Category Archives: Mid-Century Modern

Mid Century Marvelous

Posted on November 28, 2016 by admin.

I recently fell down the extremely enjoyable rabbit hole of researching this piece and after reveling in all that is Mid Century for several weeks, hardly know where to begin.

As a teen and young adult, the style was not high on my list of favorites. Two or three decades after it’s heyday, it just looked “old” or “dated” and perhaps something my parents might have liked. But “sooner or later, everything old is new again.” and I’ve come to love the mid-century style. Walls of glass, clerestory windows, flat planes, the blurring of lines from indoor to out, and organic materials in the open spaces all beckon to me as a place where I’d want to live. The style is iconic but far-reaching, and many different tastes can be satisfied within this style of homes built primarily between 1940 and 1970. Many Mid-century houses utilized then-groundbreaking post and beam architectural design that eliminated bulky support walls in favor of walls seemingly made of glass. Mid Century Modern is not just a trend popularized by Mad Men, although the show definitely sparked new interest as well as reminding many of their love for this style. It is a significant design movement, propelled by the amazing minds and talents of designers and architects such as Charles & Ray Eames, George Fred Keck, his brother Willam Keck, Henry P. Glass, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, and developer Joseph Eichler. Oh, so much to share with you, so much to learn! If you have a few weeks to spare, I highly recommend venturing into your own research of this style.

A house properly designed will have a certain intangible “feel” to it. When the proportions of a room are correct, you know it without knowing it. When the site is thoughtfully considered to the building itself, it makes such a huge difference as opposed to “Plan B-reversed” plopped down every 4th house, regardless of where the sun rises or the breezes come from. One home that I really enjoyed spending time in recently was 44 Palermo Walk on Naples Island in Long Beach. Designed by architects Power and Daniel, this original Mid Century is elegant by design. The clean lines and soaring great room ceiling have the perfect feel to them. The house is on a slightly wedge-shaped lot, which adds interest to the focal-point courtyard. The house is L-shaped with the garage at the rear, accessed by an alley. The water is super close and there’s a little park just a block away as well. The neighborhood is typical beach-tight but missing all of the frantic-ness of a tourist-destination type of beach. Inside the house or in the courtyard, all you feel is a peaceful oasis. The lack of clutter, both architecturally and possession-wise is refreshing and calming. I loved the bar and it’s original accouterments (built in blender base!) and immediately began planning my next cocktail party, but I would want to change out the countertops and appliances. The layout was great, with the kitchen accessible and open to the great room, but just a little tucked away in case it isn’t super tidy. One wall of the kitchen was a sliding glass door to the courtyard, making barbecues a breeze. One of my favorite features of this house was the bigger of the two master suites upstairs. This room could look over the great room in a loft-style way, or have privacy simply by sliding the built-in shoji screens to open or close one wall of the room! I loved this feature! If I had a magic wand to wave to make this home a perfect 10 hearts, I’d be adding a fireplace in the living room, bringing the laundry in from the garage (there’s a perfect storage hallway behind the kitchen right next to the downstairs bathroom). updating the kitchen counters and appliances, and modernizing some of the behind-the-scenes things like plumbing and electrical, just to ensure a long and happy future with this dream home of the 60’s. As it currently stands, 44 Palermo Walk is a swanky 8-1/2 hearts.

two story great room. sliding screens can open up or close off the master bedroom above.

another view of that fabulous feature

everything in the right proportions, including the artwork

love this bar at the side of the kitchen!

beautiful display cabinet for a well-stocked bar or just display

peaceful and private courtyard

built in dressing area in the master bedroom

the “second master” with it’s spacious deck

striking in it’s simplicity

Mid Century Modern homes do not have to be campy time capsules, full of shag carpeting and kitchens wallpapered with pictures of mushrooms or sunbursts. True, some are lovingly preserved in their original splendor. That seems especially prevalent in areas where there are entire tracts of these architectural gems and the owners tend to fiercely protect the originality of the home and the neighborhood, such as the Cliff May Ranchos in Long Beach or the Fairhaven Eichlers in Orange. MCMs who don’t share that same safety in numbers are often more updated over time to keep up with the Joneses. They keep their mid-century roots but may be more modern in amenities or finishes. Many are fresh, crisp and feel as new as the day their first family pulled up in a brand-new 1964 Plymouth station wagon.

Below are a few of my favorite Mid Century Moderns on the market today.

31741 Grand Canyon Drive in Laguna Niguel. Very classic, well maintained, and plenty of room in the price to do even more updates.

2867 Belden Drive in Los Angeles. Commercial-looking from the outside, (which I loved), modern, yet classic inside.

7536 Kimdale Lane in Los Angeles. Taking a page straight out of Palm Springs architecture with flat roof lines, a gorgeous yard and pool, and a fabulous turquoise front door. This house was a well-executed mix of current and classic.

4720 Cortland Drive in Corona del Mar. This home is has the classic clerestory windows to grab your attention from the street as well as a turquoise dutch door into the courtyard. Do you know what I love more than a courtyard? That’s right, a courtyard with a pool! This house has it all, with a fresh, fun, welcoming feel and abundant space and light.

Mid Century Modern is honest and sophisticated, but never pretentious. One of the defining tenets of this style of architecture is that a fulfilling, healthy life begins at home. The very design of the homes encourages you to connect with your environment as well as those you share the home with; ideas that may have been ahead of their time in the middle of the 20th century, but are so crucial to healthy happy living today.

I again urge you to learn more about this fabulous style. If you really want to bathe yourself in Mid Century Modern, look into Palm Springs modern architecture.

See you at the bottom of the rabbit hole,

Ophelia

Champagne Problems

Posted on September 29, 2016 by admin.

I have a friend who calls them Champagne Problems. You’ll get all huffy and puffy, complaining about something that is ruining your day, or worse, “your life”, and he’ll shake his head and say “champagne problems”… and put you in your place. You know, when your cordless vacuum won’t hold a charge for more than 5 minutes or when your Apple Watch makes a rash on your wrist. Champagne Problems. When 3 days of hot weather “ruins” pumpkin spice season, or when the laundry is in the garage. Yes, Ophelia is guilty of complaining about Champagne Problems!

Really, aren’t we all lucky that we aren’t headed down to the river to wash our clothes on a rock? (I’m not even sure how that works, but I’ve heard stories that people do that) And when the dining room is “too far” from the kitchen, aren’t we lucky that both of those rooms exist and that the house is big enough to allow them to be so far apart? Real Estate is a rapidly appreciating asset, especially in our area! Even if our houses aren’t our ideal dream, they are increasing in value every day and are a roof over our heads every night. How lucky we are!

I’ve written about the deal breakers, but here’s the flip side. There are things that may seem like a negative feature but, really? If you take a step back, they’re really just Champagne Problems.

My first “Champagne Problems” house for the week is 2593 Willo Lane in Costa Mesa. Despite being located on a street with an odd spelling of a word we all thought we knew, this house has a lot going for it! It is spacious, spacious, spacious, without feeling cavernous or pretentious. The city is Costa Mesa but the property is a few blocks from the Newport Beach border, Back Bay, and all that area has to offer. The 8,400 square foot lot has a beautiful majestic tree that is the centerpiece of the backyard and was one of my favorite features. It is described as “Cliff May inspired” and the house holds great architectural appeal. The vaulted ceiling in the living room has clerestory windows that give both the living room and the upstairs master an open, airy feeling. So what exactly are the Champagne Problems? The biggest is that it is located under the take-off pattern from John Wayne airport. Was there noise? Yes, but the house was still oddly peaceful. I couldn’t quite understand the contradiction of this house so close to the airport having such a private and serene “feel” to it. It may have been that giant tree in the back yard that watches over the house with it’s long branches, stretching out for protection. The house has recently been updated and the cabinets and counter tops didn’t have the highest quality feel. That said, they are brand-new cabinets and counter tops, as well as appliances. It’s hard to complain about that. The master suite has a bit of a quirky layout, with some bright yellow and blue tile in the giant tub and separate shower. Champagne problems. It’s a huge tub, separate shower, has a great big closet, some built-in drawers, and a balcony off the bathroom! Yes, the laundry was in the garage. And there was no direct access from the garage to the house. I started making mental plans to move the laundry inside, perhaps up to the big quirky master bath, but until that happened, I could walk myself out to my clean, carpeted garage and be grateful that I wasn’t hefting my laundry bag over my shoulder and getting on the city bus to the laundromat with a sock full of a quarters.

I give 2593 Willo Lane an easy 7 hearts out of 10. It is welcoming, interesting, full of details and interest, and lives much larger than it’s 2182 square feet. ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

welcoming exterior

beautifully designed, drought tolerant front yard

kitchen with loads of counter space and storage

love this wet bar, close to the kitchen, dining, and living rooms

master bedroom is actually a loft, open to the living room below, with an ever-so-useful built in desk.

master shower and the edge of the coordinating tub

tub (yep, blue with a yellow racing stripe) with a private balcony beyond

view of the backyard, my favorite tree, and the little storage unit or cabana beyond

view from the master balcony of the backyard, my favorite tree, and the little storage unit or cabana beyond

The second house of the week that is experiencing a few Champagne Problems is 1535 Caribbean Way in Laguna Beach. This home is “contemporary ranch” style and holds great appeal for anyone who appreciates minimalism. Gallery white walls, polished concrete floors, an unexpected surprise pool in the front courtyard and serene ocean views from the other side of the house. One of my favorite features was the transom window above the front door that can pivot open with the door or swing independently if desired. At “only” 1524 square feet, it’s not for everyone (although most of our parents grew up in far smaller with plenty of siblings!) There were plans laid out in the kitchen for an expansion plan that capitalized on the hillside part of the lot, allowing the house to have a “proper” master suite, in case you were insulted by the current one. The minimal aesthetic meant that storage felt a little tight, especially in the kitchen, where there were no upper cabinets. An easy fix would be open shelving, but there was certainly room to install upper cabinets if you desired. Secondary bedrooms were on the “pool side” of the house, but only had windows in that direction. I’d love to have sliders out to the pool. The house was fairly high in the hills, up some windy roads, but did I mention the fabulous ocean views and breezes? And if I really wanted to nitpick the details, I would wish that the pool were on the side of the house that had the ocean views, but that is a definite Champagne Problem!

I give 1535 Caribbean Way 7 hearts. The house had a great feel, gorgeous views, a nice pool and jacuzzi, and some beautiful quality finishes and details. The exterior was somewhat nondescript and the floor plan didn’t hold any real excitement but it didn’t have any glaring flaws either. ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

surprise pool. something of a rarity in Laguna Beach and completely unexpected behind the front wall and gate.

beautiful white-on-white kitchen

I love the thick edge of the counter top and the way the fridge sits into the wall

living room and view of the hills beyond

cool fireplace detail

oh, this front door!

lovely sunny patio right off the kitchen and living room. great place for dining al fresco

Despite the recent hot spell, Fall is here. Thanksgiving is approaching, but do we need to wait for the end of November to be grateful for all of the luxuries in our lives? If you are purchasing a home, any home, aren’t you already living the American dream? If you are reading this blog, you must have some sort of electronic device that allows you to do so – how lucky you are! If you have the privilege to be surfing the web on a personal computer or laptop, you are, indeed, more privileged than 95 percent of the world’s population. If you still aren’t convinced that you are lucky, here is another statistic for you: More than 80% of the world’s population lives on $10 a day. The next time your problems get you down, ask yourself if perhaps they are just Champagne Problems. Enjoy our lovely weather, hug a loved one, and have a great week!

Ophelia

Deal-Breakers

Posted on September 2, 2016 by admin.

Deal Breakers… You know, the non-negotiables. You’re on a first date and getting to know the person when they happen to mention that they stabbed their ex with a kitchen knife over a burnt piece of toast. Deal Breaker. Or you go to an Open House that you’re really excited about because it’s totally in the price range and the style of the house is just so you. But then you arrive and find out that the back yard is all of 5 feet deep and on the other side of that block wall is the 405 freeway. Deal Breaker.

I showed some pictures of a gorgeous kitchen to a friend of mine.

It was huge, with acres of quartz counter tops and a tiled-in brick arch over the expansive cooking area. She loves to cook and I thought she’d dig it. She agreed it was pretty but said “I can’t stand to have my back to everyone when I cook. I need to be able to see everyone.” What I thought was a selling point was actually a deal breaker for her.

For my father, noise is a deal breaker. If it’s too close to the flight path or a busy road, he’s out. For me, insufficient closet space or ill-placed laundry are certainly going to give me pause.

But in reality, actual Deal Breakers are few and far between. If you love the house enough, there’s are aspects you’ll overlook. Maybe it’s selling for a great price in that school district you’ve been dying to get into. You can probably live with the 80’s kitchen for a while if the other features are great. So what are they called if they aren’t Deal Breakers? Affection Dissipators? That doesn’t really roll off the tongue. Let’s call them Stumbling Blocks.

Your Stumbling Blocks will weigh into your overall feeling toward the house. If there are enough great selling points tipping the scales in the other direction, your stumbling blocks may feel minimized. In the “three I’ve truly loved“, two of them had laundry rooms inside, one did not. The one that didn’t had so many other selling points that I was willing to overlook it. The other two definitely checked the box of “inside laundry room” and one was such a dream (huge and right next to the master closet) that it was one of the positives tipping the scales away from any Stumbling Blocks. (For the record, I can’t think of a single Stumbling Block on that one. My father didn’t like the airplane noise but I was so enchanted I couldn’t even hear it.)

420 Osgood Court in Laguna Beach is a true charmer. Great style, wonderful location, quality finishes, interesting features… I’d seen the online pictures and thought “what a great price for a place so close to the beach in Laguna!” so I had to hit the Open House. I found Osgood Court, parked nearby, and instantly loved the exterior. Horizontal, varnished wood siding, with a concrete planter made it feel modern, clean, and well-executed. Inside was no let-down, either. The kitchen was white with marble counter tops, frosted glass doors, and a subway-tile back splash. The cooktop faced the living room and the farmhouse sink looked out a window. The house is small, but friendly and efficient. The house had a wonderful feel to it. Such an intangible, but so important. It was very peaceful and relaxing to be there. The current owners very cleverly turned a screen porch into an open-air office, and there was a small but private and tranquil outdoor space. Originally just a 1 bathroom, they carved out enough space to add a powder room. Phew! For me, a 1-bathroom is an actual Deal Breaker. I may still look at a 1-bathroom house, but if I can’t find a place to add at least a powder room, I’m out. Then, of course, I had to ask… “Where is the laundry?” The answer broke my heart a little. It was outside, facing the carport/parking space. They’d enclosed it nicely, with the same wood siding as the house. Truly, everything was well thought out and top notch on Osgood, but I just couldn’t with that. I had to move on. This house is a perfect vacation home, or great for a single person or couple who don’t share in my laundry hang-ups. The everyday living is relaxed but refined and I love the green walls. I loved the exterior, the obvious high quality work they’d put into the place, the floors, the kitchen… The scales began to tip a bit simply due to the small size (970 square feet) but the outdoor laundry (and literally no way to move it in) was unfortunately the deal breaker, and the heart breaker.

Cute little Osgood Court gets 7 hearts from me. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

kitchen and front door beyond. great finishes and efficiency!

view from the kitchen into the living room and toward the yard.

the back yard. wonderful place to relax and barbecue

the bathroom. if there can only be one shower, it’s nice to have this kind of quality!

parking space and laundry behind those hinged doors. :-(

700 Poppy certainly did not have the issue of being too small! This is a gorgeous “modern farmhouse” home of nearly 2400 square feet. The Deal Breaker for me was the floor plan. I’d looked at this house online, loved it, and couldn’t wait to go through the Open House. It’s at the top corner of the village, backing to Buck Gulley, with views toward the ocean as well. Oh, I was so excited to see it in person! The house is 3 stories, with the garage being the middle level. As you enter from street level and a spacious front yard/patio, you find yourself in a huge and beautiful kitchen, with high ceilings. There is an eating bar for 3, which is where you would likely have 100% of your meals. The living and dining rooms were a half level above the kitchen! I cannot imagine anyone carrying their dinner up 7 stairs and running back down to get the salt, butter, or seconds. This was a huge design flaw, in my opinion. Also on the street/entry level were the powder room and (I think) the laundry room. I was so thrown by the inconvenient dining room that I wasn’t paying much attention to the laundry. (Weird, right?) Above the garage was a bedroom with it’s own bath. All of the highest quality finishes and capturing a nice view of the village. The master suite was a half level down from the kitchen and entry. Oh, the master suite! I would spend all of my time here. The bathroom was huge and luxurious, and not only was there a big tub (with a lovely light fixture above) in the bathroom, but there was a second soaking tub out on the balcony! The balcony called to me to spend endless hours out there, looking over the lower part of the yard and into Buck Gulley. On the lowest level was another bedroom, a great flat yard with adirondack chairs and a fire pit, and an office or sitting room. I was baffled by this. Why wasn’t it a bathroom? Whoever lives or stays in this bedroom has to come up 1-1/2 flights of stairs to simply use the powder room. If they want to shower, they have to go up another flight of stairs and through someone else’s bedroom! This made zero sense to me. Perhaps it’s an easy fix, to turn the office/sitting room on the lowest level into a bathroom for that bedroom. There’s certainly space for it. I just can’t understand why it wasn’t constructed that way in the first place. I wanted SO much to love this place – it was absolutely gorgeous, in a great location. But all of the ups and downs left me feeling down and the layout was just a Deal Breaker for me.

It’s difficult to assign hearts to Poppy because the location and quality are so great, but the layout is so inefficient if you have more than 3 people living there. It kills me to only give this beautiful house 7 hearts, but 8 just seems too high. 7-1/2 hearts for 700 Poppy.

beautiful kitchen. that backsplash!

living room with nice west-facing clerestory windows.

dining room. pretty, but unfortunately far from the food.

secondary bedroom at the front of the house

make a choice, master bath straight ahead or turn left for the balcony

make a choice, master bath straight ahead or step out onto the balcony

love the balcony bathtub!

the master suite balcony has a view of the yard below

What’s on your list of Deal Breakers and what’s just a Stumbling Block? What can you simply not live without and what would you rather not sacrifice? Share your thoughts in the comments below, or give Ross a call to discuss and let him find you a home where you won’t have to compromise!

Ophelia

Yearbook Superlatives

Posted on July 25, 2016 by admin.

With the rapid approach of my high school reunion (never mind which year), I have been strolling down memory lane and marveling at the simplicity and innocence that life once had. How was it that we were able to sum up our classmates in just a few words? How did we choose, in a graduating class of over 500 people, who had the “best eyes” and who were the “most likely to succeed”? And what does that even mean? In high school, future success was definitely equated with a beautiful spouse, a fast car, and a killer house. Well, I can’t help you with the spouse or the car, but I can tell you about a few killer houses, in high school yearbook terms.

Best Smile You know the category – maybe it’s “Best Eyes” or “Best Legs”, but it’s the idea that you have one feature so great, you should be in the yearbook for that accomplishment. In theory, someone could actually have the ugliest legs but the best smile and still be featured for that spectacular smile alone. Of course, it never really worked that way, and if you saw the pictures without the captions, you wouldn’t really know which of the superlatives they captured. This week’s “Best Smile” house is 17271 Chatham Lane in the Brightwater area of Huntington Beach. The standout feature of this house is the outdoor space: the backyard and side courtyard. This particular housing tract doesn’t have the most plentiful outdoor space, so it’s even more impressive what they’ve done with this yard! The whole house is nice, well-decorated, and very livable, but probably wouldn’t win Best Anything in your high school yearbook. But when you combine an attractive home with a Standout Backyard, you suddenly have everyone wanting your autograph. In this backyard, there was a pool with a baja shelf, a spa with a waterfall into the pool, a built-in barbecue with an eating bar, a lowered fireplace area with built-in seating, and the side courtyard had a built-in raised table, with a fire and ice bowl in the center, and water that cascades down the sides of the base. Impressive! If outdoor living is a priority for you, you enjoy entertaining, and want an extremely low-maintenance exterior, this is your home!

I wish this home were just a tiny bit bigger, with just a bit more space in the side yards between houses, but for the price, I think it is a spectacular buy. I give it an easy 7 hearts out of 10, plus the award of “Best Feature”. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

built-in barbecue and raised eating counter to the right

a beautiful nook to enjoy an evening by the fire

swimming pool and raised spa

rich espresso cabinets pair nicely with the stainless steel appliances

sitting room just off the entry

a quintessential “house” house; the kind you drew in kindergarten whenever you drew a house and long to call home.

Most Likely To Succeed Does this honor ever go to someone who hasn’t already succeeded? After all, isn’t past success the best indicator of future success? So the “weird” guy that no one really understood but everyone said was super smart is far less likely to have his picture in the yearbook than the kid who was class president for 3 years running and was captain of the debate team. 3181 Remora Drive in Huntington Harbor is already a winner. It’s on the water with a 40′ boat dock and is in immaculate condition! However, what really sets this property head and shoulders above the rest is the incredible potential for the price. Someone is absolutely going to snap this home up and turn it into a masterpiece. This is a lovely home, with lots of outdoor space for entertaining or relaxing. The bedrooms are all upstairs, two with high ceilings and a direct view of the water. The kitchen could use updating, but really has some exciting potential. This house was sparkling clean and appeared to be in excellent condition. I need to make friends with whoever latches onto this success story. I’d love to spend some time on that deck, enjoying the water and watching the boats go by.

I give this house 7-1/2 hearts, many of them for pure potential for Success. I would have gone up to 8 if the neighborhood weren’t so tight, and the guest parking situation were a bit easier.

view beyond your own boat dock

fire ring and barbecue on the side patio, off the kitchen

master bedroom fireplace

living room

view from the living room, through the screen door, out to the waterfront patio. this place could be so spectacular!

Best Dressed Ah, my favorite… best dressed. This one is controversial because it’s a matter of taste and one person’s Gucci may hold absolutely no appeal for someone else. That kid in Junior High who got “Best Dressed” was soooo preppy (::eye roll::) and all of the surfers were not having it! I am a huge fan of gallery white walls. White, white, white with pops of color totally makes my day. I was walking through a boring (in my opinion) taupe-y home with my dad and he said “This is a nice color. At least it’s not that ‘punch-you-in-the-eye white’.” and I was thinking “this just looks dirty”. So to each his own. You can’t please everyone. My winner for Best Dressed of the weekend is 1001 Hampshire Lane in Newport Beach. I adore absolutely everything about this house, but I really admire that they didn’t “dress it down” for sale and take away the exciting and different touches that make it unique. If someone doesn’t like a feature, they can change it once they own it, but in the meantime, lets all enjoy the daring unique style of this masterpiece. I encourage you to look at the listing for the professional shots of this one. My snaps don’t do it justice. It has bright white walls, dark floors, touches of gold, and really daring wallpaper! Some of my favorite features are the niche for the firewood behind the fireplace, the all glass front door and ingenious front “doorknob”, the onyx fireplace surround (so intriguing you can’t help but touch it), and the spectacular dream backyard.

I love this one immensely, and if it were in my price range I would live there without any hesitation whatsoever. I give Hampshire Lane 10 hearts out of 10 ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

yes, boys and girls, this is the front door!

view from the top of the stairs, across the sunny living room, and out to the pool

pool + jacuzzi + fire pit = heaven

way cool kitchen

view from the kitchen, past the firewood storage and stairs, toward the front door

I love this living room so much – the high ceilings, the mcm light fixture, the glass railings above, and all of that sunlight!

upstairs bedroom with cool wallpaper and groovy lamp

What sort of personality traits does your house show? Is it winning any awards? Is it time to look around for one that does? Give Ross a call!

Have a good week and get lots of signatures in your yearbook! I hope you’re having the best summer ever! Stay sweet,

Ophelia

Sometimes My Imagination Do Go Wild

Posted on June 13, 2016 by admin.

Years ago I had the opportunity to produce some videos for a lovely lady with big ideas. English was not her first language and she had surprising and fun ways of expressing herself. After we completed the first project, she emailed me with grandiose ideas for the next one. She concluded the email with something of an apology/explanation for her ramlbings, saying: “sometimes my imagination do go wild.” Despite the grammar, it has been one of my favorite sayings ever since, although usually just inside my head.

Which houses make your imagination go wild? You know the ones, where you just can’t stop visualizing what it could be? Sometimes it’s not even realistic, the dreams you dream, but you let them roll around in your head anyway.

A project is a project and not everyone is down for that. I always love the idea of it though. because it usually means you’re getting a better price than a place that’s move-in perfect, and it means the final product is something that you’ve chosen, something that you dreamed up (perhaps with the help of a professional), and something that works for your life, not the last owner’s. I am forever moving walls in my mind and every time I see a tile kitchen I get out my mental safety goggles and sledgehammer.

It’s not every house that makes my imagination go wild; they have to have the potential to be fantastic when I’m finished with them. One of my current favorites is 2100 Baycrest Road in Newport Beach. Oh, the potential! Part of the appeal is that the current owners weren’t afraid to take chances and there is already a great deal of quality finishes and exciting features in the house. Dark floors and walls, high white-beamed ceilings, interesting light fixtures, great artwork, and a gorgeous huge pool in the backyard. Tops on the list of “to do” at this house is increasing the size of the kitchen. It’s a 2,158 square ft house, but the kitchen is proportionally quite small, perhaps 12′ x 12′. Personally, I would annex the formal dining room and be able to double the size of the kitchen! The “informal” dining room has a spectacular beamed ceiling and is big enough for even a Thanksgiving dinner, so in my world, a formal dining room, which is around the corner from the kitchen and kind of a long trek to make with dishes of food, is just not necessary. Next on my list of “to do” involves what I thought were some arched windows on the front of the house, giving a somewhat dated appearance. It turns out the windows are actually square, and the arches are part of a sort of portico in front of the house. I see great potential for doing something awesome here, but I’m not sure what. (This is where the professional comes in…) There is a cool 70’s-looking arched fireplace that sits on an angle between the formal living room and the (soon-to-be only) dining room and is shared by both rooms. It could use some updating, but is a nice feature of interest. There is apparently a cool office/studio in the attic, but the day I visited the house I was wearing a skirt and chose not to climb the ladder to see it! I am intrigued by the online pictures, however, as it certainly appears to be a full-height room. The house is on the corner of Irvine Avenue and Baycrest Road. Unlike every house I’ve looked at that fronts to Irvine Ave., you barely knew that road was there. There is a large hedge between the driveway and that street, and the garage is the only part of the house that is close to Irvine Avenue. With the front door open, as it is in an Open House, you could hear the road, but with it closed, and even in the backyard, I wasn’t aware of traffic noise at all. The great thing about 2100 Baycrest Road is that it is totally ready-to-go, and it’s possible to move right in and make those changes as the inspiration strikes.

Currently, I would give the house 7 hearts, but potential and neighborhood bring it up to 8 hearts out of 10 ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

the front of the house, as viewed from Baycrest Rd.

fireplace from the dining room side.

the lovely-but-small kitchen

beautiful huge pool and still room for barbecue and al fresco dining.

the formal dining room that I would sacrifice for a bigger kitchen. you can see here that the windows are square and the arches are several feet away.

that ceiling, though! and a great light fixture over the informal dining room table.

Another house that makes my imagination go wild is 16802 Channel Lane in the aquatic paradise of Huntington Harbor. This one is far more of a project but has so much potential! A true mid-century modern, this house has glass right up to the ceiling (aaaahhhhh!) on a corner lot on Admiralty Island. There is a channel (hence the name: Channel Lane) in front of the house that could be viewed from an easily-added roof deck. There’s also water behind the house, but the lot does not actually touch the water because of it’s corner location. It could probably also be viewed from a 2nd story or roof deck. There was easy access out to Pacific Coast Highway, but no noise from the highway. The house is older, and currently being rented out, so there are tile floors throughout. I have my mental sledgehammer out already! The kitchen appears original as well, with old cabinets and tile countertops. It’s a great size already, but could be enlarged if you wanted a really huge kitchen. The house feels bigger than its’ 2423 square feet. My favorite part is the courtyard/backyard with the pool, which the living room, dining room, and master bedroom all have access to. This would be a serious remodel, but could be spectacular when completed! Visions of white walls, wood floors, and turquoise or orange mid-century accents all swirled in my head for days on end after viewing it. I mentally built a spiral staircase up to a roof deck with a modern glass railing all around it. In the long-term, I would love to have a sumptuous master suite up there with views of water in two different directions. I also went so far as to let my imagination smooth out the stucco exterior to have smooth plaster. I imagine great indoor/outdoor parties and keeping the doors open for breezes without worrying about the cat getting away because of the high wall around the whole “compound”.

If i give out hearts purely for potential, it would probably be 8.5-9, but because it would take quite a bit of effort to get there (effort = dollars), i’ll keep the hearts to 8 ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

pool with nice pavers all around

super original and mostly cool master shower. love the terrazzo, wouldn’t mind replacing the glass and the shower head.

master bedroom with a view of the pool

living room with the entry beyond

Stay tuned because next week’s entry is more of what makes my imagination go wild… this time for a different reason – they are complete FANTASY houses! Listen to your imagination this week and ask yourself: What makes your imagination go wild?

Ophelia

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Ross St.John Armstrong Real Estate

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Category Archives: Mid-Century Modern

Mid Century Marvelous

Champagne Problems

Deal-Breakers

Yearbook Superlatives

Sometimes My Imagination Do Go Wild

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