My Houzz: Airy Update With Midcentury Appeal for a California Home
See how this graphic design couple added indoor-outdoor flow to their 950-square-foot artist loft-inspired home
Kris Crenwelge and John Bellemy transformed a house in Redondo Beach, California, which, as they describe it, “looked like a Taco Bell” into a bright and airy home. The couple, both graphic designers, were looking for a live-work space with loft-like appeal to accommodate their busy lives and growing business when they found the faux-Spanish cottage with tiny, cramped rooms, cheesy archways, low ceilings and worn-out carpeting covered with cat hair. “It was really ugly,” Crenwelge says. Their new space, on the other hand, is sophisticated and modern while still respecting its origins.
AFTER: “We removed the Spanish stylings, repainted, landscaped and built side gates,” Crenwelge says.
Crenwelge and Bellemy repositioned the front door entry from the side of the house to the wall facing the street. They removed the exterior archway that framed the entry path and designed a small courtyard featuring a cafe table, potted plants and trees.
Relocating the front door meant moving laundry utilities into the garage to free up interior square footage. The couple then went to work on the interior.
Along with some friends, they swung sledgehammers to remove the walls that separated the kitchen, dining and living areas and painted after work at night. They raised the ceiling and hired a contractor to install a thicker, heavier beam independent of supporting posts to create an open, airy great room.
Crenwelge says the floor plan is her favorite part. “It doesn’t feel small,” she says. “It’s a tiny house, but there’s an openness about it, and plenty of room for two.”
Along with some friends, they swung sledgehammers to remove the walls that separated the kitchen, dining and living areas and painted after work at night. They raised the ceiling and hired a contractor to install a thicker, heavier beam independent of supporting posts to create an open, airy great room.
Crenwelge says the floor plan is her favorite part. “It doesn’t feel small,” she says. “It’s a tiny house, but there’s an openness about it, and plenty of room for two.”
One thing the couple say they didn’t see coming was the challenge of finding furniture to fit the space. “Our old couch looked ridiculous in here,” Crenwelge says. “We had a $10,000 decorating budget, and we realized how much we needed it after we moved in, because our stuff was too big for the house! We had to start from scratch.”
After looking at sectionals that were either too big or too small, they found the perfect fit at Room & Board, then added Nelson floor lamps and an area rug from West Elm.
After looking at sectionals that were either too big or too small, they found the perfect fit at Room & Board, then added Nelson floor lamps and an area rug from West Elm.
Some of the vintage Heywood-Wakefield furniture Bellemy inherited from his grandmother had to be put into storage. “We love it and we had this nice sideboard, but we put it in here and it was just thundering,” Crenwelge says. They found a simple white cabinet from Blu Dot that maintains their crisp, minimalist style but doesn’t overwhelm.
A Jonathan Adler sculptural white fox and lamp complete the contemporary tableau seen above. “It’s got a happy, positive feel,” she says.
A Jonathan Adler sculptural white fox and lamp complete the contemporary tableau seen above. “It’s got a happy, positive feel,” she says.
With the exception of the bathrooms, the interior walls are painted in Extra White by Sherwin-Williams. “The paint color was another consideration for a house this size,” Bellemy says. “We only put color in the bathrooms, because we wanted it to feel as open as possible.”
They replaced the original single-paned rattlers with new windows, creating a quieter environment and a lower heating bill.
The couple’s cat, Ripley, is perfectly happy here, and the bamboo wood floors installed throughout the house help keep dog and cat fur under control.
They replaced the original single-paned rattlers with new windows, creating a quieter environment and a lower heating bill.
The couple’s cat, Ripley, is perfectly happy here, and the bamboo wood floors installed throughout the house help keep dog and cat fur under control.
In the kitchen, the couple opted for an L-shaped layout for the appliances and the cabinetry, which are from Ikea. “We didn’t go super high-end,” Bellemy says. “We wanted it to be clean, functional and the best quality for the budget. There’s no need for a Sub-Zero in this house. It’d be great, but we went with the appliances that we have. The house just doesn’t really need it.” Crenwelge adds, “Ikea fit the house, and it had a good warranty.”
To save space, they opted for a tall dining table that doubles as a kitchen island and creates extra counter space.
To save space, they opted for a tall dining table that doubles as a kitchen island and creates extra counter space.
A free-standing drum fireplace, similar to those designed by Southern California manufacturer Malm in the 1950s, is original to the house and was a selling point for Crenwelge and Bellemy.
They found a marble slab to use as a base for this colorful, vintage piece on Anaheim’s popular street full of tile showrooms.
They found a marble slab to use as a base for this colorful, vintage piece on Anaheim’s popular street full of tile showrooms.
Crenwelge says they also found the tile used in the bathroom at a store in Anaheim’s tile district. The square tiles were discounted, because they were remnant pieces from another job. “They are actually outdoor pool tiles,” she says. “We used them on the patio too. A lot of little things like that helped save money.”
The couple added an extra window in the master bedroom to flood the space with light, and planted trees directly outside to create a sense of privacy.
Before the remodel, there was a free-standing sink in the bedroom as well as a closet for the furnace.
A new heater was relocated to the crawl space beneath the house, and the sink was removed. Crenwelge and Bellemy added a small half bath and designed a DIY organizational system for their closet. A vintage Heywood-Wakefield dresser featuring classic midcentury modern lines and solid birchwood construction looks right at home in the sophisticated contemporary interior.
Nightstands: Room & Board; bed: Modernica
Before the remodel, there was a free-standing sink in the bedroom as well as a closet for the furnace.
A new heater was relocated to the crawl space beneath the house, and the sink was removed. Crenwelge and Bellemy added a small half bath and designed a DIY organizational system for their closet. A vintage Heywood-Wakefield dresser featuring classic midcentury modern lines and solid birchwood construction looks right at home in the sophisticated contemporary interior.
Nightstands: Room & Board; bed: Modernica
The home’s second bedroom has been repurposed as a home office, where Bellemy and Crenwelge work side by side. “We thought of this home as like an artist’s loft,” Crenwelge says.
Limited-edition prints by Los Angeles artist and illustrator Josh Agle (“Shag”) hang throughout the house, celebrating midcentury style, whimsical color and a sly sense of humor.
A West Elm owl lamp and a framed wedding photo are displayed atop office cabinetry from Ikea.
“We’ve noticed in a space this size, if we have any clutter we feel like we’re overwhelmed with stuff,” Bellemy says. “We keep it to just a few pieces — clean and minimal.”
“We’ve noticed in a space this size, if we have any clutter we feel like we’re overwhelmed with stuff,” Bellemy says. “We keep it to just a few pieces — clean and minimal.”
When the couple bought the house, Crenwelge says there was just a big pile of dirt and rocks in the back. They planted the palms when they moved in, then added a layer of river rock and established an outdoor retreat.
“In the South Bay, space is at a premium,” Crenwelge says about the home’s location, just minutes from the beach. To camouflage the proximity of neighbors (just a few feet away), they installed window boxes with tall grasses. The grasses help bring the outdoors inside via the view through the windows, and provide a natural privacy screen.
Exterior glass doors bathe the rooms in natural light and make the space appear bigger. The little gargoyle seen here guards the side entrance, and stone planters feature drought-tolerant plants.
Crenwelg, seen here, and Bellemy are supporters of the Los Angeles Conservancy, a nonprofit organization devoted to recognizing, preserving and revitalizing historic buildings in Los Angeles County. Crenwelge says they love the idea of maintaining a neighborhood’s identity and sense of place. “I really love preserving homes,” she says. “In the condition we originally saw this house in, nobody would want to bother with it. I think it’s good to give it a chance — and there’s definitely enough space.” She adds, “How much space do you really need in a 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.
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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.
Browse more homes by style:
Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
Who lives here: Kris Crenwelge and John Bellemy with their cat, Ripley, and dog, Linus
Location: Redondo Beach, California
Size: 950 square feet (88.2 square meters); 1½ bathrooms
Year built: 1969; remodeled in 2005
BEFORE: When the couple bought the house, the exterior sported a faux-Spanish exterior.