantle and hood, arched passageways, and hollow storage nooks. Phase two included replacing rotting wooden doors and windows with aluminum windows and new French doors. We installed a bubble-gum pink front door with simple cut-outs that, combined with the sensual stucco, imbued a hint of coastal art deco, a la Miami. We re-stuccoed the home’s exterior and resurfaced the polished concrete roof deck. Now the former Spanish bungalow is as bright, eclectic, playful, and immediate as Venice Beach itself. Its vibe is part-vintage twee, part California contemporary, with a hint of Mediterranean in the exterior entry tire. But even with these varied influences, the space feels cohesive, clean, and airy. It’s a unique home that radiates the values (health, wellbeing, originality, and good times) of its inhabitants.

Photo: Sarah Greenman © 2013 Houzz
Greenhouse - eclectic detached greenhouse idea in Austin

Example of a large transitional dark wood floor kitchen/dining room combo design in New York with no fireplace and multicolored walls

Photo: Rikki Snyder © 2015 Houzz
Transitional u-shaped dark wood floor open concept kitchen photo in New York with blue cabinets, white backsplash, stainless steel appliances, a peninsula, an undermount sink and shaker cabinets

Photo: Caela McKeever © 2015 Houzz
Example of a transitional kitchen design in Seattle

photos by Susan Teare
Inspiration for an industrial garage remodel in Burlington

Designed By: Richard Bustos Photos By: Jeri Koegel Ron and Kathy Chaisson have lived in many homes throughout Orange County, including three homes on the Balboa Peninsula and one at Pelican Crest. But when the “kind of retired” couple, as they describe their current status, decided to finally build their ultimate dream house in the flower streets of Corona del Mar, they opted not to skimp on the amenities. “We wanted this house to have the features of a resort,” says Ron. “So we designed it to have a pool on the roof, five patios, a spa, a gym, water walls in the courtyard, fire-pits and steam showers.” To bring that five-star level of luxury to their newly constructed home, the couple enlisted Orange County’s top talent, including our very own rock star design consultant Richard Bustos, who worked alongside interior designer Trish Steel and Patterson Custom Homes as well as Brandon Architects. Together the team created a 4,500 square-foot, five-bedroom, seven-and-a-half-bathroom contemporary house where R&R get top billing in almost every room. Two stories tall and with lots of open spaces, it manages to feel spacious despite its narrow location. And from its third floor patio, it boasts panoramic ocean views. “Overall we wanted this to be contemporary, but we also wanted it to feel warm,” says Ron. Key to creating that look was Richard, who selected the primary pieces from our extensive portfolio of top-quality furnishings. Richard also focused on clean lines and neutral colors to achieve the couple’s modern aesthetic, while allowing both the home’s gorgeous views and Kathy’s art to take center stage. As for that mahogany-lined elevator? “It’s a requirement,” states Ron. “With three levels, and lots of entertaining, we need that elevator for keeping the bar stocked up at the cabana, and for our big barbecue parties.” He adds, “my wife wears high heels a lot of the time, so riding the elevator instead of taking the stairs makes life that much better for her.”

A new Seattle modern house designed by chadbourne + doss architects houses a couple and their 18 bicycles. 3 floors connect indoors and out and provide panoramic views of Lake Washington. The stair uses reclaimed wood and steel. The stair winds around an interior wall of backlit translucent fiberglass. photo by Benjamin Benschneider

Inspiration for a coastal laundry room remodel in Seattle

Inspiration for a mid-sized eclectic open concept medium tone wood floor living room remodel in Los Angeles with white walls, no fireplace and no tv

Bathroom - transitional 3/4 white tile and subway tile white floor bathroom idea in New York with shaker cabinets, green cabinets, a wall-mount toilet, white walls, an undermount sink and white countertops

  Download our free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW   Lakefront property in the northwest suburbs of Chicago is hard to come by, so when we were hired by this young family with exactly that, we were immediately inspired by not just the unusually large footprint of this 1950’s colonial revival but also the lovely views of the manmade lake it was sited on. The large 5-bedroom home was solidly stuck in the 1980’s, but we saw tons of potential. We started out by updating the existing staircase with a fresh coat of paint and adding new herringbone slate to the entry hall. The powder room off the entryway also got a refresh - new flooring, new cabinets and fixtures. We ran the new slate right through into this space for some consistency. A fun wallpaper and shiplap trim add a welcoming feel and set the tone for the home. Next, we tackled the kitchen. Located away from the rest of the first floor, the kitchen felt a little isolated, so we immediately began planning for how to better connect it to the rest of the first floor. We landed on removing the wall between the kitchen and dining room and designed a modified galley style space with separate cooking and clean up zones. The cooking zone consists of the refrigerator, prep sink and cooktop, along with a nice long run of prep space at the island. The cleanup side of the kitchen consists of the main sink and dishwasher. Both areas are situated so that the user can view the lake during prep work and cleanup! One of the home’s main puzzles was how to incorporate the mudroom and area in front of the patio doors at the back of the house. We already had a breakfast table area, so the space by the patio doors was a bit of a no man’s land. We decided to separate the kitchen proper from what became the new mudroom with a large set of barn doors. That way you can quickly hide any mudroom messes but have easy access to the light coming in through the patio doors as well as the outdoor grilling station. We also love the impact the barn doors add to the overall space. The homeowners’ first words to us were “it’s time to ditch the brown,” so we did! We chose a lovely blue pallet that reflects the home’s location on the lake which is also vibrant yet easy on the eye. Countertops are white quartz, and the natural oak floor works well with the other honey accents. The breakfast table was given a refresh with new chairs, chandelier and window treatments that frame the gorgeous views of the lake out the back. We coordinated the slate mudroom flooring with that used in the home’s main entrance for a consistent feel. The storage area consists of open and closed storage to allow for some clutter control as needed. Next on our “to do” list was revamping the dated brown bar area in the neighboring dining room. We eliminated the clutter by adding some closed cabinets and did some easy updates to help the space feel more current. One snag we ran into here was the discovery of a beam above the existing open shelving that had to be modified with a smaller structural beam to allow for our new design to work. This was an unexpected surprise, but in the end we think it was well worth it! We kept the colors here a bit more muted to blend with the homeowner’s existing furnishings. Open shelving and polished nickel hardware add some simple detail to the new entertainment zone which also looks out onto the lake! Next we tackled the upstairs starting with the homeowner’s son’s bath. The bath originally had both a tub shower and a separate shower, so we decided to swap out the shower for a new laundry area. This freed up some space downstairs in what used to be the mudroom/laundry room and is much more convenient for daily laundry needs. We continued the blue palette here with navy cabinetry and the navy tile in the shower. Porcelain floor tile and chrome fixtures keep maintenance to a minimum while matte black mirrors and lighting add some depth the design. A low maintenance runner adds some warmth underfoot and ties the whole space together. We added a pocket door to the bathroom to minimize interference with the door swings. The left door of the laundry closet is on a 180 degree hinge to allow for easy full access to the machines. Next we tackled the master bath which is an en suite arrangement. The original was typical of the 1980’s with the vanity outside of the bathroom, situated near the master closet. And the brown theme continued here with multiple shades of brown. Our first move was to segment off the bath and the closet from the master bedroom. We created a short hall from the bedroom to the bathroom with his and hers walk-in closets on the left and right as well as a separate toilet closet outside of the main bathroom for privacy and flexibility. The original bathroom had a giant soaking tub with steps (dangerous!) as well as a small shower that did not work well for our homeowner who is 6’3”. With other bathtubs in the home, they decided to eliminate the tub and create an oversized shower which takes up the space where the old tub was located. The double vanity is on the opposite wall and a bench is located under the window for morning conversations and a place to set a couple of towels. The pallet in here is light and airy with a mix of blond wood, creamy porcelain and marble tile, and brass accents. A simple roman shade adds some texture and it’s top-down mechanism allows for light and privacy. This large whole house remodel gave our homeowners not only the ability to maximize the potential of their home but also created a lovely new frame from which to view their fabulous lake views. Designed by: Susan Klimala, CKD, CBD Photography by: Michael Kaskel For more information on kitchen and bath design ideas go to: www.kitchenstudio-ge.com

Example of a kitchen design in Minneapolis

Photo: Sarah Natsumi Moore © 2014 Houzz
Contemporary gray two-story exterior home idea in Austin

Large transitional formal and enclosed dark wood floor and brown floor living room photo in Los Angeles with white walls and no tv

Bathroom with interior clerestory windows. Photo by Clark Dugger
Inspiration for a small contemporary master white tile and porcelain tile porcelain tile and white floor bathroom remodel in Los Angeles with an undermount sink, medium tone wood cabinets, an undermount tub, a two-piece toilet, white walls and marble countertops

Dining room - farmhouse dining room idea in Minneapolis

A few months after moving into this aging 2200 s.f. 3 bedroom 2 1/2 bath Spanish bungalow, a creative couple decided to renovate to better fit their lifestyle. In phase one, we demo-ed the entire downstairs to create a sunny, open-concept living area with a bar, kitchen, and dining. We also added built-in storage and a powder room, to make the home more functional. When we finished this space, not only did the rooms flow into each other, but the new interior stucco flowed throughout the house. The stucco curved around corners and the edges of ceilings, forming a seamless fireplace mantle and hood, arched passageways, and hollow storage nooks. Phase two included replacing rotting wooden doors and windows with aluminum windows and new French doors. We installed a bubble-gum pink front door with simple cut-outs that, combined with the sensual stucco, imbued a hint of coastal art deco, a la Miami. We re-stuccoed the home’s exterior and resurfaced the polished concrete roof deck. Now the former Spanish bungalow is as bright, eclectic, playful, and immediate as Venice Beach itself. Its vibe is part-vintage twee, part California contemporary, with a hint of Mediterranean in the exterior entry tire. But even with these varied influences, the space feels cohesive, clean, and airy. It’s a unique home that radiates the values (health, wellbeing, originality, and good times) of its inhabitants.