Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: Life in Italy Inspires a California Renovation
Carrara marble countertops, colors from nature and midcentury modern style feature in a Cape Cod–style home's makeover
Beatriz Macias and her husband left their home in Southern California to live in Italy for a while. When they returned, they saw their home with fresh, European-influenced eyes and decided their kitchen needed a makeover pronto. Their Cape Cod–style home was built in the 1980s, and it was showing its age.
"I've always loved secondhand stores, saving the money and finding things that are different," says Macias. "I found so many good deals on items for the kitchen renovation that I realized I had a knack for it." She also found a fun, like-minded community, and they all help one another identify treasures by using the hashtag "thriftbreak" on Twitter. About a year ago, she decided to take her knack to Etsy and opened up a shop, Mid Mod Mom.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Beatriz Macias, her husband and Fernando Gonzalez and their 15-year-old son
Location: Mission Viejo, California
Size: 3 bedrooms, 2 1/2 bathrooms
"I've always loved secondhand stores, saving the money and finding things that are different," says Macias. "I found so many good deals on items for the kitchen renovation that I realized I had a knack for it." She also found a fun, like-minded community, and they all help one another identify treasures by using the hashtag "thriftbreak" on Twitter. About a year ago, she decided to take her knack to Etsy and opened up a shop, Mid Mod Mom.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Beatriz Macias, her husband and Fernando Gonzalez and their 15-year-old son
Location: Mission Viejo, California
Size: 3 bedrooms, 2 1/2 bathrooms
"My husband and I had a lot of fun doing the work ourselves," Macias says. "I did the tiling and put the cabinets together, and my husband took care of the plumbing and the appliances. We called in a friend to do the electric work."
The tile is from iconic California company Heath Ceramics and goes with a nature-inspired color palette that Macias has always loved.
Some of her thrifted finds include a Neva Time Square clock, an Alessi Fruit Mama and an Alessi tea kettle.
The tile is from iconic California company Heath Ceramics and goes with a nature-inspired color palette that Macias has always loved.
Some of her thrifted finds include a Neva Time Square clock, an Alessi Fruit Mama and an Alessi tea kettle.
Renovations from the kitchen spilled over into the living room, where the fireplace surround received a coordinating makeover with Heath Ceramics tile and Carrara marble. "I used the same materials to marry the two spaces. I also carried the color palette through to the family room and the powder room," says Macias. They also extended the hardwood floors into the kitchen, which formerly had tile.
A few favorite estate sale finds will never make it into Macias' Etsy store, including this collection of midcentury glass. From left to right, there is an amber vase by Arthur Percy for Gullaskruf of Sweden, a green Empoli vase from Italy, a teal Blenko decanter by Winslow Anderson and a Blenko sheared bowl by Wayne Husted. The mirror behind the collection visually doubles it.
Lamp: Artemide's Nesso lamp, originally designed by Giancarlo Mattioli in 1967
Lamp: Artemide's Nesso lamp, originally designed by Giancarlo Mattioli in 1967
This bench is adjacent to the entry. "We take our shoes off when we enter the house, so this bench is a good place to sit and take off our shoes," says Macias. There are baskets underneath for stashing footwear.
The color palette was inspired by a single leaf. "I love all the fall colors," says Macias. "I took a leaf I loved with greens, browns and oranges in it to Home Depot and matched paint colors. I figured nature put them together to work together."
The color palette was inspired by a single leaf. "I love all the fall colors," says Macias. "I took a leaf I loved with greens, browns and oranges in it to Home Depot and matched paint colors. I figured nature put them together to work together."
Here's a view from the staircase into the family room. "I found the cowhide in Colombia, folded it up and brought it back in my suitcase," says Macias. The Domino Mobler armchairs were an estate sale find, the sleeper sofa is from Crate & Barrel and the coffee table is Drexel Heritage. Prints by local artists and Macias herself make up the art wall.
"We Colombians tend to travel in hordes, so we need the extra sleeping space provided by the sleeper sofa," says Macias, laughing.
Pendant light: David Trubridge Coral Pendant
"We Colombians tend to travel in hordes, so we need the extra sleeping space provided by the sleeper sofa," says Macias, laughing.
Pendant light: David Trubridge Coral Pendant
When people are sleeping over, Macias and her husband turn off their dueling cuckoo clocks, but otherwise they are totally used to hearing them cluck every hour. One of them is a family heirloom, and the other is a more recent Craigslist find.
Lucite dining chairs keep more visual space open and make the room appear larger. The textile on the table is a suzani from the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. A granite bowl holds sea glass and pebbles the family has collected on beaches during their worldwide travels.
The dresser was "my best find ever," says Macias. While she originally had a credenza in mind, when she came across this dresser she not only knew it was perfect and well priced, but she also had a big coupon. Such is the thrill of thrifting.
The nature-inspired palette continues to the downstairs bathroom's Marimekko ginkgo wallpaper.
I asked Macias if she has ever wished she'd kept one of the treasures she's sold through the Etsy shop. "No regrets yet," she said. "I'm happy to send them off to a good new home."
I asked Macias if she has ever wished she'd kept one of the treasures she's sold through the Etsy shop. "No regrets yet," she said. "I'm happy to send them off to a good new home."
Tables topped with Cararra marble inspired the countertops. "This marble is not for everyone; it chips and it stains, but I fell in love with the beautiful patina it acquires," she says. "Though I'll admit that first stain hurt."
Pendants: West Elm (with Edison bulbs); cabinets: Ikea; range: Bertazzoni; refrigerator: Whirlpool; dishwasher: Maytag