Category Archives: Uncategorized

Community spotlight: Corona del Mar

Posted on October 22, 2016 by admin.

A.K.A. a love letter to my town.

Ophelia has so many loves. One of them is the town of Corona del Mar in Newport Beach, California. Until the late 1920s, Corona del Mar was a tiny village, reached from the peninsula by small boat at high tide, or by a muddy dirt road that crossed over the Irvine Ranch. Now Corona del Mar, which means “Crown of the Sea” in Spanish, is part of the City of Newport Beach, but has it’s own zip code and it’s own Chamber of Commerce, as well as a representative on the Newport Beach City Council.

Corona del Mar is small, approximately 3 miles by 3 miles, fronting along the beautiful Pacific Ocean. I love how our beaches are backed by cliffs, providing spectacular views to those above.

One of the many reasons to love Corona del Mar is the spectacular weather. On average, there are 278 sunny days per year. The ocean breeze keeps us comfortable, perhaps too comfortable! Many of us are so spoiled by this perfect weather that a hot spell (90°!) for 3 or 4 days drives us indoors to our almost-never-used air conditioning.

The topography provides variety and interest. The village isn’t flat and boring. There are hills and slopes, as well as steep cliffs and canyons. At the base of the deepest canyon is Bayside Drive, which runs basically parallel to Pacific Coast Highway. Within the Village, there are 3 areas as far as real estate is concerned. North of the Highway (the inland side), South of the Highway (the ocean side), and South of Bayside (this basically means you are within 3 blocks of the beach.) The Village is also referred to as “The Flower Streets” and the streets are laid out in a basic grid pattern and botanically-named alphabetically from Avocado to Poppy, traveling East to West. Of course, we have our quirks (I’m a big fan of quirks), as there are 2 A’s, no E or K, and 2 M’s, and 2 P’s. We stop at Poppy but then add on Hazel. It’s all very fun, but personally I would have named that last street Queen Anne’s Lace or I would have skipped the Q and gone straight to Rose.

The houses aren’t boring either. Every one is unique and original. There are very few actual original cottages (less than 5, probably) built before the 20’s. The majority of what is considered “original” was built in the 40’s. Most of these have been developed into duplexes, with a “back unit” over the garage. Newer construction comes in all styles from Cape Cod to Mediterranean to Modern Farmhouse. Many of these homes also take advantage of the R-2 zoning prevalent in the village and are built as two units. Instead of remaining as a duplex where one party owns both units and rents one out, they have been turned into condominiums and sold off separately. Lot sizes are typically 30′ x 118′ and built out as much as the law will allow. Beach town living often means being 6′ from your neighbor’s kitchen window.

CdM is a walking village. The businesses are clustered along Coast Highway and nearly everything you need is within walking distance if you live in the Flower Streets. Banks, Coffee, Hair and Nail Salons, the Post Office, the Hardware store, the Grocery store, the Drug store, Real Estate offices, and of course, shopping and fine dining! You can grab a breakfast burrito, get your shoes re-soled, pick up your dry cleaning, scope out some flowers, admire some artwork or beautiful furniture, and make a stop at See’s before heading home. You can shop for a new cell phone, see your personal trainer, get frozen yogurt, or stop for wine and cheese – all without getting in your car. In the late 40’s, my mother used to work at the soda fountain in the town drug store. It was located right in the center of town at Marguerite and Pacific Coast Highway, where Berkshire Hathaway is now located. Her boss lived just a few blocks up Marguerite and she said that she and her co-workers could see him walking back down to the drug store after his afternoon nap and knew it was time to stop goofing off!

Of course there are other areas to Corona del Mar besides the village. Irvine Terrace, Cameo Shores and Cameo Highlands, Shorecliff, Jasmine Park, Harbor View Hills… These are beautiful neighborhoods in a more traditional “suburbia” kind of way. The lots are bigger, streets are wider, houses have a little more room to breathe, but you do lose the walkability. Residents here still benefit from the gorgeous weather and the close proximity to Fashion Island and activities of the village. And of course, all property owners in Corona del Mar enjoy a high return on their investment! Property values in Corona del Mar increase faster than other areas and hold their value better through the tough times. There’s definitely a wide variety of real estate here, from condominium complexes to front or back units in the village, to single family homes to breathtaking mansions, often all in one block! I think it’s the variety that I love the most. For this article, I searched high and low for my favorite property currently for sale in each of 5 different price ranges.

In the $1M – $2M range, I found that you can still have quality finishes and all of the benefits of CdM, but you may sacrifice a little in the “location” department. Especially in the lower half of this price range, most were back units or located extremely close to Pacific Coast Highway. I settled on 1433 Keel Drive as my favorite. Located in Harbor View Hills South, this lovely home was built in 1969 and has been tastefully remodeled into a beautiful and serene oasis. The neighborhood is quiet yet close to Fashion Island and convenient to either the beach or the freeway. I loved the leaded glass windows in the living room and the high ceilings. The house has an airy, spacious feel to it.

In the $2M – $3M range there was less disparity between the highest price one and the lowest price one than there was in the previous category. All were either lovely or a great opportunity, so it really came down to personal taste. 712 Fernleaf Avenue was my personal winner. I loved the modern, sleek appeal, the finishes that had been chosen, and the fabulous roof deck. No, I’m not a fan of the bathtub in the master bedroom, but I do love that the owner was true to herself and built it for the way she wanted to live. I would actually feel a little guilty changing it, but yes, I would change it. The back unit here (712 1/2 Fernleaf) is also for sale and I’d LOVE to have both.

Between $3M and $5M you can have your choice of styles and locations. You can be in the village or the neighborhoods and you will generally get over 3,000 square feet, unless you’re in a really, really prime location. There were so many gorgeous homes to choose from and a lot of variety. I found my favorite in the village, South of Bayside. 320 Iris Avenue is on a dead-end street, so it is a pretty quiet location, but still close to everything and only 2 blocks from the beach. This house has great architectural appeal. The rooms are interesting, not boring boxes. Finishes are high quality and well-thought out. One of my favorites was the brick wall behind the bathtub.

In the $5M – $10M range, I found myself gravitating toward Irvine Terrace. (I actually have one I love more down in ShoreCliffs but it’s already sold. You can read about it here.) There is, of course, a ton of luxury to be found in this price range, so it really does come down to personal taste. Dolphin Terrace is a coveted street, but the other side, with the ocean and harbor views, can be nearly twice the price per square foot. I fell in love with 1536 Dolphin Terrace, on the inland side of the street. This is a very current/fresh feeling modern farmhouse with glossy shiplap walls and reclaimed wood. In addition to an ideal neighborhood and tons of space, the outdoor space is SO inviting and so easily accessed from the indoors. One of my favorite features was the kitchen ceiling with it’s inset portion of reclaimed wood.

Finally, the ever-so-important category of $10M and up. Helloooooo, gorgeous! There are currently only 7 properties for sale in Corona del Mar with a price tag of over $10M. But that’s mostly due to the time of year. In this range, there are lawns that look like green velvet, Master closets that look like Neiman Marcus, bars that look like they belong in a hotel, and wine rooms straight out of my dreams. It was difficult to narrow these 7 down to just one winner. The most expensive one ($24.7M) was very tempting but I’d also want to do a great deal of updating. What it really had going for it was location and size. The “second cheapest” one (nearly $12M) had my favorite finishes and design, especially the bar and wine room. But my winner is 2735 Ocean Blvd. There was a great article written about this house a little over a year ago. The originality of design and the unparalleled location are what moved this house into first place for me. I’m fortunate enough to walk past this home a few times a week and one of my favorite features from the outside is also one of my favorite features of the interior as well – the natural limestone block walls. There are imprints of shells in each block and it is so perfect for the location, yet elegant and timeless. There is one factor, however, that seals the deal for me and firmly roots this home as my favorite in Corona del Mar. When the iconic “Chinese House”, for which China Cove was named, was about to be torn down in 1986 after watching over the harbor for 60 years, the owner of 2735 Ocean tried to get them to save it. When they demolished it anyway, he procured large portions and incorporated them into his own house. The Chinese house lives on at 2735 Ocean, with a tile roof, the wood corbels with gold leaf painted dragons and copper horns. I have great respect for a man who felt such a connection with a home in his community that he not only kept portions of someone else’s house, but also included an inscription about the history of China Cove for future generations to read and learn.

I love Corona del Mar and all it has to offer, and happily give this community 10 hearts out of 10. ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

Below are some of my favorite CdM places.

little corona and arch rock.

tea in the courtyard of sweet lady jane.

the side door. charming english pub on the side of 5 Crowns

a bike ride to pain du monde is always a great morning

not technically in Corona del Mar, but the shops and restaurants of Fashion Island are part of what make CdM so great.

beautiful blue skies, flowering trees, and our statuesque palm trees

beautiful sunsets year ’round, but especially in December and January.

another perfect sunset

striking beachfront modern home

blooms. the perfect flower stand to pop into any time you feel a little happier

oh, these sunsets

a game of croquet in Begonia Park as the sun sets

goldenrod footbridge. always fun, but never a more welcome sight than if you’re running the Corona del Mar Scenic 5K. The finish line is just on the other side!

take a book, leave a book. positioned strategically around town.

Whenever I tell people I live in Corona del Mar, they always say “oh, I love Corona del Mar” and they don’t even live here! Imagine how much they’d really love it if they’d experienced the CdM life themselves. Are you ready to join us in paradise? Give Ross a call!

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

Creatures of Habit

Posted on September 15, 2016 by admin.

Same place, same thing… If you’re old enough, you remember the commercial that chided us for being creatures of habit. If weren’t fortunate enough to experience this iconic commercial the first time around, here you go! Same place? Same place. Same thing? Same thing.

Sometimes after enough Open Houses, they all start to look alike. I found that I kept going to the same neighborhoods and seeing the same sorts of houses. Same place, same thing… It was time to break out of the rut! Last weekend I ventured beyond the Orange curtain, into Los Angeles and the Hollywood Hills. It was only an hour away, but oh-so different! The hilly terrain made for a different feel and added an extra layer of adventure as my navigation stopped working and I spent a good half hour lost in the Hollywood Hills. My reward for not giving up was a unique architectural gem on Hollywood Hills Road. 9044 ended up being situated on a quiet little cul de sac at the end of a long and winding road. Built in 1957 by a creative (but apparently not famous) architect, this house oozes with the love of it’s current owner and potential for future spectacularity. It is located on a huge and mostly un-tapped lot, surrounded by greenery and quiet. Everything about the house invited you to slow down and have a cup of green tea and just enjoy some solitude. How much work the house “needed” would depend completely on it’s new owner. As an Orange County girl. it was difficult to not want to completely refurbish everything. But for someone a little more laid back, it could be perfect in it’s current state. My sister-in-law lives in New Zealand and she immediately popped into my head as someone who would love the house exactly as it is. She is earthy and zen and very connected with her environment. She doesn’t need marble counters or fresh paint or brand-new appliances. The changes I was tempted to make could ruin the place for someone like her.

The enormous butt-glazed windows in the living room were certainly a prime focal point, but I loved the huge traditional window in the kitchen just as much. The secondary bedrooms were a little small but the master bedroom was a good size. Two of the bathrooms had completely unique bump-outs for the sinks that were just such a refreshing change from the “same place, same thing” doldrums. The dining room was immediately off the kitchen and floated out over the edge of the living room, enjoying all of that glass. This house could host lovely parties (especially with some work done in the backyard) but is equally as comfortable being a refuge of solitude and sunlight. For anyone looking for a unique house in this area, it is an easy 6 hearts out of 10. With a little sprucing up (perhaps some refinishing of the wood surfaces and repair of a cracked greenhouse window in the bath) 9044 Hollywood Hills Dr. steps right up to 7 hearts. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

uniquely stunning corner window

both corners of the living room are wrapped in glass, inviting in sunshine and greenery

maybe it’s charming, maybe it needs a remodel, but there’s no debating how great this window is.

dining room that overlooks the best features of the living room as well

if you’ve got to have a bedroom hallway in your house, it’s nice to have high ceilings and clerestory windows!

tiny little claw-foot tub and a paint job you don’t typically see in the O.C.

master bath greenhouse bump-out!

bathroom off of bedroom 2 with it’s own greenhouse sink area

My second LA-adventure home was located in the Olympic Hills area, just above Sunset Blvd. 2416 Apollo Drive was a more typical modern home, but still possessed a certain LA flair. Perched on a hillside with vast sweeping views, this home had plenty of sophisticated square footage and a ginormous outdoor deck, almost half the size of the house itself! The primary architectural feature of interest was the staircase, just inside the front door. It was completely surrounded by simple-but-stunning 2×4’s, sanded down and spaced apart just enough to create an exciting visual effect. Sunlight streamed through, creating graphic-lined shadows, and views across the house both appeared and disappeared, depending on the angle you were looking through. Bedrooms were upstairs and my favorite part was the master closet that ran the entire length of the large bedroom and had doors on both ends. You could step into the closet just out of the luxurious bath, walk along dressing yourself, and emerge out the other end ready to go! The canyon views could be appreciated from all of the upstairs bedrooms and the master bath as well. Downstairs was an opportunity to be creative, with room for storage, laundry, office, potential wine cave, and full bathroom to go with a bedroom or home theater. On the middle level was the garage, living, dining, and kitchen. The kitchen was quite large in relation to the dining and living, which I really liked. There were interesting touches with a butcher-block wrapped island and eating counter. More of the spectacular views could be enjoyed from the kitchen sink as well as the living and dining rooms. The deck was the place to be, especially in the first part of the day, enjoying a ton of morning light, but evening gatherings would be lovely as well. Built in 1979 and remodeled quite recently, this house needed no changes or updates. It was ready to be enjoyed immediately!

I enjoyed this lovely home and didn’t want to change a single thing, but I did feel it was lacking a bit of je ne said quoi, so I simply can’t go above 8 hearts. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

sophisticated contemporary home

entry

staircase: a.k.a. my favorite feature

view toward the living room from the dining room

lots of space in the kitchen!

interesting butcher block “waterfall” on just one side of the island

master bedroom

the never-ending master closet

luxury master bath features

tub with a view

spacious deck and canyon views beyond

slightly quirky downstairs space, showing as a theatre but could make a nice bedroom too

It was nice to not be a creature of habit and get out and explore! I’d love to do it again, soon. Have you thought about expanding your horizons? You don’t have to go all the way to another county, but maybe you want to explore some new neighborhoods give something else a try for a change. You could pick me up some Del Taco while you’re at it!

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

Touch of Botox or Complete Face Lift?

Posted on June 28, 2016 by admin.

Aging gracefully is not easy. If you’ve waited until signs of age start to show, it may be too late! If you’ve been meticulous about upkeep from the very beginning, it’s possible to keep a house (yes, a house, what did you think we were talking about?) looking great into it’s later years, but this is truly a labor-intensive process and most people prefer to change at least some aspects of their home every few years to keep up with trends and current styles. Others may wait longer – 10 to 20 years, perhaps – but there still comes a time when a house is showing it’s age and a decision needs to be made, especially if it’s being sold… Botox or full-blown Face Lift?

Older houses have quirks and character. This may be part of their charm, or it may be exactly what you’re looking to eradicate! This week’s houses are both senior citizens, by California standards. One is nearing it’s 70th birthday, and one has already celebrated 100!

521 Seaview in Laguna Beach was built in 1915! For the most part, you would not guess her age! She has been lifted and tightened, spackled and sparkled within an inch of her life. Everything is new-new-new. You may guess it’s an older home from the smaller rooms and lack of garage, or the slightly quirky layout, indicating add-on’s over the years, but the floors, walls, ceilings, fixtures, and appliances are all new. They have cleverly done everything possible to make the most of the 1600 square feet, but it is still somewhat tight. This house is a beauty, with crisp white walls, a high-ceilinged living room, marble counter tops, ocean views, plentiful windows, and surprisingly efficient closets. For all her beauty, the thing that was missing for me was a sense of history. Most of the character was remodeled right out of her, which may be exactly what you’re looking for!

Seaview’s love-scale will vary wildly, depending on what you’re looking for. The location is fabulous if you like downtown Laguna, and the finishes are divine, but if I’m going to take on a Centenarian, I think I want more character, more of the original details, lovingly restored. I give her 7 hearts out of 10.

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great finishes in this kitchen

view from the stair landing toward the kitchen and main-level bedroom

view past the eating bar toward the front dutch door

each bedroom had it’s own lovely bathroom

master bath – fabulous finishes throughout!

really fun floor in the laundry room!

2120 Seville Ave, on the Newport Peninsula, was built just after World War II ended, on the end of what was a much-quieter Newport Peninsula! Make no mistake, Seville Avenue itself is still quite tranquil, but you do have to drive through the congested part to get there, unless you take the ferry from Balboa Island. Seville has aged gracefully so far, and it’s up to the buyer what direction to take her! This house oozes history, charm, and potential. You can feel the stories all around you. There are pine-paneled built-in benches around 2 sides of the living room. In their day they were probably full of blankets and board games. The kitchen, while small, is nicely finished, but there is room in the layout of the flipped-plan upstairs to enlarge it to quite the chef’s kitchen! Seville is a quintessential beach girl, relaxed and friendly, encouraging you to invite friends over and cook out on the deck.

So what to do with her? Just a little botox? Freshen up some of the finishes, change out floors and countertops? Or go all out? Change the downstairs front bedroom with a fireplace into a den that opens onto a new front patio so that you can greet your new neighbors? Enlarge the kitchen? Change the location of the staircase? This house is a great size to offer some flexibility of floor plan and there are many inspiring avenues to choose from! I enjoyed my time in this house. I heard about her history and how she had grown and evolved over the years, as well as hearing some truly inspiring ideas of what could be done when a new family moves in. How would you help this house realize her full potential? I might go with the Botox option until I had a chance to get to know her better. Perhaps let her reach her 80th before going all out with a brand-new face. Check out the next Open House on Seville and see for yourself what could be done, as well as experiencing for yourself how nice it feels to be in a house with history.

Seville is an easy 7 hearts, with potential for much more!

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