A custom door adds the perfect mid-century touch to the front entrance. Photo: Sophia Brueckner
Sophia and her husband bought this generic 50's ranch house a little over a year ago. The house was really run down, but they got a good deal on it. "The location was amazing," she says. "We are less than a block from the ocean and a surf break, which is so wonderful." They spent several months renovating the kitchen and one of the bathrooms and making various other improvements. There is still more work to be done in the house, but she says they need a break from renovating. "The biggest challenge was taking such a generic old house and giving it character and style," she says. "I really like to mix modern with vintage, and I've been trying to decorate the house so it feels sunny, airy, and a little bit beachy."
Although it's still a work in progress, Sophia's bedroom looks pretty cozy to me. Photo: Sophia Brueckner
The bedroom
Sophia says that it's a work in progress. "It's somewhat an awkward shape and kind of small, which makes it tricky," she says. I think it looks pretty cozy. "I'm really happy with the light shade of gray we picked for the walls," she says. She picked up the bed from DWR, the nightstands are Blu Dot and the lamps are vintage. "We just found that huge rug on sale at cb2, and I think it really pulled the room together!"
A well-placed skylight adds extra light on the already bright kitchen. Photo: Sophia Brueckner
The kitchen
They took out a wall between the living room and the kitchen/dining area to create a huge open space. They completely redid the kitchen using IKEA cabinets, although they didn't use IKEA for cabinet hardware, lighting and countertops, which makes the kitchen feel a bit more high end. All the white makes the kitchen feel so light and airy. "It's definitely my favorite part of the house," she says. The pendant lights over the island are from Kathleen Hills, and the furniture and pendant light in the dining are are all vintage from Craigslist and eBay. The kitchen stools are from Room & Board.Yes, please!
Take a decorating tip from Sophia's living room: use books as a dramatic art piece. Photo: Sophia Brueckner
The living room
She says that they didn't have to make too many changes here. They did add a gas insert to the fireplace, which they hope will more efficiently heat their home. "I love it because it's so cozy and warm, and it even has a remote control," she says. The biggest design challenge was finding small furniture (bought when they lived in smaller spaces) to work in such a large room. "I'm still working on it, but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out," she says. "I'm still working on creating the perfect piece of artwork to go over the mantle." She picked up most furnishings from Craigslist, IKEA, DWR or her grandfather.
Use extra or awkward space in your living room as a workspace. Photo: Sophia Brueckner
The workspace (above, at back)
Sophia carved out part of her living room for her art studio/office. "It's a comfy, functional space but still manages to look nice and tie together with the living room," she says. Almost everything is either from Craigslist or IKEA, and the modular plastic shelving is from DWR.
The patio
You may not believe it, but their patio was pretty barren and desolate when they bought the house. It was just all concrete. "Painting the house blue did a lot to cheer it up, and we've been filling the patio with potted plants and succulents," she says. "One of my favorite parts is how a terribly awkward area between the original house and an addition became the perfect place for surfboard racks."
Holy succulents, Batman! Take a look at her awesome garden. Photo: Sophia Brueckner
The concrete patio is the perfect place to relax after a day of surfing. Photo: Sophia Brueckner
For extra inspiration, check out all her before and after photos here.
Read More:
- House Tour: Grace Bonney of Design*Sponge
- Sharon Fraser's Aussie Digs
- A Lofted Beach Bungalow
