Joseph Plunkett

 

Well;  again, instead of just launching into the
” update” on our “Montecito Monterey Colonial”;  because of my new subscribers, I am repeating the “during” published in January!

With three children relocating from Europe; all the things I had done to the house in their absence, the progress now is slowing down!  But “slow and steady wins the race!!”  And our daughter

will not make any mistakes!  This is the post that was posted in January!

(I will make some notes along the way!)

This is the continuation of the “restoration” of the Joseph Plunkett designed “Monterey Colonial”  house  we found (finally); in Montecito after a two-year

search for our daughter and her family to move “back to Montecito ” after 8 years in Switzerland!! I consider it one of the “magnificent houses built in the ’30’s!!!”;

by a premier architect in the  “Monterey Colonial”  Style!

First;  the architect!  Joseph Plunkett arrived in Santa Barbara and worked for the excellent  architect George Washington Smith; and then was

half of the firm “Edwards and Plunkett”.  Unfortunately, he died at 46!!

The fact that he is so famous and he died so young is a great testament to his talent!  The most important part was to restore the house!

Before my next installment of pictures (our daughter really didn’t want this installment….but gave permission with the caveat:

“it isn’t finished being decorated yet!”

Well;  in my world….nothing ever is!  Her choices (my advice;  but completely her choices) of colors, rugs, and finishes.  This is the interim…….but the restoration of this  house has been so educational for me!

So here it is showing a restoration in progress!

My philosophy (fortunately shared by my step-daughter and her husband) is to start with the house!

No complaints!  the “bones” of this house are as “good as it gets” , in my opinion!

You have seen the before!  And one installment of during!  Mostly the exterior!

Here we go!!!  The interior!

There were lots of things to be done before they arrived.

 Let’s start with the entry hall.  (I had been looking for two years;  and  when I first saw this house;  the front door opened;  I looked up and saw the sky!

I immediately thought;  “this wants to be blue!”  Our daughter agreed!  We tried at least 6 colors of blue!  emailing back and forth…….we waited until she

arrived…..we chose “light blue”;  Farrow and Ball”

(All paints by Farrow and Ball used for the whole house!!)

(I have been a decorator in Pasadena and Montecito for 43 years.,,,never have I stepped into an entry hall and looked up and seen “the sky”!!)

Never!  Here it is!

Here it is!  this is the window one sees when you step in the door!

I thought……”this entry wants to be blue!”

Fortunately;  our daughter    agreed! She ‘got ‘it when she saw it!

we both (and the painter);  learned so much from how colors change according to the “light”!!

One lovely reason to use “Farrow and Ball”  (do not believe one paint store who says they can duplicate these  paints!)

They cannot!  There are way more pigments than any American paint!

Here it is blue!  (Farrow and Ball,  “Light blue”)

gorgeous!

By the way, this border looks orange in this picture! It isn’t!  It is red;  closer to the next picture!

The daughter had always dreamed of this runner!  I suggested the red binding….she went for it!  She loves it!

This house has the lovely architectural feature of an “enfilade”!

One stands just inside the front door; ( it is a central hall floor plan)  and one can see through aligned doorways  from one end of the house to the other!  Each way. (very unusual in Southern California!) A beautiful architectural feature anywhere.

Looking into the living room!

 The view from the entry to the left!  (one can see through the far doorway the library fireplace !)

(If I were a better photographer)

Tucked under the circular staircase is a charming powder room (behind the white door in the entry hall).

I love the curving wall;  I think it gives it the best personality and charm!

Many people would consider it a “flaw”!  I simply adore quirky and brilliant things like this!

It is so obvious to me (even before I knew the architect)  that this house was designed by a brilliant architect!!

Joseph Plunkett!

The charming little sink was original to the house in 1934;  but it was pink!  She did not want pink (nor did I);  but we found

someone to refinish it!

I was delighted to be able to preserve it!

Next:

The Library transformed!!

One of the things that bothered us  was that a window in the beautifully paneled library

had been removed to make into a TV cabinet!  Thank goodness the window itself, and the outside shutters had been saved!

What a difference!!  This is when we removed the cabinet.  Great care was taken (by the  owner who made the tv cabinet!!)  not  to enlarge the opening;

 and so everything fit perfectly back together!   And look at the light!  And the view!!

What a difference!!!

This, below, is after the restoration;  you will notice that we painted the backs of the bookcases to match the paneling.

The fireplace was an “antique” in 1934!  And the restoration of the “window”  was important!

this is the same view that showed the two sinks………We reduced it to one…….removed the tile…….

and our boy grandson made friends with the bathroom!

 

The antique pavers on the floor were left over from our guest house!   A bonanza!

Just enough!!

And the inside of the showers we did in “Brooke and Steve’s pool plaster”!  (of “Velvet and Linen” and “Giannetti Architects”) It looks beautiful!!

You can put pigments in it;  but this is just plain;  and there is a very interesting kind of “patina”!

Brooke and Steve let me bring our plasterer down to their house in Oxnard to see!

Below was the built-in dresser between the bathroom and bedroom.

Nothing wrong with the drawers;  soaked the shiny brass “lacquered ” hardware in some solution!  Painted  the cabinet Farrow and Ball  “Railings”

And “POOF!!”

Good lines make easy solutions!

There are two windows in this space.  The shutters shut out (interesting name for shutters)  light, views, and also made it impossible to open the windows!

She picked a lovely camel grasscloth wallpaper; and then the mirror was hung!

this above;  became this;  below!

Same knobs. they were shiny brass!  Soaked in turpentine;  they became understated and they

are the new “unpolished brass…..which will weather naturally…..the natural finish that is

fortunately gaining force into fashion today!

 The boy’s bedroom has three exposures;  and wonderful views into the gardens!

Our daughter found some lovely “grasscloth”!  and his room is getting better and better!!

The house is mostly one room deep;  which is one of the best of its architectural features!

Two of the four bedrooms have three exposures;  making wonderful light and views!

This  post was meant to  show;  and it may (appropriately be called) “The end of during”

Henceforth, “evolving”!

Back to the entry hall;  to the left is the living room with French doors opening to the front terrace and the back terrace;  to the right is the dining room  shown here!  The beams in the living room and dining room were formerly brown. We selected two colors of off-white for the woodwork and the walls.

Both the living room;  and the dining room have French doors on both sides;  opening to the north (this view) and to the south (onto the front terrace).

The view from the dining room!

I am so sorry about these pictures!  The beams and trim are a lovely off-white!  The color of the beams is the same color as the trim!

Going up the stairs, these charming wood valances are over the two windows on the curving walls!

These were also original to the house in 1934!  We plan to paint some detail!

(No curtains/ shades yet here and in the boy’s bedroom!)

Turn to the right is the master bedroom!

Now the Master Bedroom!  Here it was with these beams, shutters  and fireplace before.

The tile “sneaked”  in from the bathroom!

It is the same tile as in the downstairs bathroom!~

 This tile was “much loved” by the truly darling family that installed it (I am guessing 40 years ago!)

(I do tell my clients;  and always have;  try to put simple “permanent” things like tile and plumbing fixtures  mostly white;  because when

you decide you are “tired” of patterns or colors;  paint and wallpaper are easy to change!)  ( This tile

all over the walls and floors of two bathrooms and sneaking into the bedrooms and dressing rooms  was not easy to change!!)

No more tile; painted the brick, and used some leftover marble from the downstairs counter on the hearth.

She loves carpeting in a bedroom;  it makes it very cozy and this carpet seems like an extension of the hardwood floors!

I love it!!!

 

Beams removed.  Such a pretty shaped ceiling!  Again, this room has 3 exposures and beautiful light and views!

It also opens onto the balcony that runs the length of the front of the house!

  

Pool plaster shower and walls;  “borrowed light” ceiling ;  new cabinet

with a space for either a dressing table or a free standing  bathtub.

 

“Pool plaster”  shower, limestone floors and countertop of beautiful new cabinet!

A medicine cabinet on the left and the right! (behind the mirrored panels)

Thank you Brooke and Steve of Velvet and Linen and Giannetti Architects and Giannetti Home for the pool

plaster!

Here is the view from the master bedroom, bath, other  bedrooms of the mountains and trees!

That redwood in the right corner is so

tall I can’t even estimate!

 These mountains are beautiful!

this is the view from every bedroom;  the living and dining rooms!

At the top of the stairs;  turn left and there are two “jack and jill” bedrooms  (in this case they are jill and jill’s)!

Two bedrooms that share a dressing room, two walk-in closets and a bath!  The girl twin and her older sister each have one!

Such a perfect set up!

 This bedroom had a  mural on all four walls!

They primed the walls before the ceiling and I came in!  I said;  “YIKES!!!  Save that ceiling!!  I LOVE IT!!!!”

Fortunately, my granddaughter did too!  Two hand-painted birds are building a nest!

And it is a lovely sky!

I  LOVE  HAPPY ENDINGS!!!

 

The second bedroom which shares the dressing room and bath!

Still awaiting headboard and a few things!

(DON’T FORGET IT “ISN’T DECORATED YET!”)

Two exposures;  facing East and South!

Farrow and Ball “Calamine”!

 

This daughter is 16!  She loves “pink!”

Their bathroom was done completely in “pool plaster!

A new bathtub;  and another cabinet made “on site”  (the way they did it in 1934)!!

Again, like the master bath;  limestone floors and counters;  in this case;  the splash had to have the faucets and spout come of of the wall to give more space!

Gorgeous!  (to me!!)

I hope you enjoy!

Funny story.  Our housekeeper was helping at this house;

and a man came in!  He said….”I saw this house on the internet;  I need to know the manufacturer, the colors and number of the paints on the outside!

( Our housekeeper is very, very smart!)

She said  “I will ask”!  “Mrs. Penny”  (I love that!)

So;  here’s what!  If anyone wants the names and number of the colors;  let me know!

I will list them all!

One of the greatest beauties of Farrow and Ball;  is their “sample pots”!

Colors changed from room to room more than I ever thought possible!

The painter and I thought we were losing our minds!

(this has been my painter for 16 years)  !!!

Critical in selecting a paint color! You

paint enough on the wall……and you look at it at all times of the day!

Take advantage, I suggest, of this feature this paint company provides!

(no I do no advertising)

I have no connection with Farrow and Ball!

“Old School”  (you should see him……he is the coolest looking ‘surfer’ you will ever see!!)

And he is of the “old school” when it comes to painting!  He subscribes to my bible…..and that is “preparation, preparation, preparation!!”

and another post is coming!

A house is NEVER finished…….and this, like all, is evolving!  there are just more posts!  and the next one will be in a day or two!

What a treat to work on such a treasure!!!

 

The repaired gate in the center of the back garden!

This is what Sara Dillard (one of my favorite bloggers and writers)!

calls an “axis”  It is in the center of the hedges in the back garden and creates

a lovely focal point on axis from the center of the house!  The entry hall!

 

 

 Steve Giannetti suggested this “cathedral ceiling” in the porte-cochere!

What fun it is!

This lovely, classic house will continue to evolve! It is a house that is not too small for five people;  and not too “big” for two!

Steve Giannetti has designed a terrific “playroom and guest room and bath in the garage space on the right in this picture!

(on his iPad to scale…it was a wonder to watch!)

When they can;  this will be the next project!

The most exciting thing of all is having our grandchildren back from Europe; and our daughter

and son-in-law so close!

Our daughter says, every time she drives in the driveway, she “pinches herself” that she really lives in this house!

We all feel incredibly fortunate!

I am especially grateful for my “team”!  None of this could have been done without my

absolutely amazing team!  Alfredo;  the most brilliant “jack of all trades” he made all the cabinets, the replacement french door screens,

repaired all the hardware; I could go on and on!

Joe;  the best electrician in the world;  (and the handsomest!);

Rick the best painter in the world,and all the wonderful subcontractors who fixed all the

things you could ever dream of!

It is now the “best of all worlds!  The quality and beauty of an “old house”;

and the benefits of a “new house” with all the electrical, plumbing and heating updated and

energy-saving!

Hang on tio your hats

the most important changes were in this post!

the next one shows some more.  Chip away!!!;  it you do it right;  it takes a long time to  redo a treasure of an old house…….

Correctly!!

I hope you enjoyed this “catch-up”!

The next installment will be the most recent!

Remember;  it takes a long time for a house to be “done”!  (it is never finished!!)

It remains a work “in progress!!”

I hope you will enjoy the “process”!  As our darling daughter and I do!!!

Next installment……..NOW!!!

9 months later!!!

October 26th!!  2013!!!

Penelope

Monterey Colonial!! "Progress!" "More Progress coming next" This is the "Interior progress" midway! UPDATE!!!Read More