Items from the homeowners’ collection of antique bells personalize niches and nooks.
“Harboring the good life” is the motto of Dana Point, a small coastal city in Southern California. This new-build home exemplifies that ethos. Inspired by Mediterranean homes’ graceful integration of indoor and outdoor spaces, Insert Design Studio, led by Majid Maleki and Jenna Schumacher, introduced stone-clad walls, limestone floors, and weathered-wood ceilings to create a sense of organic elegance and ease.
And ease was just as important as elegance, given that the homeowners are a family with teenage boys and a Jack Russell terrier. You can envision the family sprawling out on the great room’s sectional, the boys using the sturdy wood coffee table as a footrest, and the dog curling up on the custom tête-à-tête. The room, which encompasses the kitchen, was designed to promote togetherness, as were numerous other indoor and outdoor gathering spaces. At the same time, the home offers out-of-the-way nooks where people can escape for me time.
This sense of balance—spaciousness and coziness, comfort and sophistication—is evident throughout the home. The great room’s ocean-blue sectional pillows and tête-à-tête complement its otherwise earth-tone palette; the simple silhouettes of the dining table and chairs accentuate the intricate overlay of the room’s coffered ceiling; a bathroom’s traditional vintage floor runner offsets the sleek lines and glossy finish of the minimalist modern soaking tub. This home demonstrates that the good life is a beautifully balanced, harmonious one.
Walls of windows look out onto the surrounding terraced neighborhood and the Pacific Ocean. The framed artwork above the antique-inspired fireplace surround disguises the TV; the rug subtly delineates this portion of the great room from the rest. Find a similar sectional here and a similar console table here.
The French white oak of the kitchen cabinets was chosen, like the limestone flooring, for both its beauty and its durability. The low backs of the stools ensure a clean line of vision.
Insert Design’s Majid Maleki designed the dining room ceiling’s elaborate overlay to add an element of formality while complementing the tongue-and-groove ceiling of the adjacent space.
The window seat serves as a cozy hideaway, with the built-in drawers beneath providing always-welcome storage. Find a similar side table here.
Antique Portuguese cobblestones form the base of the interior courtyard, with an olive tree serving as a centerpiece.
The same limestone tiles used as flooring in the great room surround the infinity pool. The outdoor space includes lounging and dining areas, a kitchen, and a shaded conversation area.
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