It's a familiar tale: Family purchases a post-war ranch-style home in a great
neighborhood. Family expands and the home's floor plan—a yesteryear scheme of
small rooms separated by fixed walls and tiny doors—starts feeling constricted and
cramped. Ottolia & Barnes Architecture designed, and Patterson Custom Builders
executed a sunny update to this mid-century home by fusing kitchen, dining room
and living room in order to open the flow of traffic and "create a unified, finished
space that a family of today can use and enjoy," says Aaron Patterson of Patterson
Custom Builders.
An exterior wall was extended, adding 20 feet of additional living space to the
mix, complete with vaulted ceilings, glass doors and a massive transom window
to stream in natural light and views of outside greenery. Old and new spaces were
visually fused by matching new wood with the original red oak floors, then finishing
both to a high gloss until they were a perfect match.
The kitchen was refreshed with new appliances and custom cabinetry featuring
alder wood on the exterior, finished with fresh, white pigmented lacquer. "It adds
durability and is silky to the touch," says Patterson. "Plus, it's easier to keep clean
than paint." A utilitarian countertop, modern and spacious and made of engineered
stone, was added. ("It's a good choice for families," remarks Patterson. "It's more
durable than 'real stone,' plus it resists cracking and staining.")
A st CENTURYREFRESH
FORA s RANCHHOME
WHERE Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
WHO Ottolia & Barnes Architecture, Patterson Custom Builders
PHOTOS BY Paul Jonason, courtesy of Patterson Custom Builders
