Tag Archives: interior design

From Drab to Fab in Costa Mesa, CA

We were so excited to be chosen by the homeowners to assist with the interior design, remodel and restoration of their Mid Century modern home in the Mesa Verde area of Costa Mesa, CA. The homeowners purchased a beautiful Mid Century modern home that had been previously remodeled in the early 2000’s. It was their dream to have an original mid century modern home and they had the vision to bring it back to its original glory.

They wanted a home that would be open with tons of natural light and would fit their busy lifestyle with two small active boys but still keeping the style and feel of an original mid century modern design. Their desire was to fill the home with a mix of vintage original and mid-century modern furniture.

“We were thrilled to find the original terrazzo floors underneath the hardwood”

The Modern Vault

In keeping with period-correct flooring, the owners really wanted terrazzo floors in the home and were seriously considering investing in new, but when we started the project and the old cherry wood floors were removed, we were thrilled to discover the original terrazzo floors and fireplace surrounds were all intact and in good condition underneath the existing framing and flooring.

“Thank you so much, you were crucial to the success of this project”

Homeowners

As you can see from the before and after photos, there was a great deal of demolition. We removed the old wet bar and wall, opened up kitchen area and old formal dining room to reveal a new, open family/great room with plenty of room for a large 8 person table, a must for the homeowners who have a large extended family and love to gather around the dinner table.

The fireplace was covered with handmade tiles from Mission Tile in Newport Beach, stacked horizontally to maintain the look of an original tiled fireplace. A structural beam was added and engineering was necessary to open up both rooms, and it was finished in the same tones as the new wood flooring in the family room to add continuity and offer a smooth transition into each space. We sourced the chandelier locally and is vintage brass and hand blown glass. The original terrazzo floors were cleaned and polished and look amazing with the oval marble dining table and Hans Wegner Wishbone Chairs. A vintage Milo Baughman walnut credenza from our showroom leads to the powder room. Keep reading for more on that amazing transformation!

The new, super cozy and relaxed family room was furnished with a custom sofa and a vintage coffee table with terrazzo inlay by Harvey Probber. A great addition to the space was an original vintage record player with a working stereo and vintage Mexican guitar poster hangs above the cabinet. The clients wanted their young children to enjoy their large vinyl collection together. The green wall (Dunn-Edwards Billiard Table Green) was a last minute decision, but we love how it turned out and it ties in with the green color accents throughout the home. The original vintage black and white photographs are from a local photographer, Jerry Muller who did work in both New York City and Orange County in the 50’s-80’s. We sourced these from our own private collection.

In the formal entry and raised greeting room, we added several vintage original pieces including a pair of Poul Jensen for Selig Z chairs in custom upholstery, a vintage I.B. Kofod-Larsen recliner, vintage brass tripod floor lamp and an original George Nelson for Howard Miller cigar bubble lamp to add some height in the corner. The sofa is a vintage Florence Knoll style sofa with walnut side tables by Directional. Over the bar is a vintage brutalist style brass wall sculpture and the bar is a tambour door walnut credenza by Robert Baron for Glenn of California. TheAbstract art over the chair is vintage.

Probably the biggest transformation in the remodel was the powder room, located off of the kitchen and dining area. It had a shower, which was obviously added after the original home was built and it was dark and drab and didn’t serve much of a purpose. This room needed something fabulous, so we decided to add a custom emerald green herringbone tile backsplash and repurpose a vintage Kipp Stewart Walnut Credenza and use it as a vanity. We added a white granite countertop with a Kohler above counter sink and vintage inspired brass hardware. The beautiful brass pendant lights and oversize brass mirror add some glamour to an otherwise dark space. Hexagonal granite-look tiles were selected for the floors for an elegant touch.

Here’s a great example of how to turn a not so functional space into something you and your guests will absolutely love!

The homeowners are thrilled with the finished result and will be able to enjoy their beautiful mid century modern home for many years to come. Scroll through the before and after photos of the project for some amazing transformations! If you have a vintage or mid-century modern remodel or restoration project here in Orange County and are looking for a trusted source for authentic mid century modern furnishings, restoration and interior design, give us a call and we will schedule a site visit at your convenience.