South Pasadena complete home makeover

Transforming an average California bungalow into an amazing home

This South Pasadena home is truly an amazing transformation from a nothing-special bungalow to a gorgeous home showpiece with "Architectural Digest" good looks. The front spare bedroom was completely gutted and converted into a home office. We installed custom cherry cabinetry with raised panel overlay doors, crown molding and custom file drawers with full extension guides.

To provide plenty of light over the work area we added custom recessed ceiling lighting. For modern computer systems, we installed in-wall Cat5 wiring for Internet access. The modern office has lots of electrical and electronic equiment such as scanners, calculators, monitors and computers, so we included lots of counter plugs and circuits to accommodate just about anything the homeowner would need.

In the master bedroom we replaced the standard ordinary sliding door closets with a custom-fabricated cabinet in cherry wood. We allowed space for the built-in TV, with drawer storage below. The tall double doors on each side have an all-modular adjustable double pole hanging system inside, with options for shelving so that the owner can customize it to their own specific needs.

Before Photos:
The photos at right show the original and very ordinary-looking Kitchen and Dining Room areas. The house was constructed around 1960 and had the deep ceiling soffits, beamed ceiling and room divider design typical of the period. The floor pattern and flow of the house made it feel small and cramped.

The homeowner had hired an interior designer from Glenoaks Interiors whose design included removing the soffits, beam ceiling, the fireplace and room divider to create one huge and welcoming Great Room. The new design was intended to increase the livable space, and give the house a modern open feel, allowing for entertaining and connection between the living and kitchen spaces. We had to determine if the existing ceiling and roof supports would allow this new open floor plan.

During Construction:
After examining the ceiling and roof framing in the attic we decided to remove the ceiling and wall plaster right down to the studs and rafters to make the necessary changes. The two top photos show the recessed beams we installed and the new ceiling joists. You can also see the new low voltage ceiling lighting that was designed and installed. We removed the existing fireplace on the Dining Room side to allow for more wall space for a pantry cabinet and Viking refrigerator.

The lower left photo is looking toward the front of the house and shows the size of the new Great room. The lower right photo shows the view toward the backyard with the new wood sliding patio doors leading to the pool area.

Amazing Transformation:
Right: The transformation of this formerly drab bungalow into an amazing custom-built home shows what can be done with even the most humble beginnings. The photo at the right is the finished Kitchen with custom lighting, cherry cabinetry, granite countertops, glass ceramic tile backsplash, stainless steel Viking appliances and oak hardwood floors.

Below: The upper left photo below shows a custom-fabricated stereo cabinet with copper wire screen doors to improve ventilation for the components. The custom-designed feet make the cabinet look more like furniture. The interior shelves are not full depth to allow space for cords and built in electrical power strip. The bathroom vanity cabinet shows the detailing and fine furniture finish that harmonizes with the rest of the house.