My Houzz: Midcentury Minimalism in Long Beach
Vintage and industrial design elements combine for lots of character in this California couple's minimalist home
Cat Madrid-Barone and Giovanni Barone wanted a house with just the right amount of character. And when they finally found one in Long Beach, California, they wanted it to reflect their personalities — modern and streamlined, yet whimsical.
"Our house has an urban-loft feel to it, especially with all the industrial pieces incorporated into it," Madrid-Barone says. "However, it still thrives on its midcentury shell. It feels great living in a home and neighborhood that you know has been around for at least 50 years. It's very easy to appreciate a home that's been a home to other people for a very long time."
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Cat Madrid-Barone and Giovanni Barone
Location: Long Beach, California
Size: 1,289 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
That's interesting: The living room features a loft crawl space accessed by a metal ladder.
"Our house has an urban-loft feel to it, especially with all the industrial pieces incorporated into it," Madrid-Barone says. "However, it still thrives on its midcentury shell. It feels great living in a home and neighborhood that you know has been around for at least 50 years. It's very easy to appreciate a home that's been a home to other people for a very long time."
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Cat Madrid-Barone and Giovanni Barone
Location: Long Beach, California
Size: 1,289 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
That's interesting: The living room features a loft crawl space accessed by a metal ladder.
A leather Ikea sectional sofa with Mongolian fur pillows from David Galindo divides the living room. A colorful Lourdes Sánchez for West Elm rug ties together other industrial-style items, such as a lamp in the corner, an antique mining cart (used as a coffee table) from InRetrospect and a midcentury stool from the Long Beach Antique Market.
In the living room, Cat and Giovanni painted a wall with chalkboard paint to allow for an ever-changing canvas for artwork. The current drawings on display are by Cat and her sisters.
Katrina Guevara: How did you find your house? Was it love at first sight?
Cat Madrid-Barone: Gio and I found our house from an app on our iPhone. The real estate agent we were dealing with at the time couldn't go with us to look at the house, so we went by ourselves. Once we walked in, we instantly knew it was the house, no questions about it. We didn't even talk to each other when we first saw it — we sorta just knew together. It felt cool, strange yet familiar at the same time.
Katrina Guevara: How did you find your house? Was it love at first sight?
Cat Madrid-Barone: Gio and I found our house from an app on our iPhone. The real estate agent we were dealing with at the time couldn't go with us to look at the house, so we went by ourselves. Once we walked in, we instantly knew it was the house, no questions about it. We didn't even talk to each other when we first saw it — we sorta just knew together. It felt cool, strange yet familiar at the same time.
KG: Where is your favorite place to shop for your home? What is your ultimate dream home item?
CMB: My favorite place to shop is the Long Beach Antique Market at Veteran's Stadium, which I'm so lucky to live really close to. If money were no object, I would splurge on everything at Factory 20. They have the most amazing finds!
CMB: My favorite place to shop is the Long Beach Antique Market at Veteran's Stadium, which I'm so lucky to live really close to. If money were no object, I would splurge on everything at Factory 20. They have the most amazing finds!
KG: Is your clothing boutique, Moss & Rock, inspired by your home in any way?
CMB: Yes and no. I knew that I wanted my store to be a lot more rustic and more industrial. Though my home is very gender neutral, I had a vision of my store to be much more masculine, similar to the M&R logo. Also, given the fact that I have bands play at my store, the interior and overall design of the store needed to be rustic and industrial.
Copper and metal wall art sculpture: gift from a friend
CMB: Yes and no. I knew that I wanted my store to be a lot more rustic and more industrial. Though my home is very gender neutral, I had a vision of my store to be much more masculine, similar to the M&R logo. Also, given the fact that I have bands play at my store, the interior and overall design of the store needed to be rustic and industrial.
Copper and metal wall art sculpture: gift from a friend
KG: What is your favorite area in your home?
CMB: The kitchen. It's pretty open, and we love how large the kitchen island is. It's become the center of the home, especially when guests are over. The island serves as a gathering place for food. We also love our backyard. It's quite big for just being the two of us, so maybe one day when we have a dog, we can play with him or her in the backyard.
CMB: The kitchen. It's pretty open, and we love how large the kitchen island is. It's become the center of the home, especially when guests are over. The island serves as a gathering place for food. We also love our backyard. It's quite big for just being the two of us, so maybe one day when we have a dog, we can play with him or her in the backyard.
KG: Tell me about this loft space.
CMB: The loft was already there when we bought the house, but the prior homeowner put the ladder there. We had it sandblasted and designed matching railings to prevent any accidents. The industrial railings were built by our contractor. The industrial lamp is from the 1920s and came from an asylum in Northern California. We padded the loft space by adding shag carpeting. We use it to relax, drink and listen to music, since we have the house speakers hooked up there.
CMB: The loft was already there when we bought the house, but the prior homeowner put the ladder there. We had it sandblasted and designed matching railings to prevent any accidents. The industrial railings were built by our contractor. The industrial lamp is from the 1920s and came from an asylum in Northern California. We padded the loft space by adding shag carpeting. We use it to relax, drink and listen to music, since we have the house speakers hooked up there.
KG: Who are your favorite designers?
CMB: My favorite midcentury designer is George Nakashima. My favorite clothing designer is Phoebe Philo during her Chloé days.
CMB: My favorite midcentury designer is George Nakashima. My favorite clothing designer is Phoebe Philo during her Chloé days.
A terrarium sits atop a stool made from an old tree. The stool was one of the first pieces Cat purchased for the home.
KG: What was your biggest design dilemma?
CMB: Storage space — or lack of it. When we bought the house, we were forced to get rid of a lot of things. We live pretty minimally now.
KG: What was your biggest design dilemma?
CMB: Storage space — or lack of it. When we bought the house, we were forced to get rid of a lot of things. We live pretty minimally now.
KG: In an emergency, what's the first thing you'd grab?
CMB: If the house were on fire, I'd grab at least one of my plants and maybe one of my vintage necklaces. If I was strong enough to grab my tree chairs and my tree table, I would. It's a set of one bench, one chair and a table that we bought as our first pieces of furniture for the house. I don't think we'd even closed escrow yet and decided we couldn't pass it up. They're very Nakashima-like in design.
CMB: If the house were on fire, I'd grab at least one of my plants and maybe one of my vintage necklaces. If I was strong enough to grab my tree chairs and my tree table, I would. It's a set of one bench, one chair and a table that we bought as our first pieces of furniture for the house. I don't think we'd even closed escrow yet and decided we couldn't pass it up. They're very Nakashima-like in design.
KG: What is your next home project?
CMB: What we'd like to do next to the house is actually spend time in it! We both are so busy that we feel we never really get to enjoy it as much as we want to. If we had to renovate anything, though, it would probably be to have a larger closet space in our master bedroom.
CMB: What we'd like to do next to the house is actually spend time in it! We both are so busy that we feel we never really get to enjoy it as much as we want to. If we had to renovate anything, though, it would probably be to have a larger closet space in our master bedroom.
In one of two bathrooms, dark wood shelving houses a hand-shaped ring stand from Urban Outfitters and porcelain candle votives from Stockholm, Sweden.
KG: Tell me about your workroom and this bookshelf.
CMB: This mid-18th-century bookshelf is the oldest piece of furniture in the house. I randomly purchased it from an antiques mall, but it turned out that two of my friends used to own it as well and had it in their homes for years.
CMB: This mid-18th-century bookshelf is the oldest piece of furniture in the house. I randomly purchased it from an antiques mall, but it turned out that two of my friends used to own it as well and had it in their homes for years.
This metal utility cabinet came from a science lab in Sacramento, California, and the hand-drawn portrait of Lucille Ball was a housewarming gift from friends.
KG: Can you tell me more about your backyard?
CMB: We used our shed for a photo shoot for my store Moss & Rock's website at one point. It looked like a barn. In fact, we always thought that maybe the original owners kept animals back there because of the barnlike appearance of the shed. Our two-car garage is back there as well, and we love that it's separate from the house, like most Long Beach homes. We really only use the backyard during the summer, when we have guests over.
Malm fireplace from the late 1960s: Craigslist; white Harry Bertoia wire chairs: Long Beach Antique Market
CMB: We used our shed for a photo shoot for my store Moss & Rock's website at one point. It looked like a barn. In fact, we always thought that maybe the original owners kept animals back there because of the barnlike appearance of the shed. Our two-car garage is back there as well, and we love that it's separate from the house, like most Long Beach homes. We really only use the backyard during the summer, when we have guests over.
Malm fireplace from the late 1960s: Craigslist; white Harry Bertoia wire chairs: Long Beach Antique Market
Cat and Giovanni recently installed new windows and a storm door on the exterior.
KG: What do you love most about Long Beach?
CMB: What we love most about our city is that it's not completely manicured and hasn't yet been fully taken over by mainstream commercial design. We really love seeing older homes and how Long Beach has kept much of its charm intact and untouched. The people also match the uniqueness and humbleness of the city.
More Houzz Tours:
Modern California Beach House
Ocean-Inspired Home for Two in Newport Beach
Sunny Update for a California Bungalow
KG: What do you love most about Long Beach?
CMB: What we love most about our city is that it's not completely manicured and hasn't yet been fully taken over by mainstream commercial design. We really love seeing older homes and how Long Beach has kept much of its charm intact and untouched. The people also match the uniqueness and humbleness of the city.
More Houzz Tours:
Modern California Beach House
Ocean-Inspired Home for Two in Newport Beach
Sunny Update for a California Bungalow