Cottage and Coast
A study in laid-back longevity
Some homes come with the kind of history you can't manufacture. This original Corona del Mar cottage, a short walk from the village, was one of them, and its owners understood that the best remodels begin with restraint. The first phase wasn't a gut renovation. It was a careful edit: keep what works, open what doesn't and design every choice with the future in mind.
The front of the home set the tone for everything else. I opened it up to welcome the easy rhythm of coastal living: indoor-outdoor flow, a summer cocktail on the patio and late-afternoon light spilling through new sliding doors. A built-in grill and bar station turned the courtyard into a true outdoor room, framed by olive trees, ornamental grasses and the soft stucco walls that define the neighborhood.
Inside, the surprises live in the details. The downstairs primary bath was reimagined with a custom fluted-oak vanity, honed black quartz by Cosentino, blue glass tile and a chinoiserie monkey mural that brings personality without taking itself too seriously. The combined powder room and laundry, once a hardworking afterthought, became one of the home's most photographed rooms: a gold sunburst mirror, soft blue walls, a graphic botanical wallpaper and the same fluted oak tying it back to the primary suite. The washer and dryer tuck discreetly beneath the staircase behind a custom shiplap door, because even the most practical corners deserve good design.
The style is cottage-modern with a wink: coastal without costume, classic without being stiff, and full of small, confident choices that make a modest footprint feel layered and personal.
What makes this project especially satisfying is that it's still unfolding. Not every home is remodeled all at once, and this one is being thoughtfully built in stages. Next up is a complete reimagining of the kitchen and family room. In a few years, the owners plan to add a second story and a roof deck. Every material and finish in this first phase was chosen to belong now and still belong then. It's a remodel that never has to be undone, only added to.
