Sweet Christmas Charm in a Renovated 1949 Home in California
Splashes of cheery sunshine yellow and shiplap walls are a backdrop to holiday decor in this decorator’s forever home
Janet Paik
December 25, 2019
Houzz Associate Editor. Passionate about creative homes and the people behind them. Loves thoughtful design, improving her family's 1950s fixer-upper and VW buses. Former designer at the San Jose Mercury News.
Houzz Associate Editor. Passionate about creative homes and the people behind them.... More
Mike and Lesley Vaux bought their 938-square-foot home in San Jose, California, in 2010 as a short sale. “It was in pretty bad condition when we purchased it, but we loved the charm and character of the home and the tree-lined street,” says Lesley, an interior decorator and stylist who enjoys working on projects with her husband, Mike, to improve and beautify their home. The couple renovated twice in 2011, including converting their detached garage and updating their tired ’70s kitchen. Their third significant renovation was prompted by their growing family and included adding a second story to double their square footage.
Photos by Nick Klein
House at a Glance
Who lives here: Mike and Lesley Vaux of Darling Dwelling Designs with daughter Charlotte, son Henry and a cat
Location: Willow Glen neighborhood of San Jose, California
Size: 1,850 square feet (172 square meters); three bedrooms, 2½ bathrooms
Year built: 1949
The couple worked closely with general contractor Marshal Juarez of Lincoln Builders to expand their cottage. “Our contractor also happens to be our neighbor down the street. Before we even had plans, we knew we wanted to work with his team. We started with basic sketches and inspirational ideas from Houzz,” says Lesley, who saved over a dozen photos to an ideabook she used to communicate with Juarez and his team. A local architect provided the couple with initial plans, which they tailored. “A million decisions later, we have our space, and it’s all custom — just as we wanted it,” Lesley says.
For the home’s exterior, it was important to maintain the existing architectural charm that the homeowners loved. “We wanted it to feel like it had always been in the neighborhood. We wanted to add on in a thoughtful way,” Lesley says. They love how the front porch makes them feel connected to their neighbors.
Seen on the right in their front yard is a fresh Christmas tree that is part of an annual neighborhood tradition. “Mike is Mr. Christmas and loves decorating the outside. He maintains the garden himself and is the craftsman who brings my creative ideas to life around the house,” Lesley says.
How to Create and Use Ideabooks
House at a Glance
Who lives here: Mike and Lesley Vaux of Darling Dwelling Designs with daughter Charlotte, son Henry and a cat
Location: Willow Glen neighborhood of San Jose, California
Size: 1,850 square feet (172 square meters); three bedrooms, 2½ bathrooms
Year built: 1949
The couple worked closely with general contractor Marshal Juarez of Lincoln Builders to expand their cottage. “Our contractor also happens to be our neighbor down the street. Before we even had plans, we knew we wanted to work with his team. We started with basic sketches and inspirational ideas from Houzz,” says Lesley, who saved over a dozen photos to an ideabook she used to communicate with Juarez and his team. A local architect provided the couple with initial plans, which they tailored. “A million decisions later, we have our space, and it’s all custom — just as we wanted it,” Lesley says.
For the home’s exterior, it was important to maintain the existing architectural charm that the homeowners loved. “We wanted it to feel like it had always been in the neighborhood. We wanted to add on in a thoughtful way,” Lesley says. They love how the front porch makes them feel connected to their neighbors.
Seen on the right in their front yard is a fresh Christmas tree that is part of an annual neighborhood tradition. “Mike is Mr. Christmas and loves decorating the outside. He maintains the garden himself and is the craftsman who brings my creative ideas to life around the house,” Lesley says.
How to Create and Use Ideabooks
Before: The original two-bedroom, one-bathroom home was just under 1,000 square feet. “The house needed love but was completely livable after a bit of paint and cleanup,” Lesley says. The couple lived in the home for two years and had their daughter, Charlotte, then renovated the kitchen and converted the detached garage in 2011. They also made other updates, like painting the exterior and cleaning up some of the landscaping. Then in February 2015, they started on a 14-month-long renovation process, living nearby with Lesley’s family. The design overhaul included adding a second story, a bedroom and bathrooms. They moved back into their home in April 2016.
After: “We are so happy living in our charming neighborhood; we can’t ever see leaving,” Lesley says. She and her family love their tree-lined street and proximity to downtown Willow Glen. “I have always had a passion for design and have turned that passion into my job styling homes,” says Lesley, pictured here on the new front porch with Henry and Charlotte.
A faux-pine wreath adorns the front door, and garland decorates the exterior columns for another festive holiday touch. The front door is painted a custom yellow blend from Benjamin Moore.
Shop for Christmas wreaths and garlands on Houzz
A faux-pine wreath adorns the front door, and garland decorates the exterior columns for another festive holiday touch. The front door is painted a custom yellow blend from Benjamin Moore.
Shop for Christmas wreaths and garlands on Houzz
The interior walls and ceiling are painted in Benjamin Moore’s Simply White. “We wanted a warm white home and a blank slate for design. I’m drawn to candy-colored decor, so the white walls did that for us,” Lesley says. Shiplap paneling throughout the interior adds architectural texture and detail.
The family starts decorating for the holidays the day after Thanksgiving. “Christmas music goes on, and we bust out the bins. Through the years we’ve narrowed the decor down just to our favorites, and at the end of each season, if strings of lights don’t work, we take those to the hardware store to recycle. We try not to store anything we don’t love,” Lesley says. She describes her holiday decorating style as “candy-colored and collected”: “I love bringing in unexpected colors outside of the traditional red and green. If it’s pink, aqua, yellow or metallic, I’m drawn to it — not only at Christmas!”
The family starts decorating for the holidays the day after Thanksgiving. “Christmas music goes on, and we bust out the bins. Through the years we’ve narrowed the decor down just to our favorites, and at the end of each season, if strings of lights don’t work, we take those to the hardware store to recycle. We try not to store anything we don’t love,” Lesley says. She describes her holiday decorating style as “candy-colored and collected”: “I love bringing in unexpected colors outside of the traditional red and green. If it’s pink, aqua, yellow or metallic, I’m drawn to it — not only at Christmas!”
The first floor is one of the most recognizable parts of the original home. “Walking through the front door into the living room is just as it was when we purchased. There’s a comfort about that and familiarity that we both love,” Lesley says. “It’s not an open-concept design on purpose, but there’s still a connectedness between the spaces. I can be in the family room and see every room downstairs but still feel like I’m in a cozy cottage.”
The flooring is white oak finished with three coats of sealant. “We knew we needed extra protection against toys,” Lesley says.
Lesley, a fifth-generation Californian, made the framed blue artwork of the state of California hanging by the front door.
The flooring is white oak finished with three coats of sealant. “We knew we needed extra protection against toys,” Lesley says.
Lesley, a fifth-generation Californian, made the framed blue artwork of the state of California hanging by the front door.
“We spend our afternoons and evenings in the living room with the fire on playing board games and watching the kids put on dances,” Lesley says. “The front room used to be our living room before the remodel, so it’s a comfortable tradition to spend time in there.”
The couple had storage cabinets and drawers installed underneath the stairs; they keep wine bottles and other things tucked away.
17 Ideas for Storage Under the Stairs
The couple had storage cabinets and drawers installed underneath the stairs; they keep wine bottles and other things tucked away.
17 Ideas for Storage Under the Stairs
The media console in the family room was used in the master bedroom as a dresser before the remodel; that bedroom was located where the family room is now. “Funny how some items are perfect right where they are,” Lesley says.
The family purchased the white Christmas tree with clear lights on Houzz for their first Christmas in their newly renovated house in 2016. “I was eight months pregnant, and the thought of getting the tree and maintaining it, plus the risk of ruining our new floors or walls with sap or water, was out of the question. So, for the first time ever and to our own surprise, we bought a fake tree,” Lesley says. “We have the real tree in the front yard, so the scent and the beauty of the real one is still a part of our daily life. We love our little white tree now and haven’t looked back.”
On Christmas morning, Mike and Lesley gather in this space with their two kids to open presents. “We always make a big delicious breakfast with an egg casserole and French toast,” Lesley says. The evening will usually wrap up with a Christmas movie — How the Grinch Stole Christmas and White Christmas are household favorites.
On Christmas morning, Mike and Lesley gather in this space with their two kids to open presents. “We always make a big delicious breakfast with an egg casserole and French toast,” Lesley says. The evening will usually wrap up with a Christmas movie — How the Grinch Stole Christmas and White Christmas are household favorites.
Behind the family room is a play and work area for the kids. “We spend most of our days in the family room and play nook. Toys are out and books are read here,” Lesley says.
Lesley swaps out the decor on the open shelves through the seasons. The vintage Santa figurines were a gift from Lesley’s mother, who found them at an antiques store in Hawaii. “She sent me one little photo of them, and I thought they were the size of an ornament. When she brought them home, I realized they were 10 inches tall and fantastic!” Lesley says. “I love having them in the kids’ play space, and we say, ‘He’s always watching,’ and the kids will sing ‘Santa Claus Is Coming to Town’ when they walk by.”
The wooden toy box seen here has sentimental significance for Lesley, as her grandfather built it in the 1960s for her mother when she was a little girl. “Now my kids get to use it,” she says.
The small Advent calendar on the shelf is filled with activities for the kids each day, like “Write a letter to Santa,” “Do something kind for a neighbor,” and “Take a night walk to look at Christmas lights.” Every year Lesley plans activities in advance, including holiday parties and play dates.
Black French doors add contrast to the white walls; they lead out to a patio and a converted detached garage.
The small Advent calendar on the shelf is filled with activities for the kids each day, like “Write a letter to Santa,” “Do something kind for a neighbor,” and “Take a night walk to look at Christmas lights.” Every year Lesley plans activities in advance, including holiday parties and play dates.
Black French doors add contrast to the white walls; they lead out to a patio and a converted detached garage.
The kitchen originally had gold-and-brown linoleum flooring and oak cabinets from the ’70s. In 2011, the homeowners renovated the kitchen, installing white cabinets, new appliances and hardwood flooring and creating an eating nook. During demolition for their 2016 renovation, they uninstalled and then reinstalled everything. “Only the kitchen sink took a minor beating in the removal, so we had to replace it,” Lesley says.
The countertops are quartz, and Lesley loves how they have held up since 2011. “No special seals or treatments are necessary, which we love,” she says.
The countertops are quartz, and Lesley loves how they have held up since 2011. “No special seals or treatments are necessary, which we love,” she says.
This view shows the L-shaped layout of the kitchen and dining nook. Both the white range and refrigerator are by KitchenAid.
The dining nook has a built-in bench with storage under the window.
Lesley recently made the ornament wreath with her mother at a workshop in Newport Beach, California. She thinks it will be the start of a collection of them.
Lesley recently made the ornament wreath with her mother at a workshop in Newport Beach, California. She thinks it will be the start of a collection of them.
Beyond the kitchen are additional cabinets to house pantry items and a coffee station.
During the holiday season, Lesley loves to bake with her kids and often has both her mixers on. “Something fresh out of the oven every week — if not daily on some weeks,” she says. “Now that the kids are getting a little older and can help, it’s getting even better, and I’m trying new things based on their preferences.”
Displayed on top of the milk glass cake stands seen here are baking-theme ornaments, including a mini mixer, Key lime pie, morning buns and doughnuts. “All things we love to bake,” Lesley says. Stored inside the cabinet are baking supplies and accessories, including sprinkles, cake gift boxes and cookie cutters.
Displayed on top of the milk glass cake stands seen here are baking-theme ornaments, including a mini mixer, Key lime pie, morning buns and doughnuts. “All things we love to bake,” Lesley says. Stored inside the cabinet are baking supplies and accessories, including sprinkles, cake gift boxes and cookie cutters.
A washer and dryer are tucked away underneath the stairs near a newly added powder room. The front-loading appliances are tucked neatly away in custom cabinets.
The laundry hamper is from local shop Magpie, now closed.
The laundry hamper is from local shop Magpie, now closed.
All three bedrooms are located upstairs. “Upstairs is our retreat. Our ‘treehouse,’ as we call it, is our sanctuary,” Lesley says.
This landing at the top of the stairs is one of her favorite spots. “It’s where I stopped and savored the view when the stairs to the second story first went in,” she says. “I still marvel at the trees, rooftop view and the light that comes in from that window on a daily basis. It’s so special because it holds so much symbolism for the addition. We literally had to rip the roof off and go up. It’s the only place in the house that has the two-story floor-to-ceiling open space, and I love the height and way the light from the large window filters into the entire house.”
The family’s stockings hang in a little nook on the landing area. “On Christmas morning we open our stockings in our bedroom with the kids. It’s a tradition I used to do with my grandparents when I would be at their house at Christmas as a little girl,” Lesley says. The pink stocking on the right belonged to her grandparents.
Shop for Christmas stockings and holders on Houzz
This landing at the top of the stairs is one of her favorite spots. “It’s where I stopped and savored the view when the stairs to the second story first went in,” she says. “I still marvel at the trees, rooftop view and the light that comes in from that window on a daily basis. It’s so special because it holds so much symbolism for the addition. We literally had to rip the roof off and go up. It’s the only place in the house that has the two-story floor-to-ceiling open space, and I love the height and way the light from the large window filters into the entire house.”
The family’s stockings hang in a little nook on the landing area. “On Christmas morning we open our stockings in our bedroom with the kids. It’s a tradition I used to do with my grandparents when I would be at their house at Christmas as a little girl,” Lesley says. The pink stocking on the right belonged to her grandparents.
Shop for Christmas stockings and holders on Houzz
All of the walls and vaulted ceilings in the bedrooms are painted in Benjamin Moore’s Simply White. Vibrant furnishings, textiles and decor outfit Charlotte’s room. Her room also has a window seat decorated with a hot-pink artificial Christmas tree. The window seat has custom drawer storage underneath and shelves for displaying books and knickknacks.
Lesley’s mother painted the artwork that hangs on the wall.
Lesley’s mother painted the artwork that hangs on the wall.
Lesley was inspired by a photo of a kids’ closet she saw on Houzz to create the drawer units in Charlotte’s closet. She made the labels on a Cricut die-cutting machine to help her daughter pick out daily outfits.
The couple’s two kids share this all-white bathroom, which has white penny tiles for the floor, subway tile for the shower-tub combo and 4-by-4-inch tile for the bathtub surround. The homeowners opted for a vanity-width sink in lieu of a countertop.
Henry was having a hard time going to bed in his crib, so the couple recently transitioned his bed to the floor tucked into a tepee. The tepee turned out to be in perfect proportion with the pitched 14-foot ceiling. “We wanted something with a bit of height, but we weren’t sure what that was going to be,” Lesley says. Tucked into the tepee underneath the crib-size mattress is an ivory-colored faux-fur rug by ecofo that Lesley bought on Houzz. “We put a fluffy carpet under in case he rolled out. The bed has been against the back horizontally or as it is now. Both work perfectly. He loves to play and sleep in there, and we pull the ends closed at night so he’s all tucked in,” Lesley says.
The accent pillow was made from a maternity T-shirt Lesley wore while pregnant with each of the kids. “I loved it so much that I couldn’t let it go, so my mom took it and transformed it into a pillow,” she says.
The accent pillow was made from a maternity T-shirt Lesley wore while pregnant with each of the kids. “I loved it so much that I couldn’t let it go, so my mom took it and transformed it into a pillow,” she says.
“We call our son ‘our little adventurer,’ and one of our favorite books is Henry’s Bright Idea by Lauren Bradshaw about a clever fox who is a part of the Walnut Animal Society,” Lesley says. This book inspired both the theme of his first birthday party and the decor in his room.
Henry’s bedroom also includes a custom window seat with drawer storage and shelves. A mini artificial tree with lights adorns his desk.
Henry’s bedroom also includes a custom window seat with drawer storage and shelves. A mini artificial tree with lights adorns his desk.
The master bedroom also features a window seat with drawers underneath. The couple uses the small black bookshelf, which once belonged to Lesley’s grandfather, to display the grandfather’s collection of vintage cameras. “I love the history of them and the idea that all of my family’s memories were captured through the lens of the cameras that I now look after,” Lesley says. “The photos displayed with them are of the people who are mostly no longer here but who I’ll always be able to remember, thanks to those cameras.”
This pair of leather armchairs belonged to Lesley’s grandparents, and she had them re-covered. Her grandparents “used to sit in them in their home, and now Mike and I do,” she says. A decorative tree adorns the window seat. “I store the boxes of shiny brights in plain view in our room on the bench and in the basket — the boxes are art themselves, and I love them,” Lesley says.
The master bathroom design was inspired by a photo on Houzz. It has a double vanity, vessel sinks and a large walk-in shower with subway wall tile and river-rock floor tile.
10 Bathrooms With Wonderful Walk-In Showers
10 Bathrooms With Wonderful Walk-In Showers
Lesley’s mother painted the aqua-and-gold artwork that adds color to the couple’s closet area, made up of stand-alone wall-to-wall closet units with glossy white doors.
Seen here is the rear of the home, including an existing stone patio and the converted detached garage that includes a home bar space for Mike and a lounge and play area for the kids.
In the back corner of the patio is an existing lemon tree that inspired the yellow accents used for the home. Lesley also uses its abundant lemons to bake her signature bars and poppy seed cake.
“The bones of the house are solid, and we designed it thoughtfully so it could grow with us as we go through chapters of life,” Lesley says.
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My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
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In the back corner of the patio is an existing lemon tree that inspired the yellow accents used for the home. Lesley also uses its abundant lemons to bake her signature bars and poppy seed cake.
“The bones of the house are solid, and we designed it thoughtfully so it could grow with us as we go through chapters of life,” Lesley says.
See more of this home
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
More on Houzz
See other home tours
Find a general contractor
Shop for home products
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@A Passion for Gardens, we looked into the original builder when we first bought the house and it looked like it was built by the original owners. It's not like any other of the planned post-war houses in our neighborhood. I am familiar with Menlo Park and the Flood Park neighborhood, also charming!
Beautiful remodel and addition! I love everything, especially the way family traditions are incorporated into the design, except the vessel sinks.
Absolutely beautiful!