marble

“We came to Miss Havisham’s house, which was of old brick and dismal…I saw everything within my view which ought to be white, had been white long ago, and had lost its lustre, and was faded and yellow.”

– Great Expectations, Charles Dickens

  Ever feel like you’ve walked into a haunted house?  That’s how this client’s newly acquired property felt the minute I entered its doors.  It was built in Santa Monica in the 1920’s and appeared to have stayed in its original form.  Many homes from this era are undergoing renovations to bring them into the 21st century.  The house was bought with the intention of tearing it down and building a dream home on the land.  Due to permits and regulations within the city, it was going to be at least a year until my clients would be able to start the demo.  They were in a pickle as they were paying the mortgages on a rental, and now this one as well.  I suggested that we do some cost effective remodeling so they could live in the new house until they were able to start building from the ground up.  They were thrilled with that idea, and here is how we made grungy become glam.

There was only one bathroom downstairs, which made it a focal point for guests.  We decided to have some fun in this space and give it a stunning Perroquet wallpaper from one of my favorite designers Nina Campbell.  This beautiful sink was salvaged from a bathroom upstairs and fit perfectly within this chic new space.  Old vinyl floors got new life with Hollandlac paint, another one of my go to staples.  The crisp white baseboards and sink were the perfect accents to the dramatic black backgrounds.  read more