Sunroom

While doing our kitchen remodel, we also had work done in another room. There was an addition to the back of the house in the 1940’s that never quite made sense, and we felt the need to make it feel more purposeful. We couldn’t really figure out what to even call the space, but while watching the morning light stream in through the French patio doors, we determined that referring to it as a sunroom felt right.

The biggest change in the room was replacing the previous cracked light gray floor tile with this checkered pattern in clay red and cream. The tile makes the room itself more pleasing, while also being unobtrusive when viewed from the dining room that leads into it.  Aside from the new flooring, we also painted the walls and trim, chose different blinds, and replaced the lighting fixture, which were all relatively easy changes that transformed the space. What started as a strange extra room with broken floors and drab accents has now become a pleasant space to relax in the sunshine with our family, often while listening to a record and sipping our coffee on weekend mornings.

Our New Kitchen

When we bought our new home, we knew that the kitchen would need attention sooner, rather than later. It did not harmonize with the rest of the historic interior, and there were major issues in terms of practicality. When embarking on this remodel so very soon after a big move, our primary mission was for the space to not call too much attention to itself, while blending with the color palette of the rest of the house.

Though the footprint of the kitchen remained the same, we opted for more functional swaps such as a deeper sink, and a wider stove that supported heavy daily use for our family of five.

For the backsplash behind the stove, we embraced the opportunity to bring in some specific Craftsman elements. The handmade feel and color variation of the tile are essential to prevent the space from feeling sterile, and has easily become my favorite part of the remodel.

As an accent piece, we ordered a decorative tile from Motawi Tileworks with a design that was adapted from an Arts and Crafts book cover. I especially love that the colors of the tile call back to the same tones we selected to bring warmth into the space.

We made sure to reserve a dedicated place for coffee, which had become an essential element to our mornings a few years ago. We can’t imagine forgoing this daily ritual.

Elsewhere in the kitchen, we opted for a mixture of day-to-day practical elements, such as a large bowl for citrus and fruits, which we use frequently. It is a special joy that we have been filling it with lemons from our own yard. We’re so relieved to be done with this major project. Now, it’s time to finally make our new house truly feel like a home.

Change of Address

As was the case with our last home, we wanted to send out cards to inform friends and family of the move to our new home. Seeing as it is a Craftsman style house, we took our inspiration from the definitive American Arts and Crafts magazine, The Craftsman, which the original builders of the house undoubtedly read. For the floral illustration in the center of the card, we took one of the elements from the wallpaper in our breakfast room to give it a direct link to our own home. This little project was a fun and great opportunity to apply some of our research on the Arts and Crafts movement.

Our New Home

We have just moved into our new house in Greater Wilshire, making us residents of Los Angeles once again. The process of selling our old home while buying a new one was admittedly full of frustrations and anxiety, but we’re so glad to finally be settling into our new home.

Previous owners of this Craftsman gem have restored much of the interior, highlighting so much of the original beautiful wooden built-ins, windows, and trim.

Perhaps my favorite room in the house is the formal dining room, complete with a built-in china cabinet, stenciled Glasgow Rose frieze, and original pocket door. We’re already looking forward to the many lovely dinners we’ll get to host in the space.

This house has stood for over a century, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places before we were even born. As we continue to settle in, we’ll keep making it feel like a lived-in and loved home, and we are so honored to be its latest stewards.

Farewell to Our First House

Recently, we said goodbye to our first house in Glendale. We called this space our home for several years, and it’s been the only home our children have ever known. Yet, as our family and lifestyle have evolved, it was time to move on.

Over the years we had done so much to make the space our own, such as designing the kitchen, bathroom, and nursery, to name a few. Saying goodbye to these beloved spaces was a difficult task, but we certainly hope that the next owners will find use in what we left behind, and love the space as much as we did.

As we write this, we are already settling into our new home, and will be sharing more on that soon. Meanwhile, our first house will live on in our memories and hearts forever.