A designer transforms an old and dingy frat house into a picturesque seaside home that’s suited for entertaining and multi-generational living.
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BY AUTUMN KRAUSE
A designer transforms an old and dingy frat house into a picturesque seaside home that’s suited for entertaining and multigenerational living.
Family culture and community were a couple’s top priorities when it came to renovating a Newport Beach, California duplex which, in its previous life, served as a frat house and had the dartboard holes to prove it! When they first purchased the residence, the place suffered from boxy and dated interiors and was not suited for entertaining or the multi-generational living situation they desired. So, they turned to designer Mindy Laven, owner of Mindy Laven Home, to achieve their vision of open-concept beach living with accommodations for their close-knit family and love for entertaining.
“The homeowners wanted to divide the property into two units,” Mindy explains. “The lower unit is for their daughter and the wife's mother. The upper unit houses the couple and their adult son.” Mindy masterminded the drastic renovation, which began with the house being torn down to the studs and ended with a fresh and breezy beach retreat. It has distinct areas and units, yet each artfully flows from one to the other. Its inspired design is ideal for both living and entertaining, just as the couple wanted.
DINNER IS SERVED
The homeowners craved a stylish kitchen that could provide a seven-course meal for dinner parties—but also be accessible and efficient for simply heating up takeout! Originally, the kitchen was a ‘70s time capsule. It had a choppy layout with low ceilings and drab cabinetry. Mindy had the ceilings raised, the peninsula removed and the glaring, fluorescent lighting replaced.
“Since the kitchen footprint was on the smaller side, we needed to make sure everything was very operational,” she says. She achieved flow, form and function with creative design moves. “We took out a giant post to allow walking on all sides of the island,” she says. “The stove is in the island so that whoever is cooking can still be part of the action going on in the house, and they can look out the big sliding doors to the view beyond.” Enhancements were then added with beautiful, hand-painted terracotta tile on the backsplash, quartz countertops and custom cabinetry. Brass hardware was installed for a warm, gilded touch. “I love brass hardware,” Mindy shares.
“It’s like jewelry for the kitchen.” Under Mindy’s guidance, the kitchen effortlessly facilitates entertaining with its flow, function and style.
“I love brass hardware.
It’s like jewelry for the kitchen.”
MAKE YOURSELF AT HOME
A relaxed yet carefully constructed space was the goal for the family room. Mindy used an open concept floor plan to make the area feel larger without losing privacy. “I thought about it in terms of the space as a whole, as well as how it could be broken up or divided by furnishings instead of walls,” she says. “In this case, the sectional and rug define the living space and give it visual separation from the kitchen even though, in reality, it is one large room! ”The family room spills out onto an upper deck with glass doors which allow for a true indoor/outdoor feeling. “The extension of the deck adds to the square footage of the living space and gives plenty of room to sit outside and have a cocktail while still being able to chat with people inside the house,” Mindy says. When it came to styling, she turned to her favorite combination of materials—wood, leather, tile and jute—to add texture and dimension to the family room. She also eschewed the overused blue and white color scheme, opting to use brown for an unexpected touch. “I've seen and done so much blue and white and just really wanted a more rich and grounded feeling here, so we used browns to accomplish this,” she says. The room is an elevated interpretation of casual beach style.
BEAUTY SLEEP
Mindy's expert approach allowed maximum space in the various bedrooms. “Space is at a premium in this house, so I had to be super creative,” she says. For both the son's and daughter's rooms, she turned to built-in cabinets with integrated nightstands which frame the beds. She ensured they were practical and decorative. “This was the best way to integrate storage, nightstands and lighting into such a small space,” she explains. Each built-in nightstand has outlets and USB ports hidden inside for any devices you might want to plug in. “The cubbies offer great display spaces for vintage items and storage as well. Directly above the bed, we installed built-in lighting so that the need for side lamps is eliminated,” Mindy says.
“The homeowners wanted to divide the property into two units. The lower unit is for their daughter and the wife's mother. The upper unit houses the couple and their adult son.”
ENLIGHTENED LIGHTING
In order to give each bedroom a dose of personality, she added unique lighting fixtures. They bring loads of flair without detracting from any of the actual space. The son's room features a black wicker pendant which feels contemporary and beach-chic at the same time. For the daughter's room, another artistic piece was chosen that is one of Mindy's favorite things in the house. “The tie-dye blue textiles loop over the brass base and gives it such a ‘70s vibe,” Mindy says. “It's a nod to the original style of the home and gives the room a hip, boho feeling. ”The bedrooms are studies in how to use space wisely without sacrificing aesthetic.
With its separate units, new floor plan and space-saving design choices, the home is perfect both for those who reside there and for those who come for a visit.
NAUTICAL GLEAM. The kitchen is a clean space that feels elegant and beachy. It’s accented with patterned tile, hemp-wrapped sconces and a navy runner. Pendant lights above the island add a nautical feel and tie in with the brass hardware, giving the kitchen a hint of gleam.
FRAT HOUSE NO MORE. Fresh life was given to the exterior of the former frat house, transforming it from a weather-beaten beach shack to a picturesque oceanside escape. Each element interplays stunningly with the locale, from the font of the address to the balcony and rooftop patio (which enable the family and their guests to enjoy the view and salt-laden breezes).
|TOP RIGHT| PERFECT FOR A PARTY. The downstairs patio is wonderfully geared for entertaining. “When the family room doors are open, it serves as an extension of the living space,” Mindy says. “This is a place to greet neighbors as they pass by and also a great spot to chill after a long day at the beach.” Just inside is the live-edge bar area in case anyone wants to grab a cerveza and sit on a barstool to chat!
|RIGHT| CUSTOM GIFT. Mindy had a mural custom-painted by one of her favorite local artists, Matthew Allen. It gives the nautical location of the house and was a surprise welcome for the homeowners. “It will forever mark the year that they made this house their home!” she says.
|TOP LEFT| NATURAL TOUCHES. A downstairs guest room serves dual uses and can also be an office. As with the rest of the home, Mindy went for natural elements when it came to the decor. “There is a touch of bamboo and rattan in many areas of this home. I love the relaxed feeling of rattan. It instantly transports you to a tropical location,” she explains. Adding to the ambience is a lighting fixture made of string. It complements the use of natural materials throughout the space. Mindy chose it because it makes a statement without calling too much attention to itself.
RICH VINTAGE WARMTH IN THE FAMILY ROOM. Mindy always uses vintage items as part of her designs, so brown and leather simply made sense. “I love rich materials married with art and accessories that have a rich history. It makes for a space that feels curated and collected,” Mindy says. A cabinet from Noir captures that exact sensibility. “The combination of metal, rattan and wood is perfect,” Mindy says. “It serves as a console for the TV but also has the
character and provenance of a vintage find.”
ASCEND IN STYLE. Mindy wanted to bring a touch of blue to the stairs without overpowering the area and found an eye-catching solution: a printed tile to line the stair risers. “The tile is from Clé and feels both vintage and contemporary at the same time,” she says. “I wanted a grown-up surf shack vibe here, and I think we accomplished that.”
NATURAL TOUCHES. A downstairs guest room serves dual uses and can also be an office. As with the rest of the home, Mindy went for natural elements when it came to the decor. “There is a touch of bamboo and rattan in many areas of this home. I love the relaxed feeling of rattan. It instantly transports you to a tropical location,” she explains. Adding gently to the ambiance is a lighting fixture made of string. It complements the use of natural materials throughout the space. Mindy chose it because it makes a statement without calling too much attention to itself.
|BOTTOM| GRANDMA’S SPACE. The daughter and grandmother occupy this unit on the lower level of the property. Mindy added pops of pink to make the space feel fun and girly, while also making it entertaining-friendly. She explains, “With the doors opened up, guests can easily flow in and out, stopping at the live-edge bar for a cocktail or sitting on the couch inside while talking to guests seated on the patio!”
|TOP| SPACE TO BREATHE. One fascinating aspect in the kitchen is the way open shelving is woven into the design, breaking up the cabinetry in an unexpected and fresh way. “We chose open shelving so that there is display space and everyday dishware can be easily accessible,” Amy says. “I prefer open shelving to lots of cabinetry. It's so much more functional and it feels like the space can breathe.”
|TOP RIGHT| HIP AND COOL. The daughter’s bathroom features a dynamic Joanna Gaines wallpaper and ties in with the chandelier in the bedroom. “I like everything to flow...not overly match,” Mindy says. “Here, the soft gray paint adds a touch of femininity and the contemporary brass hardware keeps it hip and cool.”
|RIGHT| SHOW STOPPER. Clean lines, a unique sink, warm-toned floors and a show-stopping shower full of tile are the hallmarks of the master bathroom.
|TOP RIGHT| PACK A PUNCH. This bathroom belongs to the clients' twenty-something son. Mindy wanted to make a large impact in a small space, so she boldly decided to cover an entire wall in printed tile. “Covering the wall really packed a punch,” she explains. “It's crisp and clean. We got a great beachy feeling without being kitschy or cliché.”
|TOP LEFT| CALIFORNIA SLEEK. The son's bedroom is the embodiment of Southern California sleek. A T-shirt jersey duvet cover from Urban Outfitters gives a casual and modern touch to the room. It ties in with the expressive pendant light that hovers overhead and draws the eye upward.
|RIGHT| SOLDIER STACK. The wall behind the tub got a matte subway tile facelift. The tile was laid in a non-traditional pattern called the solider stack, which feels more contemporary. Regarding the combination of patterned and matte tiles in the bathroom, Mindy says, “I didn't want to overwhelm the small space with patterned tile. The sink wall was the perfect place for it as it's the first thing you see when you walk in the room. The white tile on the other walls allows the room to still feel bright and open and lets the blue, white and brown tile to be the star of the show.”
STARBURST STUNNER. The master bedroom is accentuated by a striking black iron bed frame and a stunning starburst mirror above the bed, plumb with luxurious linens.