There is no exaggeration to say that I have been waiting for years to share this post with you. If you have followed for a while, you will know that in 2020 we made ourselves in our big dream to renovate a beach house in Malibu. We fell in love with a hectare country with a view of Zuma Beach, with a view of a beautiful horse farm and gardens that are overcrowded with wild roses and olive trees. The breeze wore the scent of jasmine and salt water, and at night the sun sat exactly at the point where the ocean hits the mountains. It was love at first glance.
A few months later we got the keys to the house and our journey started. We have set Doug Burdge, our beloved architect in Malibu, to reinvent the floor plan and add 1,000 square meters. We received all of our ducks in a row and submitted everything into the city. And then started three years of waiting when we let the approval process through the city of Malibu. At that time we did not know how much patience and uncertainty this dream would require us, but everywhere we held up to our vision and refused to give up.
In today's substance I have shared much more about our personal journey and what it taught me, and the selection of emotions that come from the building in a place that was recently shaken by a tragedy. If you want the whole story (including why we are “crazy” enough to build up in a high -risk area), go to post. Here we start the first post in our Renovation through Series because we officially started building!
Since I will share a lot about our Zuma Beach House project in the coming months, this will be the official place where you can follow. I hope that it will be a resource for your own renovation trips as well as a place for inspiration and ideas for those who are as designed as I do. We will bodies about the details: how we designed the kitchen island, exactly what materials we use in every room, and to solve these difficult decisions that occur in every renovation project. And yes, I will also ask you to contain myself.
It feels right to start with a Virts-Eye view: an enlarged look at how the house will change, what we think and what we change, and an overview of the design style and the references that inspired us .
First, that “before”
What to know about the current house:
- 1950s Bungalow in the Ranch-Stil-Obewish.
- 1,400 square meters with two bedrooms and two bathrooms
- 600 square meters of guest house above the garage
- The property is located just below a hectare with a view of Zuma Beach with high -towering palm trees and lush citrus fruits and avocado trees.
Problems with the current house:
- A large electric pole. It was a blow at the center of our beach view. After two years with the city we finally decreased and buried the power lines. It was a big investment, but it was worth opening the view.
- Not a clear front entrance. While there technically Is a front door, it has been used by exactly zero since we bought the house. When you drive into the entrance, the path leads you down directly to the back door. So nobody is entirely sure whether you creep up in front of the house or penetrate directly into the door of our washroom.
- Room deficiency. Apart from the unpleasant floor plan, we also lack space. It is a cozy fit for our family of four. When family or friends stay with us, we burst at the seams. There is also nowhere to work for me and Adam (which is a problem if you both work from home), so that one of us usually calls children in the meantime.
- Closed rooms. When you have seen our Austin house, you know that Adam and I are big on an open layout. We move into an airy atmosphere, so that a house made of small rooms that are separated from each other feel claustrophobic. We can't wait to open this room.
- Low blankets. In my opinion, low blankets are one of the most important things in a house because they are really difficult to change – and often a house can be dark and overcrowded. When we thought about buying this house for the first time, it was a prerequisite that we could increase the ceilings. More on that later.
- Hidden kitchen. For me, the kitchen is the heart and the center of a house, so that a small kitchen is awkwardly integrated into the corner of the house (with dated granite and cupboards), which should first go in every renovation.
I gave a full tour through the old house here and answered a few FAQs about the property and the place if you want to dive deeper.
The renovation plan
- The encore: We add a 1,000 square meter great room (a large open kitchen with living space). Our architect Doug has found Brillant a way to keep the original footprint of the current house, but we will revise the non -loading walls to completely reinterpret the interior plan.
- Create a clear front entrance. As mentioned above, the current house lacks a clear entrance and lets the guests confused where they should go. In the converted layout, we want everyone who arrives in the house know exactly where to park, with a clear plan as they enter. Did you know that there is an actual name for this topic? It is Finding awayAnd includes principles such as creating “well -structured paths” and avoiding “too many navigation decisions”. I am not sure why I'm obsessed with this topic, but I find it endlessly fascinating.
- Open floor plan. For the areas in which we live together as a family, eat and play together, I prefer a wide -open room that preferably opens up to nature. If you continue to read, you will find out how we achieve this with a 1000 square meter addition, which is basically a large kitchen.
- Vaulted ceiling. When we considered buying this house, I knew that we had to be able to increase the blankets for the investment. Fortunately, it was not too complicated here, especially since we keep it in a story. We will spread the ceilings, which means that we extend into the triangular space between a ceiling and the top of the roof. This not only helps the rooms to feel bigger than they actually are, but also leaves more natural light in every room.
- Room for guests. While we wanted to hold this a fairly modest house, we also knew that this was a place where we expected family families and friends in the coming years. By adding a guest suite and a floor room, we made space for another four to five people to stay with our family in the main house.
- Large kitchen for entertainment. Since the kitchen is my lucky place, I would of course want to be able to spend time with it, surrounded by family and friends. I need a kitchen that is big enough to accommodate cooking projects, recipe photo shoots and many people, as most dinner parties are all gathered on the island. Based on the current, hidden corner kitchen, I knew that this would require a complete reinterpretation of the room.
- Natural light. The current house already has a big light, but we knew that by lifting the blankets and adding more windows and doors into the back of the house we could create a still flooded room.
The style: Japandi Modern Beach House
We call that a Japandi modern beach house Because it combines minimalism, clear lines and natural materials of the Scandinavian design with the warmth, calm and focus on craftsmanship from Japanese design. Our priorities are simplicity, functionality and harmony and bring together the interiors and nature in the seamless river. We want this house to feel like a sanctuary and use natural materials, neutral tones and handmade details.
((Here is another article that I wrote about Japandi design and how to create here in your own home.)))
The visualizations: where we are going
We worked with the team in the Yousee Studio to create realistic 3D renderings of our plans so that we can really visualize what we create. I can't recommend this process enough. It has not only allowed us to make classic decisions about architecture, but also that we can test various materials and room layouts, have already saved us from several decisions that we would have regretted.
I can hardly wait to share these visualizations of each room in the house while we go through the design process in the next few months – we can take a look at different comparisons and options, while we make all these final decisions to bring the project to life .
Here is the real estate overview that shows the new appearance. On the left you can see the great room additive with the outdoor terrace. The right side is the existing house, which becomes the bedrooms, bathrooms and the media room.
Characteristics of our modern beach house in Japandi:
It is important for Adam and me that each element of this project is a deliberate mix of beauty and functionality. Here are some design decisions that lead the entire project:
Outer design:
- Scandinavian inspired wooden cladding. We use beautiful Redwood from Humboldt Sawmill Company in Northern California.
- Large windows and doors that blur the boundaries between interior and free.
- Well sheet roof and gives the minimalist design a contemporary edge.
Inner material:
- Natural wood floors and cupboards for warmth and texture. Our floors come from Stuga, a wooden floor company based in the USA who works with Scandinavian manufacturers.
- Stone accent walls that reflect the area and the surroundings. I can't wait to show you the stone that we selected from Eldorado Stone – it is beautiful and will be such a statement.
- Simple functional layouts that maximize space and light.
Design philosophy:
- A focus on natural elements such as olive and citrus trees, agaves and local grasses in the landscape.
- A neutral range of black, wood, creamy plaster, concrete and stone for a soothing atmosphere.
- A focus on craftsmanship and high -quality, long -lasting materials.
Overall atmosphere:
- A mixture of Scandinavian hygge (cosiness) with Japanese Wabi-Sabi (beauty in imperfection).
- Rooms for peace, relaxation and connection to nature.