A COASTAL CALIFORNIA COTTAGE

Home to a family with four little girls, this happy bungalow incorporates modern farmhouse style with bold patterns to create an easy, breezy home that’s perfect for entertaining.

Home to a family with four little girls, this happy bungalow incorporates modern farmhouse style with bold patterns to create an easy, breezy home that’s perfect for entertaining.

When the new owners of this 1975 bungalow enlisted

the help of interior designer Michelle Lisac of Michelle Lisac Interior Design to help them craft their dream home, the house was still decked out in its original finishes. “It was a very swanky and groovy 1970s house,” Michelle says, “There was lots of dark wood everywhere.”

The now four-bedroom and four-bathroom home is located in the hills of Aptos, California, near Santa Cruz. To accommodate both their immediate family and frequent guests, the homeowners wanted plenty of space for entertaining, a bright and airy feel and a separate space for their daughters to play. “We basically took the whole house down to the studs, reconfigured the layout and rebuilt,” Michelle says.

MAKING BIG CHANGES

With three young daughters and another baby girl that came along mid-renovation, the homeowners wanted the space to capture the essences of both modern farmhouse style and coastal California where the home is located. “The client actually had a binder that she brought with her at our first meeting. She had collected all these pages that she ripped out of magazines,” Michelle says, “They weren't necessarily pictures of houses. She had a picture of a cool pair of green sneakers, and that was an inspiration photo.”

Not only had the homeowners been dreaming about the interiors, but they also were the main contractors for the home. “The client actually built a lot of it himself with the help of friends and subcontractors,” Michelle says, “it was a big labor of love for them.” They created a playroom utilizing the former downstairs master bedroom and created a new master bedroom upstairs.

The entire house was transformed from dark and dreary to bright and white. “I think the flooring that we ended up putting in their house was the lightest floor I've ever put in a house,” Michelle says of the white oak that covers the main living space.

Beachy details, like a propped-up surfboard and acoustic guitar, make the space feel lived-in and comfortable, while touches like glass bottles and houseplants add

elegance class.

and

While the home’s interior is filled with whites and neutral tones, Michelle also incorporated bold pops of color and various patterns throughout the home.

“I think the flooring that we ended up using was the lightest finish I’ve ever put in a house.”

BOLD CHOICES

While the home’s interior is filled with whites and neutral tones, Michelle also incorporated pops of color and various patterns throughout the space. Whether it was a colorful wallpaper or a bold tile, Michelle never felt like those design choices were risky, in part because the homeowners were so open to suggestions and colorful additions. “They were on board for all of it, which was really fun,” Michelle says.

The shower floor in one bathroom features a black, white and grey hexagonal tile pattern, while the laundry room backsplash features a lovely black and white tile from Granada. This color scheme carries over into a woodsy powder room where Stikwood panels and the “Woods” wallpaper from Cole & Son create a stunning and whimsical combination.

The girl's playroom is an especially delightful escape. “They wanted to take this space and make it just for the kids to hang out,” Michelle says. From the blue and white Serena & Lily wallpaper to the colorful, patterned rug from Crate & Barrel Kids, every detail adds to the fun. Art created by the girls themselves fills an entire wall and ties the whole room together as a space for creativity and play.

FINISHING TOUCHES

When it came to choosing light fixtures in the main living space, Michelle wanted to be intentional about her choices. “There were a lot of different lights that we had looked at and liked, but since it's all so open, I felt like they all had to speak to each other and work well in the space,” Michelle says. A large wagon wheel chandelier in the living room gives an understated rustic touch with its grey-toned wood, exposed bulbs and black chain, while two basket pendants make a delightful statement over the massive dining room table. “We were originally planning to put them in the playroom,” Michelle says, “But the client liked them so much that we ended up putting them in the dining room.”

“It was a

big labor

of love.”

In the living room, vintage indigo pillows add color and warmth to the couch. “I feel like we kind of collected things along the way as far as furniture and decor,” Michelle says. The pillows were gathered slowly over the course of the two-year project until Michelle had enough to fill the living room with vibrancy.

Other beachy details, like a propped-up surfboard and acoustic guitar, make the space feel lived-in and comfortable, while touches like glass bottles and houseplants add elegance and class. From the welcoming main living space to the detailed bedrooms and bathrooms, every corner of this California bungalow was crafted with intentionality to be a home where a family can laugh, play and grow.

FAMILY CUDDLES. This large grey sectional is the perfect place for the entire family to gather, and the vintage indigo pillows fill it with a sense of well-worn vibrancy and life.

|TOP|COME ON IN. This entry room is one of Michelle’s favorite spaces in the home. The way the railing leads up the stairs creates a dramatic statement in the two-story space. The entry bench, black and white pillows and mirror create an effortlessly classy picture.

CRAFT TIME. The homeowner wanted this table, which runs parallel to the kitchen island, to be a placed where her daughters could do arts and crafts.

|RIGHT|DARK BEAUTY. The cabinets in the master bathroom elevate the space and are the only dark wood cabinets in the entire home.

|TOP| BABY ON BOARD. When the homeowners found out they would be having another little girl in the midst of the renovation, this whimsical wallpaper from Anthropologie was the perfect addition to the nursery.

PERFECTLY LOW. Truly a room for their daughters, the homeowners made all the furniture pieces in this colorful playroom intentionally low. They even constructed a custom, built-in desk themselves using file cabinets and a custom wood piece fitted over the top.

|TOP LEFT| LET’S CAMP. A pink patterned rug and whimsical tent are the perfect finishing touches in this darling bedroom.

|RIGHT| WOODSY FUN. This powder room features both Stikwood panels and the “Woods” wallpaper from Cole & Son. Instead of being overbearing, the combination creates a unique and natural black and white aesthetic.

MASTER ESCAPE. Located on the second floor, this master bedroom is separate from the other bedrooms in the house, and Michelle worked to make the room a relaxing and calm space.

|TOP LEFT| VISUAL APPEAL. This patterned tile from Granada makes even the laundry room a visually striking space. |TOP RIGHT| HAPPY HUES. Colorful patterns and sweet wall art finish off another one of the girls’ happy bedrooms. |RIGHT| TILE STATEMENT. A wall-mounted sink and hexagonal tiled shower make a stunning combination in this black and white bathroom that is adjacent to the playroom.