Houzz Tour: A Contemporary and Colourful Spanish-style Ranch Home
From leaky and drab to revamped and fab, this Californian home with its own orchard is more than ready for guests
Shaw Coates and her husband, John, loved living in their San Diego house. Shaw, in particular, loved small spaces, having lived in Paris apartments. But when the couple - she’s a marketing director; he’s a hardware engineer for Qualcomm -unexpectedly learned that Shaw was pregnant, they went into overdrive to find a more habitable space in which to raise their family. The idea of having a nursery on the ground level and their master bedroom all the way at the top was far from ideal.
Rancho Santa Fe, a neighborhood north of San Diego with a country vibe, proximity to the city and beach, a horse culture and incredible schools, seemed like the best fit. But the traditional style of the houses worried Shaw, who was hoping for something more modern. A late-1970s house and its clean lines quickly grabbed her attention, though, offering the chance to bring some midcentury vintage flair to a classic design. John was less enthusiastic. The ranch-style Spanish house hadn’t been lived in for two and a half years; there were leaks and it was falling apart. A huge revamp was in order.
Shaw championed the high ceilings, open-floor plan and unique views of the valley as a good base packed with potential, eventually winning John over. Greenline Construction plus landscape designers Kendra Berger of Revive Landscape Design and Steven Letz of Letz Design stepped in to carry out the vision.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here Shaw and John Coates, 2-year-old daughter Charlotte and poodle Monte
Location California, USA
Size 4 bedrooms, 2-3 bathrooms
Rancho Santa Fe, a neighborhood north of San Diego with a country vibe, proximity to the city and beach, a horse culture and incredible schools, seemed like the best fit. But the traditional style of the houses worried Shaw, who was hoping for something more modern. A late-1970s house and its clean lines quickly grabbed her attention, though, offering the chance to bring some midcentury vintage flair to a classic design. John was less enthusiastic. The ranch-style Spanish house hadn’t been lived in for two and a half years; there were leaks and it was falling apart. A huge revamp was in order.
Shaw championed the high ceilings, open-floor plan and unique views of the valley as a good base packed with potential, eventually winning John over. Greenline Construction plus landscape designers Kendra Berger of Revive Landscape Design and Steven Letz of Letz Design stepped in to carry out the vision.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here Shaw and John Coates, 2-year-old daughter Charlotte and poodle Monte
Location California, USA
Size 4 bedrooms, 2-3 bathrooms
BEFORE
Shaw had this original brick inlay fireplace covered in smooth stucco for a more contemporary feel. French white oak replaced the original carpeted floors.
All the original windows were replaced with more energy dual-pane ones.
Shaw had this original brick inlay fireplace covered in smooth stucco for a more contemporary feel. French white oak replaced the original carpeted floors.
All the original windows were replaced with more energy dual-pane ones.
More green - Shaw’s favorite colour - and black adorn the minimalist dining room.
Table: Design Within Reach; chairs: Room & Board; chandelier: Restoration Hardware; lamp: mixture
Table: Design Within Reach; chairs: Room & Board; chandelier: Restoration Hardware; lamp: mixture
Shaw loves the open-plan kitchen and living room, where she can easily watch her daughter.
Sofa, coffee table, side chairs: Room & Board
Sofa, coffee table, side chairs: Room & Board
BEFORE
The Coates family doesn’t cook much, so they left the kitchen layout pretty much intact, moving a few appliances around. Sustainable wood cupboards now stained an espresso colour give the kitchen a warm and sophisticated look.
The Coates family doesn’t cook much, so they left the kitchen layout pretty much intact, moving a few appliances around. Sustainable wood cupboards now stained an espresso colour give the kitchen a warm and sophisticated look.
Shaw also added a kitchen sink large enough to hold big pots and pans. The worktop are granite mixed with recycled glass for sparkle.
The artwork is sparse but well chosen. This Andy Warhol Double Elvis print adds a hipster vibe to the room.
Chairs: Room & Board
Chairs: Room & Board
The Coates family uses this space, technically a fourth bedroom, as a home office and library. They mostly use laptops to work, meaning no unsightly cords dangle, and they put the desk in the ‘power position,’ Shaw says. Four bookcases from Room & Board fit perfectly on the back wall, giving the appearance of built-in cupboards. A hidden cupboard unit houses a video surveillance system.
Bookcases, chair, rug: Room & Board; desk: West Elm; prints: antiques
Discover 10 ways to use books as a design feature
Bookcases, chair, rug: Room & Board; desk: West Elm; prints: antiques
Discover 10 ways to use books as a design feature
Referred to as the Gold Room, this guest bedroom is splashed with the colour. A wardrobe previously spanned the back wall, but Shaw had it cut in half. ‘I wouldn’t want guests to stay that long where they’d need all that wardrobe space anyway,’ she says.
The carpet has a plastic-wrapped pad underneath, making the floor child-proof and pet-proof.
Headboard: Ikea; bed frame: Design Within Reach; throw, side tables: West Elm; lamps: mixture; sea urchins wall installation: SoLo
The carpet has a plastic-wrapped pad underneath, making the floor child-proof and pet-proof.
Headboard: Ikea; bed frame: Design Within Reach; throw, side tables: West Elm; lamps: mixture; sea urchins wall installation: SoLo
John’s mother hand tinted the photos of Midwest landscapes that hang above this desk in the guest bedroom. The gold frames made them a perfect addition to the Gold Room.
Desk: West Elm; chair: Room & Board; side table: vintage
Desk: West Elm; chair: Room & Board; side table: vintage
Often faced with more guests than there was room for, Shaw put a full-size bed in their daughter’s room.
Cot, lamp, curtains: Ikea; dressing table: Room & Baord; Wall sitckers: Etsy; side table: mixture
Cot, lamp, curtains: Ikea; dressing table: Room & Baord; Wall sitckers: Etsy; side table: mixture
BEFORE: The master bedroom came with a challenging nook.
Among the questions: how high to hang the curtains? Shaw decided to hang them on the outside ceiling of the nook to match the ones covering a window opposite.
The headroom throughout the house was a big selling point. ‘I always feel like high ceilings are less oppressive,’ Shaw says. ‘So that was on our wish list when house hunting, for sure.’
Bed, stools: Crate & Barrel; rug: West Elm; dressing table: Room & Board; sofa bed: Design Within Reach
Get ideas for decorating with geometrics
The headroom throughout the house was a big selling point. ‘I always feel like high ceilings are less oppressive,’ Shaw says. ‘So that was on our wish list when house hunting, for sure.’
Bed, stools: Crate & Barrel; rug: West Elm; dressing table: Room & Board; sofa bed: Design Within Reach
Get ideas for decorating with geometrics
The family uses the nook as a reading area that looks out to a patio area.
There was extensive water damage in the en-suite bathroom, so the Coates’ took that as an opportunity to knock down superfluous walls and interior doors to open the space. They added vintage metro tiles and a generous sunken bathtub.
The utility room had been in the garage. Shaw converted a storage room and bought the smallest cupboards she could find. She then used a leftover slab of granite to create a counter to hide soaps in and to lay clothes on.
To help the exterior blend in with the environment, she had it redone with smooth stucco for a more natural color.
BEFORE
So much work was needed on the exterior, Shaw notes. From afar the heavy lace-white stucco caused the house to pop out.
So much work was needed on the exterior, Shaw notes. From afar the heavy lace-white stucco caused the house to pop out.
BEFORE
The entrance to the home deserved some special attention.
The entrance to the home deserved some special attention.
Adding a contemporary custom iron gate, flattening out the beams above the front terrace area and wrapping it in a grapevine helped spruce it up.
The front terrace now features Spanish-style tiles, a fountain and lush ornamental grasses.
The family didn’t want a huge lawn like the previous homeowners had and many of their neighbours have. The family added decomposed granite and succulents, including golden barrel cactus and blue flame agave.
The low-maintenance, minimal-water approach was a success. ‘I interviewed landscapers and basically told them I didn’t want to do anything,’ says Shaw.
The low-maintenance, minimal-water approach was a success. ‘I interviewed landscapers and basically told them I didn’t want to do anything,’ says Shaw.
An orchard is filled with grapefruit, lemon, orange, peach, apple and apricot trees.
BEFORE
The pool area had been a huge mess, Shaw says.
The pool area had been a huge mess, Shaw says.
AFTER
The equipment was ruined, so they converted the pool from chlorine to saltwater and added an blue stone to the interior to make it sparkle. They also expanded the entertainment area.
The equipment was ruined, so they converted the pool from chlorine to saltwater and added an blue stone to the interior to make it sparkle. They also expanded the entertainment area.
BEFORE
On the old outdoor decking area, a large wall would block your view of the valley if you sat down.
On the old outdoor decking area, a large wall would block your view of the valley if you sat down.
AFTER
A simple, inexpensive Home Depot fence now lets the view take over.
Sofa: Room & Board; cushions, coffee table: Restoration Hardware; dining table: Pottery Barn
What do you like about this home? Tell us in the Comments below.
A simple, inexpensive Home Depot fence now lets the view take over.
Sofa: Room & Board; cushions, coffee table: Restoration Hardware; dining table: Pottery Barn
What do you like about this home? Tell us in the Comments below.
Looking for a statement piece that would complement the Spanish style, Shaw added an outdoor lamp from Restoration Hardware to the living room. Black and green accents update the predominantly grey and white interior. She chose the color scheme because she wanted something serene and restful for the busy family; plus the greens work with the outside plants.
Sofa, rug: Room & Board; tables: CB2; floors: French white oak