By Annie Thornton | Houzz
Clean lines and simple material choices drove Emily Jagoda’s renovation of Barbara and Ian Robertson’s classic Santa Monica beach house.
Previous remodels had turned this early 20th-century home into something of a Spanish-villa hodgepodge. Jagoda eliminated excess architectural ornamentation and flair to create a home that would reflect how this creative couple actually uses the space.
Upon entering the downstairs living area, there is an immediate feeling of being in a gallery. Stark white walls and concrete-topped floors provide the perfect minimal backdrop for the clients’ collection of artwork and unique furnishings.
This house does with furnishings and art what many aspire to do with clothing. It manages to use bold statement pieces while maintaining an overall simplicity.
“The spaces are simple but focused on the best light and ease of using the space,” says Jagoda. There is just enough panache in the design to engage without overwhelming the viewer.
Bold vibrant red make many appearances throughout the residence. The interjections provide a colorful accent to an otherwise muted palette and create a sense of cohesion among the spaces.
“This started with the series of paintings that Barbara was working on at the time, which you see hanging in various places throughout the house,” notes Jagoda. 6 Smart Ways to Hang Your Art.
The second bedroom lies opposite the red storage wall. The home’s natural glow seems especially strong in this bedroom, and it’s no accident. “I value light and space over almost any other thing,” says Jagoda. “If a building has nice space and great light, you’ve got it made.”
Moving into the master bedroom, a line drawing by homeowner Barabara Robertson hangs opposite French doors, which open onto a master balcony …
… perfectly oriented to the west, welcoming in the afternoon sun and cool Pacific breezes.
Birch plywood floors in the master bedroom and throughout the second story do a great job of lightening the space. Here, the flooring creates the perfect setting for the master bedroom’s seating area. Warm Up Wood Floors With a Rug.
Like the upstairs master bedroom, the west wall of the home has French doors that open onto the covered patio and courtyard, encouraging a seamless transition from indoors to out.
“I am highly interested in spaces that have a strong relationship to the specific site and real usable outdoor spaces,” Jagoda says. “These tend to be somewhat ambiguous in their definition, and I really like this porch for that. It has a floor at the same height as the main interior space and a ceiling and glass walls, but it is open to the pool and yard.”
As the home resides on the Pacific Coast Highway, outdoor living is very much oriented inward towards the courtyard and beach.
Giant sliding barn doors at the end of the courtyard and pool area open onto the beach, creating easy access and a direct view from the living room through the pool area and out to the ocean. Jagoda likes how this transforms the traditional idea of a private courtyard into much more of a public space, blurring indoors and outdoors even more.
While most of the renovation happened in phases, the kitchen was done in an all-out sprint. The entire project took two weeks from concept to installation — the fastest Jagoda has ever done.
The layout of the kitchen was maintained and cabinets were replaced with ones from IKEA. For efficiency, all lower cabinets were converted to drawers.
Off the kitchen and connecting to the living room is the dining area— another example of standout pieces in a minimal setting. As with the rest of the house, the room is filled with ample amounts of natural light thanks to a lot of glass and airy details.
Another glimpse of red on the canvas draws the eye from the eating area back into the main living area. Tie Each Room Together With Colorful Art.
“This project reflects the core values of my firm in a few ways,” says Jagoda. “I am a huge believer in collaboration. I want more than anything for the design to respond to how people live in and use the space, and for the project to have their personality embedded in the character of the house.”
Through a longstanding professional relationship and unspoken understanding of her clients, Jagoda was able to strip this beach house in Los Angeles to its essentials to showcase the personality and pieces of the creative couple who live here.
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