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What's worse for a house than neglect? Abuse! This once elegant home had fallen into the wrong hands, suffering under the misguided renovation ideas of its previous owner. When the roof started to leak, he took off the original Spanish tiles. When the family needed more space, he tacked on a room over the rooftop terrace. I still have no idea why he plastered the living room's wood ceiling beams or painted the entire house turquoise! By the time my husband and I rescued this 1929 Mediterranean fixer-upper, there was much restoration to be done.
On the exterior, we had a new tile roof installed and removed all the security bars. Antique Spanish light fixtures and a stately yet unique color palette was chosen to give the house presence. The boxwoods were ripped out and a more naturalistic landscape design was implemented, complete with pergola and fountain. The biggest project (and expense!) was restoring the rooftop terrace -an arduous task that was nonetheless worth the effort for the views and serenity it afforded.
Inside, I painted the walls to replicate a centuries-old Andalusian hacienda, using deep ochre, sienna, and lime washes. What a blessing the original 1920's sconces and chandeliers were still intact, and they were set off exquisitely with the new paint treatment.
Sadly, there was nothing worth saving in the kitchen , so we started from scratch! Coffee-washed mission-style cabinetry, Mexican pavers, and stoneware tile reminiscent of a Batchelder fireplace gave the new kitchen the old-world feel I was going for.
