To the untrained eye, the home looked fine. With a little paint and the change of a few finishes, we could create a great house. Then, original intentions turned to grand evolutions. The home’s large rooms were not appropriately sized. The proportions of ceiling heights to room dimensions in some cases mirrored and created a great vortex of space in the interior, only to have a lowered patio cover obscure any view of city lights. Finally, the sighting of the home on the lot didn’t take full advantage of the natural and unobstructed views of the adjacent mountain range.
The design team, which included the owners, was truly a collaborated effort. The removal of 3,500 square feet of saltillo (soft pinkish clay) floor tile created the first impact. That was followed by the redefining of the livable space in the family room and
kitchen area, the removal of a rat track hallway from the garage to the kitchen, and the creation of a new master suite.
Overall the transition is remarkable, yet sadly the implementation was done so seamlessly that first-time guests can’t imagine the work that was done. We have even presented the residents with an old cabinet door so they can show guests how bad it really was.
The remodeling of someone’s home is truly personal, yet in this case, our close working arrangement allowed the owners to create a unique space to serve their living requirements.
