When your front yard is made of sand, you wake up each day to the sounds of waves crashing and you toast each night to the beautiful colors of the sunset over the water. Beach living is about the lifestyle and principal to that is relaxation and entertaining with family and friends.
Living Right on the Beach is a Dream.
Clean lines, modern décor, and comfortable furniture make for a sophisticated setting for taking in the stunning sea views at our project in Marina Del Ray on Ocean Front Walk. The complete renovation of this beach condo took over a year to complete as we had re-envisioned the floor plan and function of the space.
We took the kitchen from a tucked away, nearly windowless and dark corner and made it the central focus of the main floor. The bright, new kitchen has a large island that also serves the purpose of delineating the spaces in the open floorplan. The kitchen opens up to a two story living room, a dining room, and small den complete with a chaise lounge and guitar. Bright skies and breathtaking views make this the perfect spot for luxury living on the beach.
Rough, Yet Refined
We wanted to use a material on the kitchen island that was a nod to the driftwood commonly found on the coastline. With all its imperfections, driftwood is weathered with the age of the seasons—the wear of the sun, ocean water, and sand. Reclaimed wood had all of the properties we wanted and was the right material for this purpose. The island has room for three bar-height stools and incorporates a built-in wine refrigerator and closed storage. The front vent in the toe kick for the wine fridge was carefully crafted out of the reclaimed wood to create a seamless look. We also used reclaimed wood on the storage area door. To unify the entire space, we used the same reclaimed wood on the mantle above the fireplace and in another part of the kitchen where we’d placed glass-front display cabinets, we added the reclaimed wood at the back of the cabinet.
Weathered, rustic, organic, reclaimed wood brings a touch of warmth to the interior. By bringing this material into the home, we were able to not only enhance the design aesthetic, but to also upcycle a durable material and give it a new purpose. Reclaimed wood is extremely environmentally friendly because it is recycled for re-use from old buildings. It can even come from scaffolding and barns. Our firm prefers to locally source our materials from California rather than import materials from overseas. Using these kinds of materials means we don’t need to use farmed wood or to cut down wood from virgin forests. Plus, rather than being thrown away, the old wood is diverted from landfills.
Another reason to use reclaimed wood is for its durability. Typically, old growth wood is denser, harder, and lasts longer. I know it may sound odd that old wood can be more durable in comparison to new wood, but it’s true. Newer practices in forestry promote quick growing wood that can be weaker and softer. Reclaimed wood has stood the test of time and has outlasted many of the difficulties of new wood, including expansion and contraction, as well as the seepage of sap. Reclaimed wood also requires virtually zero maintenance! In fact, any additional aging or coloration change is part of the look! The older and rougher it gets, the better it appears.
Time to grab the surfboard, we are off to the beach. We’d love to hear your thoughts. Have you considered using reclaimed wood in your home?
Read more about this project in our Portfolio section, Ocean Front Walk.
