It’s no exaggeration to say that I’ve been ready to share this submit with you for years. In case you’ve been following for some time, you’ll know that in 2020, we went all in on our massive dream to renovate a beach house in Malibu. We fell in love with an acre of land overlooking Zuma Seashore, with views of a fantastic horse farm and gardens overflowing with wild roses and olive timber. The breezes carried the scent of jasmine and salt water, and at evening the solar set simply on the level the place the ocean meets the mountains. It was love at first sight.
A few months later, we acquired the keys to the home and our journey started. We employed Doug Burdge, our beloved Malibu-based architect, to reinvent the ground plan and add 1,000 sq. toes. We acquired all our geese in a row and submitted every little thing to town. After which started three years of ready as we slogged by means of the allowing course of with the Metropolis of Malibu. We didn’t know on the time how a lot persistence and uncertainty this dream of ours would require, however all through, we held tightly to our imaginative and prescient and refused to surrender.
In my Substack today, I shared much more about our private journey and what it taught me, and the vary of feelings that come from constructing in a spot that’s so not too long ago been rocked by tragedy. In order for you the total story (together with why we’re “loopy” sufficient to construct in a high-risk space) head over to the submit. Over right here, we’re kicking off the primary submit in our Renovation Diaries collection, as a result of now we have formally begun development!
Since I’m going to have quite a bit to share about our Zuma Seashore Home venture within the coming months, this would be the official spot the place you possibly can comply with alongside. My hope is that, for these of you who’re as design-obsessed as me, it can change into a useful resource to your personal renovation journeys, in addition to a spot for inspiration and concepts. We’ll be getting granular on the main points: how we designed the kitchen island, precisely what supplies we’re utilizing in each house, and fixing these difficult selections that come up in each renovation venture. And sure, I’ll be asking you to weigh in, too.
It feels proper to start with a birds-eye view: a zoomed-out have a look at how the home will change, what we’re holding and what we’re altering, and an summary of the design type and references which have impressed us.
First, the “Earlier than”
What to know in regards to the present home:
- 1950’s ranch-style bungalow—though it has some charming parts, this home is basically all in regards to the property.
- 1,400 sq. toes with two bedrooms and two bogs
- 600-square-foot visitor home above the storage
- The property is just below an acre overlooking Zuma Seashore, with towering palm timber and luxurious citrus and avocado timber.
Points with the present home:
- A big electrical pole. It was smack dab within the middle of our seaside view. After two years of working with town, we lastly acquired it taken down and had the ability traces buried. It was a significant funding, however so price it to open up the view.
- No clear entrance entrance. Whereas there technically is a entrance door, it’s been utilized by precisely zero folks since we purchased the home. Whenever you pull into the driveway, the trail leads you down a sidewalk straight to the again door. So, nobody is kind of positive whether or not to circle round to the entrance of the home, or enter straight into the door of our laundry room.
- Lack of house. Other than the awkward ground plan, we’re additionally missing house usually. It’s a comfortable match for our household of 4, so when household or buddies come to stick with us, we’re bursting on the seams. There’s additionally nowhere for me and Adam to work (which is an issue once you each earn a living from home), so one among us often finally ends up taking calls from the bed room whereas the opposite sits on the kitchen desk with Air Pods in, praying that the youngsters gained’t get right into a combat within the meantime.
- Closed-off rooms. In case you’ve seen our Austin house, you recognize that Adam and I are massive on an open structure. We gravitate towards an ethereal vibe, so a home made up of small rooms which are separated from one another makes us really feel claustrophobic. We will’t wait to open this house up.
- Low ceilings. In my view, low ceilings are some of the regarding issues a few home as a result of they are often actually troublesome to vary—and infrequently, can result in a home feeling darkish and crowded. So, once we first thought of the acquisition of this home, ensuring that we’d be capable to increase the ceilings was a prerequisite. Extra on that later.
- Tucked-away kitchen. For me, the kitchen is the guts and middle of a house, so having a small kitchen awkwardly tucked into the nook of the home (with dated granite and cabinetry) was going to be the very first thing to go in any renovation.
I gave a full tour of the old house here and answered a bunch of FAQs in regards to the property and site, if you wish to dive deeper.
The Renovation Plan
- The addition: We’ll add a 1,000 sq. foot nice room (a big open kitchen with residing house). Our architect Doug brilliantly discovered a technique to maintain the unique footprint of the present home, however we’ll rework the non-load-bearing partitions to utterly reimagine the inside ground plan.
- Create a transparent entrance entrance. As talked about above, the present home lacks a transparent entrance and leaves visitors confused about the place they need to go. Within the reworked structure, we would like anybody who arrives on the home to know precisely the place to park, with a transparent plan for methods to enter. Do you know there’s an precise title for this subject? It’s wayfinding, and consists of rules like creating “well-structured paths” and avoiding “too many navigational selections.” Undecided why I’m obsessive about this subject, however I discover it endlessly fascinating.
- Open ground plan. For the areas the place we reside, eat, and play collectively as a household, I favor a wide-open house that ideally opens to the outdoors. In case you maintain studying, you’ll learn how we’re reaching that with a 1,000-square-foot addition that’s principally one massive kitchen.
- Vaulted ceilings. Once we thought of buying this home, I knew that for the funding, we’d want to have the ability to increase the ceilings. Fortunately it wasn’t too difficult right here, particularly since we’re holding it to 1 story. We’ll be vaulting the ceilings, which implies that we’re extending into the triangular house between the place a ceiling would usually sit and the highest of the roof. This is not going to solely assist the rooms really feel bigger than they really are, however it’ll additionally let extra pure gentle into every house.
- Room for visitors. Whereas we needed to maintain this a reasonably modest-sized home, we additionally knew that this was a spot we anticipated internet hosting household and buddies for years to return. By including a visitor suite and a bunk room, we’d make room for a further 4 to 5 folks to stick with our household in the principle home.
- Huge kitchen for entertaining. For the reason that kitchen is my completely happy place, I naturally need to have the ability to spend time in it surrounded by household and buddies. I want a kitchen massive sufficient to accommodate cooking tasks, recipe picture shoots, and plenty of folks, since most dinner parties find yourself with everybody gathered across the island. Primarily based on the present tucked-away nook kitchen, I knew this could require an entire reimagining of the house.
- Pure gentle. The present home already has nice gentle, however we knew that by elevating the ceilings and including extra home windows and doorways to the again of the home, we may create an much more light-filled house.
The Model: Japandi Trendy Seashore Home
We’re calling this a Japandi Trendy Seashore Home as a result of it combines the minimalism, clear traces, and pure supplies of Scandinavian design with the heat, tranquility, and give attention to craftsmanship from Japanese design. Our priorities are simplicity, performance, and concord, bringing the indoors and outdoor collectively in a seamless circulation. We wish this home to really feel like a sanctuary, utilizing pure supplies, impartial tones, and handcrafted particulars.
(Right here’s one other article I wrote about Japandi design and methods to create it in your individual dwelling here.)
The Visualizations: The place We’re Headed
We’ve been working with the staff at YouSee Studio to create lifelike 3D renderings of our plans so we will actually visualize what we’re creating. I can’t suggest this course of sufficient. Not solely has it allowed us to make spacial selections in regards to the structure, however having the ability to take a look at out totally different supplies and room layouts has already saved us from a number of selections we might have regretted.
I can’t wait to share these visualizations of every house in the home as we undergo the design course of over the subsequent few months—we’ll be capable to have a look at totally different comparisons and choices collectively as we make all these ultimate selections to convey the venture to life.
Right here’s the property overview that reveals the brand new exterior. To the left, you possibly can see the nice room addition with the out of doors terrace. The correct aspect is the present home that turns into the bedrooms, bogs, and media room.
Options of our Japandi Trendy Seashore Home:
It’s essential to Adam and me that each component of this venture is an intentional mix of magnificence and performance. Listed below are a couple of design selections which are guiding all the venture:
Exterior Design:
- Scandinavian-inspired wooden cladding. We’re utilizing stunning redwood from Humboldt Sawmill Company in Northern California.
- Massive home windows and doorways that blur the traces between indoors and outdoor.
- Corrugated metallic roofing, including a up to date edge to the minimalist design.
Inside Supplies:
- Pure wooden floors and cabinetry for heat and texture. Our flooring are by Stuga, a direct-to-consumer wooden flooring firm that’s primarily based within the US and works with Scandinavian producers.
- Stone accent partitions that floor the house and replicate the encircling atmosphere. I can’t wait to indicate you guys the stone that we selected from Eldorado Stone—it’s attractive and will probably be such an announcement.
- Easy, practical layouts that maximize house and lightweight.
Design Philosophy:
- A give attention to pure parts like olive and citrus timber, agave, and native grasses within the panorama.
- A impartial coloration palette of black, wooden, creamy plaster, concrete, and stone for a chilled vibe.
- An emphasis on craftsmanship and high-quality, long-lasting supplies.
Total Environment:
- A mix of Scandinavian hygge (coziness) with Japanese wabi-sabi (magnificence in imperfection).
- Areas designed for peace, rest, and connection to nature.
