Triple Hitter

This Del Mar remodel takes on three different styles

WHEN HOMEOWNERS OF A DEL MAR popcorn-ceilinged 1970s tract house were pushed by lifestyle changes to either move or finally do that remodel they’d been thinking about for years, designer Tatiana Machado-Rosas was presented with a makeover challenge: create a house with a triple-style focus.

“My client was inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement,” says Machado-Rosas of Jackson Design and Remodeling, “but she wanted that look mixed in with the feel of California coast and contemporary styles. Somehow we had to have everything.”

The result? A fetching residence with generous helpings of Craftsman style combined with flashes of contemporary accents and a coastal vibe that plays a supporting role.

But this balancing act was not the main priority of the redo. 

“Originally it was a tri-level house,” says the client. “That wasn’t working for us anymore because our mothers, who visit often, are 90 and 91 and use walkers. They had to maneuver stairs no matter where they were. So the idea was to modernize the house, make it two-level and put a bedroom and bath with universal elements on the bottom level for them.”

Another priority was to make the home more comfortable for the family’s two teenagers.

“We wanted our 13- and 16-year-old boys to each have their own bathroom,” the client says. “Their bedrooms are larger now, too. Before, the rooms could fit a desk, dresser and bed, but it was cramped. Now their rooms have become places where they can go and relax.

“The other element we did for them is downstairs, where we put a game room off the living room. It has pocket opaque-glass doors that slide closed so they can have privacy (and we don’t have to hear them playing video games) but not so much privacy that we can’t monitor them.”

One of the prime assets of the new home is the expansiveness evoked by higher ceilings and by opening up kitchen, dining and living spaces downstairs into one grand room that captures the Torrey Pines Reserve view.

“The idea was to have an open plan,” says Machado-Rosas. “As you come into the entryway you can see part of the second floor and through to the living room — a totally different feel from before when it was extremely enclosed and the rooms had no connection to each other.”

The seductively curved staircase is the star of the foyer with its combination of maple steps and risers, cherry handrails and wrought-iron railings finished in an Old World bronze that echoes door hardware throughout the home. On view from the entryway is the eye-catching contemporary fireplace — a highlight of the living room. The shimmery grey porcelain complements the kitchen counter’s aqua-green wasabi granite, and its staggered pattern mimics that of the kitchen’s backsplash.

“Because the kitchen is so open to the living and dining areas we had to provide some interesting design elements,” says Machado-Rosas. “Wrought-iron pendant lights add pizzazz without being overwhelming. The mahogany cabinets are done in a Shaker style and are brought all the way to the ceiling to emphasize the height of the kitchen. The upper cabinets have glass doors, which beautify the space and break up all that wood.”

The remodel adds 1,723 square feet to the home, provides eco-minded elements that include natural light and ventilation, dual-pane windows and reflective plywood roofing, brings in aging-in-place design features, enhances the Torrey Pines Reserve view, updates the home for 2012, and seemingly effortlessly embraces three styles. 

That’s a lot. But what may be most important to the homeowners is that now, says Machado-Rosas, “three generations can join together to enjoy each other’s company in comfort and in appealing new surroundings.” 

Homes: By Eva Ditler Photography by Preview First