Monterey Colonial “During”!!
Oct 13, 2012
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I am so sorry!
I am back!
I am so sorry this has taken so long! I am so enthusiastic and excited about it!
My assistant (who helped me endlessly with my blog left to travel; and I thought I knew more than I did how to do it!
(the blog, I mean!)
This is such an exciting thing for me; and I want to share all the things I have learned!
Here goes the first one! The “exterior” during! And that doesn’t even include the garden!
This is a Joseph Plunkett designed house built in 1935 in Montecito, California.
He was a very respected and accomplished architect here. He contributed to the magnificent City Hall here;
he designed our beautiful original airport, the “Arlington Theatre” (drop-dead amazing and beautiful);
the original “Paseo” ; contributed to the “City Hall” (famous throughout the world)!!!~
and many other buildings and houses is Montecito, Santa Barbara, Ojai and Santa Ynez!
He died at 46; which is even more astonishing that he designed so many buildings that are so well known for their artistry!
I thought I would do one post on the “during”!
There will have to be more than one! I am starting on the “exterior”! And this is the first of the “during”!
The post on the “before” was my last post!
Here is the “Monterey Colonial” house I found for our daughter’s family here in Montecito!
Their goal was to “move back!”I started looking two years ago!
I knew when I walked in the door………this house took my breath away!
I knew it would take a lot of work to restore it; but I didn’t really know HOW much!
Sad to say; this house had been neglected in ways many older houses are! It is called “deferred maintenance”!
It is extremely common in old houses!
This house was first in 1935. By one of the prominent architects who worked in Santa Barbara during the twenties and thirties. He
designed a few wonderful houses; and unfortunately died very young at 46. His name was Joseph Plunkett.
This house is a complete treasure! I hope I will show you why!! I am going to start with the exterior!
(To begin with; this house looks in pictures as though it was yellow. No. Pink.)
Many people do not know the importance of painting “correctly”;
in dealing with an old house (it is always more expensive than just slapping on some paint)!
Great advice on my friend Leta Austin Foster’s blog…….”Decorating with Sheets” ”when to call in the specialists!” She is one of the best
decorators on this earth (in my opinion); and her explanation of the importance of “specialists” cannot be better explained!
My darling friends Brooke and Steve Giannetti I asked to come see the house! They did and they loved it!
Steve solved the “roof problem”!
(one of the items of “deferred maintenance”!)
No where in Santa Barbara County can you on a put a new wood roof!
So he showed me the absolute best “fake shake” roof! (my skin crawled at the notion of ‘fake shake’; until I saw Steve’s solution!) Thank you Steve and Brooke!)
There is simply not one single “composition roof” that looks like real “shake”! Except this one!
The roof was on its last legs. You could see sky when you stood in the attic.
And the roof is huge! It goes across the entire house; over the “porte-cochere” and the two and a half car garage!
The wood shake that looks appropriate on this style of house is now illegal to use in much of California; due to the risk of fire;
so Steve Giannetti sent me this picture with this color and this maker of ”fake shake” roof which as you can see is
” as good as it gets”! It is “Cedarlite” and the color is:”Silverwood”! Thank you Steve! It looks gorgeous! (Just so you know; he also explained to our “head guy”
how to treat the side views so they didn’t look like ‘fake slate’!
This makes a “huge difference by the way!)
Here are the “planters” inset in the brick front terrace!
This was where the “leggy hags” lived! My total favorite Tara Dillard expression!
So inside those brick “planters” will be boxwood and an Anduze pot with a topiary “cone”
Instead of “leggy hags”
This is planter bed our daughter found at a chateau in France!
The exterior of the house had not been painted in over 35 years; and it was pink, with turquoise shutters!
The amount of preparation to sand and prepare the exterior woodwork and brick and stucco was mind-boggling!
It took 4 painters over 4 months for the inside and outside. (Fine painters) Nothing is more important in
the restoration of a fine old house than fine painters.
I often say to clients: ”nothing is more expensive than ‘cheap painters’!
Without the proper preparation; harm will be done that is almost unfixable. Hire “cheap painters” at your own risk!
It was completely worth it; because it will now hold up for many years to come.
We spent a long time on the phone!
The roof off; and the shutters off preparing to paint! This looks like it is yellow; but it was pink! Honestly, pink!
The new colors for the exterior are : the brick and stucco are a “creamy” off white ”New White” by Farrow and Ball”)
and the whiter trim is “Pointing” by Farrow and Ball;
and the shutters and front door are “Black Blue ” in “full gloss” Also Farrow and Ball!
Now we start the new colors outside!
Here is the “before ” front door!
Please excuse the photographer (me) the new front door!
Well; it was a neglected “beautiful woman”; in m opinion! It had simply not been “kept up”! And houses( and people) do deteriorate when they are not “kept up”!
I saw this house as a magnificent beauty in dire need of restoration and “heavy cosmetics”!
The bones..as so many of you commented were perfect!
This is the exterior! For my next post…….I will do the “during” of the interior!
Yikes! It is such an exciting thing to bring a beauty back with restoration! This house reminds me of the model “Carmen”!
She is gorgeous at 81! This house is 78! It needed help……but the “bones” were perfect; and no “remuddeling” had taken place!
the entrance to the dining room from the back terrace……..(don’t forget; one room deep!”
Who thought of an outside fireplace in 1935?
Joseph Plunkett!
One chimney serves 3 fireplaces in this house!
Living room, this outside, and upstairs in the master bedroom. All use one chimney!
Masterful!
Now we see the new color scheme!
I think it makes a “magical” difference!
Just my opinion!
The chimney looks so pretty as “a part of the house”!
We do love the new , more classic, colors! That chimney was a bit of an eyesore!
(I am having a bit of a crisis! Newell Turner (my friend; editor of House Beautiful; recently promoted to “editor of all Hearst Design Publications”!!
Liked it “pink and turquoise!)
Oh well…..
Look how the shutters really “work!
They have no curtains or anything yet! This is what shutters were invented for!
(When was the last time you saw a “shutter” closed? Let alone not being nailed to the house and completely the wrong size!)
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La Comtesse Lola
Congratulations Penny on a wonderful “solo flight” post! What a beautiful house and wonderfully exciting time for your daughter and family, as a house becomes their home!
xo
Oct 13, 2012 @ 10:05 PM
La Contessa
Beautiful!I too have shutters outside windows that work!No curtains on the windows so we can let the sun shine in!I was copying our home in FLORENCE,ITALY when I had those made……….another thing we have in common!Hope you had a wonderful trip to NY.Im just back from France and Italy and had a wonderful trip.Hope you LOVED the festivity piece!
Oct 13, 2012 @ 11:43 PM
Cheryl
I have been anxiously awaiting this post ever since I read the first one . Can’t wait for the during interiors . The roof is fantastic! Leave it to Steve to solve the problem!
Oct 14, 2012 @ 1:23 AM
little augury
I’m liking it all very much-personally I prefer the classic colors you’ve picked seems in the right vernacular-look forward to seeing more-and more. pgt
Oct 14, 2012 @ 2:30 AM
Penelope Bianchi
You have no idea how much I love the festivity crown@ we are coming to the opening of the SF antique show!
Oct 14, 2012 @ 9:10 AM
Penelope Bianchi
what a funny and perfect comment!
Oct 14, 2012 @ 9:11 AM
Phyllis Higgerson
Hi Penelope,
This is fabulous. I had a very similar experience of finding our house – an ugly and neglected shell, complete with a row of “leggy hags,” that anyone else would have torn down. I knew we could make it beautiful. The only thing we haven’t done is the roof, we need to, and I am very interested in the ‘fake shakes.’ Would you share a photo of Steve Gianetti’s recommendation for the side treatment?
Can’t wait to see the interiors!
All best,
Phyllis
Oct 14, 2012 @ 12:00 PM
Jacqueline@ Tokyo Jinja
I just keep thinking about one room deep! The exterior is looking fantastic – now I can’t wait to see the inside!
Oct 14, 2012 @ 1:34 PM
Thoughts on Design
Penny, the new paint colors are gorgeous!!! You are so right about cheap painters. It all starts with the prep work. You get what you pay for…
Love the shutters! Sally designed interior shutters very similar to them for a house here in Prides Crossing. Perfect for privacy!!! I’ve filed away Steve’s suggestion on “fake” cedar roof shingles. They’re terrific!!! Every once in a while,w e work on a house with a cedar shingle roof. Unbelievable what the replacement cost is…
Saw Lena and Doug after our kitchen tour open house last night! Relived our visit to Beauport!
Cheers,
John
Oct 14, 2012 @ 3:57 PM
Kathy Avakian
Love the paint! Big improvement over the turquoise shutters. The outdoor fireplace must have turned some heads back in the 1930s!
xo
Kathy
Oct 14, 2012 @ 3:59 PM
Penelope Bianchi
via email!
Penny you are a genius!
Love the blog.
Love
M
Oct 14, 2012 @ 8:28 PM
Penelope Bianchi
The roof is a product called “Cedarlite” 600. The color is “Silverwood”.
The treatment when the roof is seen from the side of a “pitch” involves cutting the shingles in order to disguise the way they “connect”!
I guess we will have to have Steve explain! They did it wrong on a roof nearby; and it makes a big difference!
Oct 15, 2012 @ 1:22 AM
Reggie Darling
Verrry nice!
Oct 15, 2012 @ 3:46 AM
Christine Hooker
What exterior paint was used on the brick, particularly? I was advised against painting our brick with latex so I would love to know what your most capable painters used.
Thank you so much for your blog and for sharing this wonderful home!
xoxo, Chris
Oct 15, 2012 @ 5:37 AM
Penelope Bianchi
Farrow and Ball!! Their exterior paint…….there were some “issues” I will consult with my “fine painter” tomorrow and report back. It is so so important to use the right paint and painter!
Back soon with more information!
Oct 15, 2012 @ 6:18 AM
Penelope Bianchi
Thank you,my hero!!
P
Oct 15, 2012 @ 6:19 AM
Penelope Bianchi
Well, thank you!
And having that family back is happiness beyond description I am ecstatic that I discovered such a treasure…….and that we are collaborating on such a lovely “restoration”!
I am blessed beyond!!
Oct 15, 2012 @ 6:22 AM
Penelope Bianchi
OH I forgot one thing I learned “big time”in New Orleans…….. (I don’t know where your house is!)
Old brick should never be painted with any sort of “modern paint”!!
(this house is from 1935; that is “new”!
If your house is from the 20th century; it is not “way old”!
Farrow and Ball are wonderful paints…and they will answer all of your questions!
Any “paint store” who say they can “match the paint” are lying. No they cannot A fraction of the pigments.
Call or visit “Farrow and Ball”! They will spend all day answering questions and solving problems…….they are seriously so wonderful!
(no, I am not an agent!!)
Oct 15, 2012 @ 6:28 AM
Penelope Bianchi
For exterior brick or stucco; Farrow and Ball “masonry paint”!
And never , ever believe an American (or any other country’s claim that they can “match the color”! No, they cannot.
Farrow and Ball have multiple times the pigments in the colors!
Just do not believe it! And insist on the “real thing”!
Penelope
Oct 23, 2012 @ 7:42 AM
Penelope Bianchi
For a few days my entire “blog ” section was “poof gone”!
Thank you to my readers for telling me! (I would not have known!) And thank you to whomever “saved me”!
I would love to give you credit! I asked for help from two places! I hope who helped will tell me!
Whew! That is what I have to say! I tried to “fix it” ; and I was “lost in space”!
I felt like “sputnik” Ha! Who remembers “Sputnik”? (completely dating myself!)
We are off to the San Francisco Antique Show tomorrow!
And some interesting stops along the way!!!
Penelope
Oct 23, 2012 @ 7:47 AM
Joni Webb
Penelope – my favorite parts are the outside stairs and the inside stairs – both are gorgeous. the outside ones are SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO romantic! Can not wait to see the final results!!! The house is so beautiful = one room deep. I love that. so much. your daughter is very lucky! I want to live there and have you redo it!!!!
Joni
Nov 05, 2012 @ 1:46 AM
Penelope Bianchi
Thank you so much! It is such a beautiful house with gorgeous views out the windows! (those pictures are coming!) it is still “during”!! I adore the stairways also!
I almost fainted the first time I walked into the front door and looked up and saw the sky!
Penelope
Nov 05, 2012 @ 2:49 AM
Taylor Greenwalt
Penelope, Love the transformation…the shutters and the paint look beautiful.Cant wait to see the transformation in the inside. How wonderful to have your daughter so close to you.
Nov 25, 2012 @ 7:48 AM
seo katalog
I just added this website to my feed reader, great stuff. Cannot get enough!
Jan 26, 2013 @ 3:15 PM