When we began seriously shopping for our Cliff May Rancho back in January of this year, we’d already seen quite a few examples. Because these homes were built in the early 1950s, a lot of them were in need of more TLC than we were willing to give. Other times, homeowners or, worse, flippers, had updated the Cliff May right out of them.
When we found ours, we knew it was The One. It had been updated, but tastefully. There was an addition between the garage—which faced the street—and the kitchen/living room which, aside from an unsightly fireplace, looked like it belonged. Like most of the Ranchos we’d visited, the original, pony-wall galley kitchen had been replaced with a center-island-based one. (If you’ve never seen an example of an original Long Beach Rancho kitchen, you can find a photo of one here, at the Huntington Digital Library. Just click the “next” link just above the "print" button at the upper-right until you reach the kitchen photos.) Wood floors had been installed over the original vinyl tile. The bathrooms had been updated a bit. And the pony wall between the two, small “Jack and Jill” bedrooms had been removed to create one large, rectangular bedroom. These changes all worked, but it didn’t take us long to decide we wanted to make a few changes of our own. Here’s what we’ve got up our sleeves:
- Creating an entirely new kitchen
- Opening up the wall between the living room and the addition (family room)
- Installing new flooring (terrazzo tile!)
- Replacing the (original) furnace and installing an air-conditioning system
- Removing a second fireplace in the addition
- Relocating the laundry area from the kitchen to the "master" bedroom closet
- Doing some minor bathroom updates
- Installing a tankless water heater
- Replacing a bank of (icky) aluminum slider windows with original casement windows (we hope).
Right now, we’re focusing on the house. Landscaping, including dramatic outdoor lighting (with the exception of some über-cool vintage exterior lights I scored on Etsy), will have to wait until we can save up some more dough. Restoring the birch paneling in the living room and hallway that was either removed or painted over will also have to wait.
To avoid living in a construction zone, we’re renting a house a few blocks away while the renovations take place. The big move-in date is swiftly approaching. Stay tuned as we move forward with our Rancho Romance!
That's smart to live out while the renovations are being made. I'm so happy you have a dream coming true.
ReplyDeleteWe have the "icky" aluminum throughout, if it's uniform it looks good, but not true to the period.
ReplyDeleteAre you doing it yourselves? I see the Jeanette Architects sign outside the house. I was not impressed with the other Lees house they design with a gigantic bathroom that takes up the entire front of the house: http://www.jeannettearchitects.com/portfolio/residential/ozzy
ReplyDeleteHeavens no! We're big believers in letting experts handle what we don't know how to do. We hired Jeff Jeanette because he came highly recommended and we LOVE the designs--for both the opening of our wall and for our kitchen--that he's done for us. Regarding the home his firm did that didn't appeal to you, it's important to keep in mind that an architect/interior designer/contractor does what the client wants, even when it might not be what that architect/designer/contractor would have chosen to do for his or her own home.
ReplyDeleteThere was no pony wall between the two jack and jill bedrooms. It was a built-in double-sided closet with mistlite glass above it (but below the beam) and in front of it (between the two rooms by the windows at the rear of the house).
ReplyDeleteHey, cyirush! Welcome to Rancho Romance! We've been inside dozens of Ranchos, so we're intimately familiar with the Jack-and-Jill configuration. Since the mistlite touches the ceiling, one could argue that the wall—which does, indeed, contain closet-tude—isn't a true pony. But we're going with it! :-)
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