When artist and designer Christa Martin (@christamartinstudio) and her husband, TV executive Geoff Katz, began house hunting in Los Angeles, they had a few must-haves on their real estate wish list. They wanted a home with privacy, views, open ceilings, great light and a location close to Geoff’s work. After a year of patiently visiting open houses, they fell head over heels for a mid-century modern home in Bel Air. Located next to beautiful open parkland that will never be developed, the property had them hooked at first sight. The catch? The house had been neglected for over 40 years and was in desperate need of repair. Despite multiple offers on this fixer-upper dream, Christa and Geoff managed to win it by being persistent. “We were the back-up offer — the first offer fell through! It was meant to be,” Christa reveals.
The couple had 12 weeks from getting the keys to their move-in date, which meant no second guesses during the design stage. Christa began designing the kitchen and bathrooms during escrow and ordered everything from cabinets, faucets, and bath fixtures to tile and lighting as soon as the house was officially theirs. After that, she moved on to rework the floor plan and finally, select materials, finishes, and colors for the remaining parts of the house. The main goal was to accentuate the indoor-outdoor appeal and bring more sunlight to the darker corners of the house. “I started with a palette. I had images of natural wood, clean white paint, and ocean blue doors. Nothing too precious, everything sort of lived-in and casual,” Christa describes the design process. “My mantra was to ‘do the simple thing’ — if I thought of a solution that was quick and affordable, we did it and moved on.” After three months of large-scale renovations, big decisions, and finishing touches, Christa and Geoff finally have a home that they love inside and out. Their spare time has now shifted from reno mode to blissful relaxation — if anyone asks, you’ll find the couple piled up in bed with their pets, admiring the view over the Santa Monica mountains. —Sofia
Photography by Alison Bernier / @alisonbernier
Image above: Christa originally wanted to paint the ceilings and trims white as they were in bad shape, but it would have been too costly and time-consuming. She and Geoff decided they liked the stripped wood well enough and opted to seal it. As the wood ceiling remained, the plan to install wide plank floors was dropped — instead, the couple had the existing concrete slabs polished. “The result is a much more raw and patinated look that gives the house more character,” Christa says.
from Design*Sponge https://www.designsponge.com/2018/11/before-and-after-the-budget-conscious-restoration-of-a-mid-century-marvel.html
from Home Improvment http://notelocreesnitu.tumblr.com/post/180344761409
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