My Houzz: DIY Efforts Reward a Berkeley Family
California parents-to-be roll up their sleeves to transform the landscape and spruce up the interior of their Cliff May home
Nanette Wong
June 23, 2014
Houzz Contributor // Visual storyteller. I love connecting with other like-minded home enthusiasts and scouring Houzz for real home inspiration by real people. In my spare time, I try to think of clever food puns and write about food, design, and San Francisco.
Houzz Contributor // Visual storyteller. I love connecting with other like-minded... More
Lisa Wong Jackson found her family’s Cliff May–designed home in Berkeley, California, on Craigslist. As is true of so many online finds, it was a bit of a hit-or-miss opportunity, but the ranch-style property showed potential as a first-time home for the graphic designer and her husband, Nick Jackson, an attorney.
The couple had always admired Cliff May’s distinctive architectural style. There were ready to move in, but the home had one major drawback: a complete lack of landscaping. With a nonexistent entryway and a backyard overrun with weeds and rotting retaining walls, they knew it would be a lot of work. Despite the daunting challenge, Lisa and Nick decided it would be worth the extra effort, so they rolled up their sleeves every weekend to create their dream home.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Nick Jackson, Lisa Wong Jackson and their sons, Lucas (age 4) and Theo (2)
Location: Berkeley, California
Size: 1,459 square feet (136 square meters); 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Year built: 1955
The couple had always admired Cliff May’s distinctive architectural style. There were ready to move in, but the home had one major drawback: a complete lack of landscaping. With a nonexistent entryway and a backyard overrun with weeds and rotting retaining walls, they knew it would be a lot of work. Despite the daunting challenge, Lisa and Nick decided it would be worth the extra effort, so they rolled up their sleeves every weekend to create their dream home.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Nick Jackson, Lisa Wong Jackson and their sons, Lucas (age 4) and Theo (2)
Location: Berkeley, California
Size: 1,459 square feet (136 square meters); 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Year built: 1955
When the couple moved in, this was a barren hillside with three wooden steps. It took over a year and a lot of sweat and hard work to transform the landscaping. The couple planted Mexican feather grass, African daisies, pink breath of heaven, blue fescue, sword ferns and a mix of succulents in the shaded area and added mulch as a ground cover. Nick also installed a drip system.
Nick and Lisa (pregnant with Lucas at the time) began the work themselves. They hauled dirt every weekend wheelbarrow by wheelbarrow, breaking windows along the way and removing weeds. They finally realized they needed professional help and tapped Troy Martinez of 5 Elements Design. Martinez poured in a concrete stairway, and the couple added an ipe wood handrail and new plantings. Even with the additional expenses, they were able to stick to their budget of $18,000.
Nick and Lisa (pregnant with Lucas at the time) began the work themselves. They hauled dirt every weekend wheelbarrow by wheelbarrow, breaking windows along the way and removing weeds. They finally realized they needed professional help and tapped Troy Martinez of 5 Elements Design. Martinez poured in a concrete stairway, and the couple added an ipe wood handrail and new plantings. Even with the additional expenses, they were able to stick to their budget of $18,000.
The landscaping now blends with the indoor space and the couple’s style. Cliff May is best known for how he blurred the lines between outdoor and indoor living. Every room in the home has a door that opens to the outside.
Wedding photos fill the back wall of the living room.
Frames: Aaron Brothers
Wedding photos fill the back wall of the living room.
Frames: Aaron Brothers
When the couple first moved in, they brought only a few items from their previous homes. For the rest they invested in new furniture, like this George Nelson Platform Bench.
Couch: Petrie, Crate & Barrel; bench: Nelson Platform Bench, Design Within Reach; chair: Quinn, Room & Board; rug: Cable, Room & Board
Couch: Petrie, Crate & Barrel; bench: Nelson Platform Bench, Design Within Reach; chair: Quinn, Room & Board; rug: Cable, Room & Board
In the dining area, a wall of windows looks out to the new front yard.
Dining table, bench: Big Sur, Crate & Barrel; end chairs: Oslo, Crate & Barrel; green chairs: Leaf - Sled, Arper; open shelves: Lack, Ikea
Dining table, bench: Big Sur, Crate & Barrel; end chairs: Oslo, Crate & Barrel; green chairs: Leaf - Sled, Arper; open shelves: Lack, Ikea
Though spacious and open, the house lacks storage and “everything ends up being on display,” says Lisa. “We love collecting little, small things, so we’ve been practicing putting interesting vignettes together.” As a graphic designer and the owner of a stationery company, Good on Paper, Lisa has a hearty appreciation for beautiful and quirky small things.
A collection of art prints, ceramics and knickknacks adds a personal touch to the dining room.
The previous owner was a carpenter and made the kitchen cabinets glossy and bright; the couple left them untouched.
The coffee table in the family room is a meaningful piece for Lisa. It originally belonged to her grandmother, and Lisa has fond childhood memories of celebrating Chinese New Year with her family around it.
As a music buff and guitar player, Nick needed a way to store all the CDs and records he’d collected over the years, so the couple built a storage unit, incorporating milk crates from his parents’ house.
Nick is a huge fan of the TV show Breaking Bad, and Lisa got him these retro-style prints from Mattson Creative for his birthday.
Couch: Petrie, Crate & Barrel
Couch: Petrie, Crate & Barrel
The master bedroom doubles as Lisa’s mini home office. Despite her busy schedule, she tries to maintain a healthy work-life balance, not working too late into the night so she can spend time with her family, including Lucas, pictured here.
Bed: Malm, Ikea; lamps: OneFortyThree; side table: Mid-Century Nightstand, West Elm
Bed: Malm, Ikea; lamps: OneFortyThree; side table: Mid-Century Nightstand, West Elm
The subtle lines of the storage unit and even the shower curtain reflect the aesthetics of the rest of the home.
Painterly Stripe Shower Curtain: Schoolhouse Electric
Painterly Stripe Shower Curtain: Schoolhouse Electric
When it was time for Lucas to move to a bigger bed, Lisa wanted to get him something that he could grow with. He chose the sheets himself, and Lisa looked for artwork that fits his obsession with treasure maps.
The side table is also another great vintage piece from Grandma’s house. It was originally a Danish stool; Lisa converted it to a bedside table that holds a fun lamp from Perch. While Lisa likes hardwood in the common areas, she loves carpeting for bedrooms. She painstakingly cut and fit the carpet tiles together to create a unique, tiled look for Lucas’ bedroom.
Duvet cover: Imperfect Plus, Schoolhouse Electric, art: 826 Valencia; bed: Malm, Ikea; chair: Poäng, Ikea
The side table is also another great vintage piece from Grandma’s house. It was originally a Danish stool; Lisa converted it to a bedside table that holds a fun lamp from Perch. While Lisa likes hardwood in the common areas, she loves carpeting for bedrooms. She painstakingly cut and fit the carpet tiles together to create a unique, tiled look for Lucas’ bedroom.
Duvet cover: Imperfect Plus, Schoolhouse Electric, art: 826 Valencia; bed: Malm, Ikea; chair: Poäng, Ikea
Theo’s bedroom has a reading corner and Ikea Expedit shelves to keep all of his books and toys organized.
The backyard was in equally poor shape as the front. The couple created a new and larger low-maintenance seating area and worked with Martinez to build new retaining walls.
While working on the landscaping, the couple drove around their neighborhood and noticed that all the neighbors had similar drought-tolerant and deer-resistant plants. Some of the plants they initially bought disappeared overnight, most likely thanks to gophers and deer. Through trial and error, they learned which plants could thrive in this environment.
The planting bed here includes red New Zealand flax, purple fountain grass, blue fescue, Spanish lavender, blue chalk and various succulents. Creeping through the fence is a neighbor’s ivy, while pots filled with Japanese rush line the new retaining wall.
The planting bed here includes red New Zealand flax, purple fountain grass, blue fescue, Spanish lavender, blue chalk and various succulents. Creeping through the fence is a neighbor’s ivy, while pots filled with Japanese rush line the new retaining wall.
“Our midcentury modern home, designed by Cliff May, could not have been more of a dream,” says Lisa, seen her with Theo (on her lap), Nick and Lucas. “It was the perfect fit for our design sensibility and love for indoor-outdoor living.”
See more photos of this house
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.
Browse more homes by style:
Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Eclectic Homes | Modern Homes | Contemporary Homes | Midcentury Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Barn Homes | Townhouses | Apartments | Lofts | Vacation Homes
More: My Houzz: 1950s Rebound for a Cliff May House
See more photos of this house
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.
Browse more homes by style:
Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Eclectic Homes | Modern Homes | Contemporary Homes | Midcentury Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Barn Homes | Townhouses | Apartments | Lofts | Vacation Homes
More: My Houzz: 1950s Rebound for a Cliff May House
Related Stories
Contemporary Homes
Houzz Tour: Boston Pied-à-Terre Designed for Evenings
By Becky Harris
A designer found on Houzz infuses a condo with a sultry vibe inspired by supper clubs and luxe boutique hotels
Full Story
Guesthouses
Houzz Tour: Light-Filled 704-Square-Foot Modern Cottage
By Becky Harris
An architect and a designer create a light and airy feel, cozied up by layers of textures
Full Story
Outbuildings
Family Gatherings in Argentina Inspire a Pavilion and Guesthouse
By Becky Harris
A new yard adds room for hosting, swimming and bringing part of one homeowner’s culture to her family’s Seattle home
Full Story
Transitional Homes
Houzz Tour: Organic Style on an Avocado Ranch
By Becky Harris
A designer uses a soft neutral palette, handmade tile and reclaimed wood to update a 1980s contemporary home
Full Story
Transitional Homes
Houzz Tour: Elegant, Earthy Ranch House for an Empty-Nest Couple
Design styles, warm neutral colors and special details blend in a Minnesota ranch-style house with a finished basement
Full Story
Contemporary Homes
Houzz Tour: Colorado Forever Home Is a Family Affair
By Becky Harris
The mountain home was designed for gatherings and to make the most of views of Pikes Peak and surroundings
Full Story
Contemporary Homes
Houzz Tour: Open and Inviting Mountain Home Near Lake Tahoe
By Becky Harris
A designer creates a warmly minimalist California getaway that can stand up to snow and mud
Full Story
Homes Around the World
Houzz Tour: Period Home Gains Color and Character
By Kate Burt
Before-and-after photos show how a bold palette and restored features bring warmth and personality to this English house
Full Story
Modern Homes
Houzz Tour: New Home Gets a Midcentury Modern Makeover
By Julie Sheer
A designer in Boston reworks the kitchen and primary suite and adds style with furnishings, lighting and more
Full Story
Barn Homes
Houzz Tour: Old Barns Become an Airy, Modern-Rustic Home
A barn home in Devon, England, sits lightly on the land and offers simple, relaxing spaces for an extended family
Full Story
I would like to know what paint color they used on the outside. Is this information available anywhere?
Margarita Espinoza serch for "go away green" its kinda of a bluish green