When Katie and I first toured this awesome Montecito craftsman, we immediately fell in love with its unique charm and natural coziness. The owners had done a beautiful job of updating it in all the right places, while making sure to salvage as much of its original character as possible, knowing that those little details bring along with them the individual personality and rich history that define a true craftsman.
This was a big house on seriously epic grounds, (we kept calling it a compound), but it really didn’t feel too big, it felt….just right. With almost 4,500 sq. feet in total, we knew we had our work cut out for us, and without furniture, the layout felt pretty choppy. There were three living rooms in various areas of the house, and three sort of weird, undefined rooms that could all be used as home offices, so we had to get creative with the space. But we are always up for a challenge, and when we were finished staging, the house had that natural, functional flow that buyers are always looking for, and each room had its own definitive purpose.
It took us four twenty hour days--two for prep, and two for install--and by the end of the last day we could not shut up about how much we hurt—our backs and necks were stiff, our hands red, rough, and callused, our lips were burning and chapped, our legs were sore, our feet were swollen, our brains were fried, ugh I could go on and on. BUT, we were still finding ways to laugh, and the feeling that we get when all is said and done is really what makes it so worth it for us. That feeling of humble pride and ultimate satisfaction with our work is what always keeps us going, and what always keeps us coming back for more.
Our goals for this house were to define the spaces, and bring in pieces with a modern-meets-traditional vibe to go along with the style of the house. We wanted to appeal to the masses, so we tried to incorporate a little something for everybody so that any family could really envision themselves living there from the moment they walked through the door.
We always say that if we don't want to live in the house by the time we are done with it, then we clearly haven't done our job ('cause you know, #dyj), and this was definitely one that neither of us ever wanted to leave... But, as always, on to the next one!
Take a scroll and let us know what you think!
Entry
I would die for this much function in my entryway. We didn't have to do much here, just brighten things up with our favorite Vintage Turkish rug, and add a couple touches that made it feel like home.
Kids Play Room
We would for sure play in here as adults--If only our bums could fit in those cute little seats. This was quite possibly our favorite room in the house.
Main Living Room
This was a really long and narrow room, so we decided breaking it in to two sections --a game area and a main living area-- was the best call, This allowed the fireplace to be the main focus (which we feel it should always be if given the option), and there was still plenty of room to move around and create those natural walkways to access the rest of the house.
Kitchen + Dining Room
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Family Room
Another one of our favorite rooms-- it was just so cozy and inviting with that amazing window seat and the beautiful beams...Oy, I could just sit in there for days.
Guest Bedrooms
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Home Office
This was one of those rooms that, without furniture, came off as a bit confusing. It was a room that lead to the hallway of the master, and there was no way to get to the master without going through it, so we knew we needed to make it a functional pass-through room, and a quaint home office turned out to be just the ticket.
Master Suite
We were going for a calming, serene look in here since the master bathroom felt like a straight up resort spa. Cozy rugs and crisp white linens with some darker textiles and accents made for the perfect balance of masculine and feminine vibes.
We like to giggle--rule #1: Never take yourself too seriously.
Okay, Smeagle. Anything to get the shot I guess?
Katie, making sure everything was just so.
Detached Home Gym and Guest House
The home gym was actually set up as an office prior to us coming in and shaking things up. We felt like the office would be better in the main house, since most people like to envision a space where they can get some work done while still being able to keep tabs on the kids or make sure dinner isn't burning to a crisp-- And then adding a home gym is such a huge bonus feature for a house, gotta check allll the boxes. And then the guest house on top of that! We kept saying we could be totally happy living in that little casita.
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But really tho. The struggle was real.
#craftsman #cozy #interiors #homestaging #realestate #montecitorealestate #design #decor #homedecor #homestyling #moderncraftsman