It’s no exaggeration to say that I’ve been ready to share this put up with you for years. If you happen to’ve been following for some time, you’ll know that in 2020, we went all in on our massive dream to renovate a seashore home in Malibu. We fell in love with an acre of land overlooking Zuma Seashore, with views of a phenomenal horse farm and gardens overflowing with wild roses and olive timber. The breezes carried the scent of jasmine and salt water, and at night time 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 received 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 received all our geese in a row and submitted the whole lot to town. After which started three years of ready as we slogged via 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 immediately, 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 just lately been rocked by tragedy. If you would like the total story (together with why we’re “crazy” sufficient to construct in a high-risk space) head over to the put up. Over right here, we’re kicking off the primary put up in our Renovation Diaries sequence, as a result of we have now formally begun development!
Since I’m going to have lots to share about our Zuma Seashore Home challenge within the coming months, this would be the official spot the place you’ll be able to comply with alongside. My hope is that, for these of you who’re as design-obsessed as me, it would turn 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 choices that come up in each renovation challenge. And sure, I’ll be asking you to weigh in, too.
It feels proper to start with a birds-eye view: a zoomed-out take a look at how the home will change, what we’re preserving and what we’re altering, and an outline of the design model and references which have impressed us.
First, the “Before”
What to know concerning the present home:
1950’s ranch-style bungalow—though it has some charming components, this home is de facto all concerning the property.
1,400 sq. toes with two bedrooms and two bogs
600-square-foot visitor home above the storage
The property is slightly 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 heart of our seashore view. After two years of working with town, we lastly received it taken down and had the ability strains buried. It was a serious funding, however so value 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. While you pull into the driveway, the trail leads you down a sidewalk straight to the again door. So, nobody is kind of certain 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. Except for the awkward flooring plan, we’re additionally missing house typically. It’s a comfy match for our household of 4, so when household or mates 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 while 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 children gained’t get right into a battle within the meantime.
Closed-off rooms. If you happen to’ve seen our Austin home, you already know that Adam and I are massive on an open format. We gravitate towards an ethereal vibe, so a home made up of small rooms which might be 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 one of the crucial regarding issues a couple of home as a result of they are often actually tough to alter—and infrequently, can result in a home feeling darkish and crowded. So, after we first thought-about the acquisition of this home, ensuring that we’d be capable to elevate the ceilings was a prerequisite. Extra on that later.
Tucked-away kitchen. For me, the kitchen is the guts and heart 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 previous home right here and answered a bunch of FAQs concerning the property and placement, 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 flooring 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 transformed format, we wish anybody who arrives on the home to know precisely the place to park, with a transparent plan for learn how to enter. Do you know there’s an precise identify for this matter? It’s wayfinding, and contains rules like creating “well-structured paths” and avoiding “too many navigational choices.” Undecided why I’m obsessive about this matter, however I discover it endlessly fascinating.
Open flooring plan. For the areas the place we stay, eat, and play collectively as a household, I choose a wide-open house that ideally opens to the outside. If you happen to maintain studying, you’ll learn how we’re attaining that with a 1,000-square-foot addition that’s principally one massive kitchen.
Vaulted ceilings. After we thought-about buying this home, I knew that for the funding, we’d want to have the ability to elevate the ceilings. Fortunately it wasn’t too sophisticated right here, particularly since we’re preserving 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, but it surely’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 mates for years to return. By including a visitor suite and a bunk room, we’d make room for an extra 4 to 5 folks to stick with our household in the primary home.
Large kitchen for entertaining. Because the kitchen is my pleased place, I naturally need to have the ability to spend time in it surrounded by household and mates. I want a kitchen giant sufficient to accommodate cooking tasks, recipe picture shoots, and plenty of folks, since most dinner events find yourself with everybody gathered across the island. Based mostly 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 Fashionable Seashore Home
We’re calling this a Japandi Fashionable Seashore Home as a result of it combines the minimalism, clear strains, 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 open air collectively in a seamless movement. We wish this home to really feel like a sanctuary, utilizing pure supplies, impartial tones, and handcrafted particulars.
The Visualizations: The place We’re Headed
We’ve been working with the workforce at YouSee Studio to create real looking 3D renderings of our plans so we will really visualize what we’re creating. I can’t advocate this course of sufficient. Not solely has it allowed us to make spacial choices concerning the structure, however having the ability to check out totally different supplies and room layouts has already saved us from a number of choices 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 following few months—we’ll be capable to take a look at totally different comparisons and choices collectively as we make all these ultimate choices to carry the challenge to life.
Right here’s the property overview that reveals the brand new exterior. To the left, you’ll be able to see the nice room addition with the outside terrace. The suitable facet is the present home that turns into the bedrooms, bogs, and media room.
Options of our Japandi Fashionable Seashore Home:
It’s essential to Adam and me that each factor of this challenge is an intentional mix of magnificence and performance. Listed here are a number of design choices which might be guiding the whole challenge:
Exterior Design:
Scandinavian-inspired wooden cladding. We’re utilizing lovely redwood from Humboldt Sawmill Firm in Northern California.
Giant home windows and doorways that blur the strains between indoors and open air.
Corrugated metallic roofing, including a recent edge to the minimalist design.
Inside Supplies:
Pure wooden flooring and cabinetry for heat and texture. Our flooring are by Stuga, a direct-to-consumer wooden flooring firm that’s based mostly 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 likely be such an announcement.
Easy, purposeful layouts that maximize house and lightweight.
Design Philosophy:
A give attention to pure components like olive and citrus timber, agave, and native grasses within the panorama.
A impartial colour palette of black, wooden, creamy plaster, concrete, and stone for a chilled vibe.
An emphasis on craftsmanship and high-quality, long-lasting supplies.
General Ambiance:
A mix of Scandinavian hygge (coziness) with Japanese wabi-sabi (magnificence in imperfection).
Areas designed for peace, rest, and connection to nature.
The Group
