“When you’re updating a home, space planning is key. That kind of remodel should never be just cosmetic.”
If your home looks and feels out of date, it may take more than new appliances and fresh paint to bring it into the modern era. “The way we live, use and enjoy our homes is much different now that it was 30 or 40 years ago,” says San Diego designer Beth Booth, who co-owns design-build firm Spaces Renewed with her husband, Marshall. “The rooms themselves have changed.”
Mind for design.
Booth was pursuing a master’s degree in education when she realized she was more interested in doing residential design. In 2008, she and her husband, a contractor, opened Spaces Renewed. “My parents were in real estate and I’d grown up fixing up houses,” she says. “I’ve always loved the challenge of finding the best design.”
Bringing vision to life.
Your remodel starts with your unique style and aesthetic, and the design process is about bringing that vision to life “Every space is different,” Booth says. “San Diego’s coastal style is super eclectic, so you’ll have a lot of styles in one house. With the right design, it all comes together.”
Ready to see your home in a whole new light? These three tips from Booth will show you some possibilities.
1. Rework Your Layout
If you’ve lived in your house for a while and are accustomed to using the rooms in a certain way, it may be difficult at first to think about removing walls or putting a family room where a bedroom has been. “Don’t be afraid to start thinking differently about your home,” Booth says.
The owner of this coastal Del Mar home was unsure about adding a pass-through door from the kitchen to the family room. “She didn’t want to lose kitchen storage space,” Booth says. “But we were able to show her where additional storage could be placed.” The pass-through provides much more flow and function.
2. Size Up Your Space
Though you might have your heart set on a professional stove or elegant farmhouse sink, Booth urges you to make your first priority a good floor plan with enough room. “This will completely change how you can use your remodeled space,” she says.
For this large home in Vista, the homeowners’ initial thought had been to re-face the small existing kitchen with contemporary materials. “We quickly realized that the super-small kitchen was wrong for the house,” Booth says. The clients, who love to entertain, postponed remodeling the master bath to create an addition with a spacious eat-in kitchen that opens into a new dining area and family room.
3. Take a Design Risk
Consider a few changes that might initially be outside your comfort zone. “As a designer, I won’t let you make a mistake that you will hate, that will look bad or will be too trendy,” Booth says. “But I get feedback all the time that people are glad I gently urged them to push the envelope.”
At this Craftsman beach house in Del Mar, the client wanted to modernize while at the same time preserving the feel of the original home, built by her father in the 1950s. “Midway through the project we discovered that we could easily have a cathedral ceiling,” Booth said. “The client took the risk and they loved the end result.” It gives the space a fresh, airy atmosphere.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
