Julie Laughton Design Build

Premiere Custom Home Builder Orange County

South Laguna Vintage Cottage

This house was built for the 1928 Olympics in Los Angeles. It was used for dormitory housing for the athletes. After the Olympics, it was saved and moved to its current location in South Laguna.

The homeowner was so passionate about the history of the home and restoring it to its former glory. Believe it or not, this home used to be two homes and originally split right down the middle with two front doors. Now, it is one home and it has been restored to the classic cottage look. The kitchen was opened up to the dining room and the bathrooms were remodeled and updated. The upstairs bathroom has the classic hexagon Carrara marble floor and white subway tile with a vintage pedestal sink. The entire upstairs is a charming dormer style. The master bath downstairs was also done in a vintage look with a charming reference to the ocean with clamshell sinks and Caribbean blue bath cabinets.

My job was to restore it back to its charming cottage craftsman look. It’s a classic beach cottage for this family to enjoy for years to come.

Vintage Balboa Peninsula

This is one of the historical homes I remodeled on the Balboa Peninsula. It is historical for two reasons. The building was built in 1928 and the man who built it was the first mayor of Newport Beach back before it was called Newport and it was called Balboa.

My client is the granddaughter of the first mayor of Newport Beach who originally owned this home. After her grandfather owned it, he gave it to her father and now she has it. The other interesting historical story about this client is that her grandmother on her mother's side owned the first grocery store in Laguna Beach where the restaurant 230 Forest Avenue is now located. The original entry doors from that grocery store are still in use today.

We remodeled the home in a very traditional timeless style with Carrara marble in the bathroom and my signature custom made cabinets in the bathroom and the kitchen. The kitchen has very vintage looking soapstone countertops with subtle white veins. This home will forever be special to me and I am still currently working with the client to keep this home beautiful forever.

Vintage Craftsman Cottage

Working in Laguna Beach on vintage cottages is one of my passions because I love the architecture of the ‘20s and ‘30s and the charming cozy feeling you get when you are in them.

This client has owned their home for over thirty years and spent years collecting mementos and making the home their own. They hired me to refresh it and update it, so they can continue to enjoy it. The cool part about this project is that we refreshed the existing cabinets and did not change the cabinet layout at all. We completely transformed the kitchen by changing the countertops from a 4-inch tile to a quartz slab. Then we added a vintage subway tile backsplash. The cabinets are painted a vintage 1940s olive green and the hardware is also vintage and original. The final touch was to add a new hardwood floor and custom stained to match the new countertop.

It’s rewarding to restore and refresh these vintage cottages. It doesn’t have to cost a fortune to redo your kitchen. It’s all about restoring it and redoing it with love.

Laguna Beach Timeless Cottage

This 1930s cottage went through many transformations before we were given the project, which included additions and patios and porches being enclosed. During the demolition process, we uncovered the history of the home's transformations. We even found a photograph and business card from one of the owners in the 1950s.

This remodel involved a complete interior gut, new roof and a new rear patio. It was a total makeover on the overall look of the interior and the landscaping. In this case, we kept the original siding because it was in such good condition, but everything else was new. The patio on the rear is over 500 square feet, which enhances the usable living space. When you walk in the front door, the enlarged patio and open floor concept really make the home look spacious and provide a seamless flow from the interior to the exterior.

The new style of the home is a timeless traditional look with a hint of vintage cottage. The overall fresh white interior with the warm European white oak floors and the black windows and door hardware really make the finished product stunning.

 

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