Malibu Renovation

Our first home was a Malibu luxury ocean view townhome condo with the best floor plan in The Pointe complex. We upgraded the finishes from dark 20th century style to bright, open inviting spaces. We closed at the end of March 2018 and began renovations in April. We interviewed about 13 contractors before we found one we trusted. I had to do a lot of hand holding throughout the renovation and basically became the project manager for him. Being at the house almost every day, I saw the quality work, the obstacles that came up and was inspired to try my hand at some DIY projects along the way. We completed our renovation in the middle of July 2018 and moved in from our rental in Venice.

While I knew I loved design, decorating and finding ways to make a space feel like a home, this became a passion project. I realized I really enjoyed the process of interior decorating and design - and I was good at it. I even stuck to our budget and found innovative ways of upcycling and bargaining with suppliers. Our realtor with Sotheby’s said I had talent with my design and even my “staging,” which was really just our furniture we already had. Having a home that is serene, full of warmth and embodies your style is part of your wellness wheel; you surround yourself in a space and atmosphere that cultivates your wellness presence. Helping someone realize how to add wellness into their home has become a fun, new dimension to my coaching practice.

Original Listing description: Ocean views from the living room, kitchen, master bedroom, balcony and bath. Large and spacious with tall ceilings throughout, fireplaces in living room & master bath/bedroom, beautiful balcony and patio areas, granite counters in kitchen + oak cabinets, two car finished car garage with laundry inside. Stainless appliances, granite counters and oak cabinetry in kitchen, ceramic tile floors and gorgeous Brazilian cherry hardwood floors, recessed lighting, custom shutters on all windows and dual glazed windows throughout.

Before photos:

We tore out the tile on the first floor and put in French oak wood floors throughout which made such a difference in the warmth of the home. We made it more functional with end caps of Calacatta on the pony wall so it wouldn’t get dirty. We changed the kitchen layout and put in solid plywood Diamond cabinetry with built-ins like Lazy Susan and pantry pull-outs. I loved how we continued the Calacatta gold Silestone up behind the stove top so that it would be easy to clean up any splashes. The Silestone came as a jumbo slab and we used an entire one for the countertop and waterfall on the peninsula. Talk about a great space for baking! The corner in the kitchen with the open shelves and extra marble herringbone tile continued to the ceiling created such a Parisian bistro feeling. I redid DIY the bookshelf in between the kitchen and living room. I painted it grey for contrast and stained new wood for shelves. We redesigned the bar and replaced the glass mirror with functional cabinets and statement tile. Adding a U-line wine fridge and new Kitchen Aid fridge with a vent hood updated the appliances in the kitchen. Repainting the home from Swiss Coffee everywhere to a bright white ceiling and baseboards with silent white walls made such a difference in creating an airy, beachy feeling. We continued that in the master bedroom by removing the 70s wall of mirror behind the bed and painting it a crisp, cool grey. We built the master closet to be functional with hanging and shoe storage. We built an entire laundry room that was separate in the garage so our clean clothes wouldn’t be next to the vehicles. I selected a beautiful tile for the floor with a coordinating blue wall and updated machines to make laundry a joy. We created an outdoor oasis with a large grill island and more of the tile from the laundry to complement the blue railings and peek of ocean. I drew the fireplace surround that I thought would complement the new cabinetry and we had a carpenter fabricate it.

Renovation photos:

Updated Listing description when we sold: Malibu's most beautiful condo! Amazing updates throughout, Calacatta Gold Jumbo Silestone Quartz slabs w/ waterfall edge and honed marble herringbone backsplash, custom kitchen Shaker style cabinets, Restoration Hardware pulls, recessed lights on dimmers, wine fridge, Ruvati stainless sink, all new stainless appliances, ocean views from kitchen, living room, master bedroom and master bath plus walk-in custom closet, private courtyard w/ BBQ and ocean view deck off master bedroom, French Oak and Brazilian Cherry wood floors throughout, keyless entry front door, vaulted ceilings in each room, wet bar in living room w/ Calacatta counters and RH handles, custom fireplace in living room with marble hearth, romantic fireplace between master and bath, laundry room inside finished garage with epoxy floors and storage. Central AC and Heat, new tankless water heater, Custom all quiet master bedroom and patio slider doors, dual glazed windows, custom Plantation Shutters, Community pool, spa, tennis, gym and gated security.

After photos: