This Bright, Modern L.A. Home is Giving us All the Beach Vibes
Aside from living on the sand with the ocean as your backyard, this home tour is next best thing. It's California coastal with clean modern lines and cheeky beach decor masterminded by Orlando Soria of Homepolish. What does a perfectly executed beach abode include? Natural rugs, ocean inspired art, blue hues and a surfboard for good measure. See more shot by Tessa Neustadt in the VAULT.
For a client in Los Angeles's coastal San Clemente area, Homepolish West Coast Creative Director Orlando Soria designed a bright and airy home.
My favorite room in the house was also one of the more difficult to decorate. The library/sitting room overlooks the back yard and is really more of a pass through to the backyard. But I also wanted to make it inviting. We knocked down the wall that originally separated the stairs from the space, thus creating one large bright space.
We even added a little sleeping nook under the stairs (with a twin mattress) that functions as a daybed/reading nook AND a place for a guest to sleep. Like, you know, in case Harry Potter or Cinderella come over. They love sleeping under stairs.
This concrete table was perfect for the space because it brings in a new material and is super durable so the kids can draw or do their homework on it. I'm kinda obsessed with concrete and stone, fyi.
The backyard has a lovely deck that's just made for champagne guzzling. So we created a simple dining area that interacts directly with the library/sitting room.
The kitchen was original from the 1953 construction and was in desperate need of refreshment. So we went with a modern, minimal, integrated white kitchen.
The biggest splash came from from the backsplash. Sorry I just said "splash" twice. But it's the beach so I had to. The gorgeous glass tiles from Fireclay (in 1x4 offset "Prickly Pear") add a beautiful color and texture to the kitchen.
The owners have had this "Cocktails" sign for ages. We originally tried to find a place for it in a house I designed for them a few years ago. But it didn't fit anywhere, so we were determined to fit it at the beach house. I added a little edge by accessorizing it with a super cool Ben Medansky sculpture.
The dining room used to be walled off from the kitchen and sitting room. But you know what's fun? KNOCKING DOWN WALLS WHILE YELLING! So we opened up the whole space making it a lot less choppy and a lot more roomy.
There are large accordion doors at the front and back of the home so the sea breeze can flow through the front and fill the house with salty sea air that flows directly into your mouth as you scream for joy. I also found a dining table and set of chairs that perfectly match that salt air, beach vibe.
The biggest impact in the living room came from the giant framed art above the sofa. They spent a ton on the renovation, so by the time we got to the art, we were on a tight budget.
The solution was to use this beautiful wallpaper from Black Crow Studio, custom framed. (That's right. That's not even "art" proper! Sometimes wallpaper is just amazing by itself!) The Restoration Hardware sofa adds a sandy vibe to the living room. Together, it's like waves lapping up on the shore.
The master bedroom is on the second floor and has a lovely large window that overlooks the beach. The couple has slightly different aesthetics, so I tried to make both of them happy. I balanced their needs by going pretty minimal on well decor and adding in some accessories for table top styling.
I found a spooky ladydrawing at Shopclass, one of my favorite vintage spots in LA. I like to think she's a good witch, watching over them as they sleep. The CB2 bed has a simple metal frame, but coupled with a pillowy cloud of linens and a giant oversized bench is looks completely luxurious. And can we just take a moment to gaze into the eyes of that dreamy chandelier?
Styling the nightstands was a delicate balance between looking too sterile and being too crowded. I ended up keeping it pretty simple by using a tray from Lawson-Fenning to corral everything and a small sculpture by Ben Medansky to add visual interest.
The guest bedroom is light and bright like the rest of the house, but we needed a bit more color. So I added a teal blanket and a vintage map from Shopclass. The bed and side tables are all from CB2 and the chandelier is from West Elm.
I love a glimmering pillow, so I added this wonderful peacock one .
The guest bathroom on the ground floor got a glamorous makeover. I have a strong and unbreakable love for rectangular tubs so this one (by Americh) made me super happy.
The bathroom is clean and white, but I didn't want it to feel like a sterile hospital. (I don't think ANYONE wants that!) So I added in some warmth with accessories from Lawson-Fenning and West Elm.
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[dotted] Photography: Tessa Neustadt | Design and Styling: Orlando Soria of Homepolish
