100 YEARS TO PERFECTION

This thrice renovated Southern California house still carries the charm and character of its historic roots.

This thrice renovated Southern California house still carries the charm and character of its historic roots.

It’s rare that purchasing a new home also means tapping into family history. But that was the case for Leslie Saeta and her husband. “My husband grew up in this house,” Leslie says. “His parents bought in in 1969, and then we bought it from them in 1998.” After three separate renovations and raising three sons in the well-loved space, Leslie still says, “I’m so lucky to live in this house.” Built in 1915, the house inspired Leslie’s blog, My 100 Year Old Home, where she shares her many DIY projects and farmhouse finds.

THE MORE THE MERRIER

Even after multiple renovations, the home retains its century-old charm. “We’ve completely kept the integrity of our home,” Leslie says. “The last thing I wanted to do was wreck the original beauty of the house.”

The first renovation included changes in the kitchen and family room, as well as adding a bathroom and making the backyard user-friendly. “It was built for a different style of living, so we wanted to open up the kitchen, make a bigger family room and create outdoor living,” Leslie says.

While renovating the interior, they came across an unexpected surprise. “Right in the middle of our family room, when we took out walls, was a huge brick chimney,” Leslie says. The contractor suggested they simply remove it, and so they did—brick by brick. They later used the same bricks to construct a large outdoor fireplace and complete the patio—a space the family enjoys year-round.

This coffee table was originally a brown chest Leslie found at a flea market. She painted it with with Old Barn Milk Paint and completed the DIY project by adding two ceiling tiles on the top.

Next came the master bedroom. With a Jack-and-Jill bathroom and a tiny closet, the space was simply not working effectively for the couple. With remodel number two, they created a larger closet and a separate bathroom.

The last renovation involved the addition of a pool and outdoor kitchen, further expanding their outdoor living space. Through all the projects, they worked to “make sure we could keep exactly right to the time period of our house,” Leslie says. They had moldings, doors and other features custom-made to be consistent with the home’s original design and existing features.

FIND IT AT THE FLEA

Leslie defines her home’s style as flea-market farmhouse—fitting, considering that many of the pieces in her home came from local fleas. She bought the chandelier above the dining room table even before moving in. Her white coffee table, a favorite project, was originally a brown chest. “I bought it at a flea market, painted it with Old Milk Barn Paint and then attached two ceiling tiles on top,” she says.

When shopping at flea markets, Leslie recommends looking with an open mind. “Don’t always look at an item with one purpose in mind,” she says. In her home, she has repurposed many items and even entire rooms, such as putting ceiling tiles on walls and coffee tables or turning the butler’s pantry into a flower arranging space.

A HAPPY HOME

For Leslie, part of the charm of her home is that it’s been lived in. “Our house is one hundred years old, and it has a lot of flaws,” she says. “I love the fact that there are scrapes and dings that my kids caused when they were growing up.” One side of the coffee table in the family room is even completely worn down from her son’s soccer cleats. “I wouldn’t change that,” she says. “That table will be in our home for as long as I live here. It doesn’t have to be perfect.” But a perfect living space for her family it has become.

Leslie says people often think her kitchen was renovated a year ago because of its timeless style, but in reality, she renovated 18 years ago.

Leslie renovated her well-worn kitchen to keep its original windows. A few vintage signs add farmhouse charm to the scene alongside the shaker cabinets and farmhouse sink.

Originally the butler’s pantry, Leslie transformed this space into a flower arranging room where she makes delightful creations.

The dining room plays host to a few different DIY projects: Above the table is a vintage ladder with three hanging wooden chandeliers. On the far wall, old window frames that Leslie found at a flea adorn the space.

(opposite) Leslie found this old mortar parts chest at a flea market. Now, it serves as the perfect craft room storage space. The cow painting on the wall is a Leslie original. (top left) Originally, the master bedroom shared a Jackand-Jill bathroom, but during remodel number two, the Saeta family added a separate master bathroom. (right) Three reproduction prints hang in the guest bedroom. They are images Leslie purchased from Etsy, depicting the US patents for goggles, a baseball bat and a volleyball—the three different Division 1 sports that her sons played.

BY LAUREN HOFER PHOTOGRAPHY B Y B R E T GUM S T Y L E D B Y V I C TO R I A VAN V L E A R (opposite) With history and charm, this 100-year-old home has been lived in, renovated and loved by Leslie and her family. (right) This built-in bookshelf is original to the home. Leslie lightly decorated it with vintage books and other flea market finds, such as silver water pitchers and an old license plate.

(left) Vintage finds and period items, like the pieces here, continue the integrity of the early 1900s when the home was built. Leslie and her husband sought to carry this time period throughout the home during the renovation process. (bottom left) This piece is Leslie’s favorite. It’s an old general store counter, and she had been looking for something like it for a long time. “When I found it, I cried,” she says.

Think outside the box when it comes to your flea market finds. You can use a nightstand as a coffee bar, a set of vintage lockers to house craft suppliesor old frames as wall art. Almost every piece in Leslie’s foyer is a flea-market find, including the folding chairs, old window, lamp and vintage corbels.

The chandelier hanging above the dining room table is the one flea-market find Leslie purchased for the home before she even moved in.

Trying to decide how to redecorate a son or daughter’s bedroom after they’ve moved out? Make the room friendly for guests, but add a piece to commemorate the original occupant, in case he or she comes backfor a visit of their own.