The 5 Lessons One Homeowner Learned Rebuilding After the Woolsey Fire

The idea of building a home from the ground up is a lifelong dream for many, fantasized about endlessly whether it comes to fruition or not. For some, though, it’s not a dream that leads them to building a home from scratch but a total nightmare. Homeowner Lisa Nugent experienced it for herself in November 2018 when the Woolsey Fires spread through Malibu, burning the home she’d lived in for the previous six years to the ground. 

"It was terrifying," Nugent says. She’s referring not just to the fires themselves but the process of rebuilding. "I had never built a house. It was a horrible experience." It might not be the voice of optimism that some homeowners faced with rebuilding look for, but Nugent’s brutal honesty is indeed representative of how daunting the prospect can be. 

"I went into this not knowing the differing roles and responsibilities of architect and the general contractor," she says. "I knew I didn’t have a budget for an interior designer or lighting designer or landscape designer." In the six years between the fire and her new home’s completion, Nugent learned more about designing a home than she had ever imagined, meticulously researching every detail she could. Now that it’s firmly in the rearview mirror, here’s what Nugent took away from the five year rebuilding process.

Honor the old in big ways…

Growing up, Nugent’s father—a landscape designer who worked on a Case Study Home—instilled a sense of appreciation for California’s midcentury architectural heritage. "My dad was always talking about landscaping and houses. He knew many of the architects and we would go out driving to see houses," Nugent shares. "He had a really great appreciation for architects and that appreciation rubbed off on all of us." 

Decades later, when her ’50s ranch home was lost in the Woolsey Fire, a piece of California’s architectural history was lost too. When it came time to design her new space, Nugent decided to create something evoking this history, if not exactly replicating it. The floor plan, along with its scale and several key details, like the wood-paneled ceilings and floor-to-ceiling glass windows, maintain the ranch feeling, but with a contemporary tinge.

…and honor it in small ways, too

When Nugent saw how much loss there was on her property, she thought to have the burned wood milled. She found a hobbyist who came to collect the logs after the trees had been felled, and he milled them into three-inch boards and dried them in a kiln before returning them to Nugent. "I didn’t know exactly how to incorporate the wood, but I thought I could always make a bench or a table or something," Nugent explains. "When I saw the stone pine after it was milled, it had such a beautiful pattern to it. I don’t know for sure, but I suspect that it was the heat and the fire that did something to the sap, so it just made it more colorful." 

Seeing the distinctive pattern on the stone pine boards gave her the idea to use them for the front door. Employed for the extra large door at the front of the house, they make an impression on both the interior and exterior. They also stand as a powerful reclamation of the past, making something useful out of what would have otherwise been pure loss. (Another piece of salvaged wood—a massive 29-inch square log, to be specific—is used for the hearth just past those large entry doors.)

Think about the practical things you miss

Though Nugent aimed to slightly update the design of her home, there were elements of the original structure that she wanted to return to. In the old house, swing doors separated the kitchen and the utility room. She had a dog at the time, and living with animals, it was extremely helpful to have something dividing the space. Though her dog has since died, the doors serve the same purpose for corralling her cats. "I didn’t want to lose that functionality, but I wanted to keep it open," she explains.

For the new design, she picked slat wood pocket doors that serve as soft separation between different zones. "It’s really about designing the experience and that was something I would mentally walk through constantly," Nugent says. "‘What was this room like? What happens in this room?’ Walking through the lighting, all of that, you’re designing an experience and then trying to find materials to reflect what you're imagining."

And consider new practical features too

Rebuilding also offered Nugent an opportunity to consider practical features that weren’t at play in the old house’s design. "Accessibility throughout the house and patios was essential," Nugent says. "For example, with the exception of the entry, none of the doors have thresholds—even a one-inch rise can be a real barrier for someone with limited mobility. Other features include wider-than-average hallways and pocket doors designed to accommodate a transport chair when needed." These decisions ensure that the home remains completely livable for Nugent for years to come.

Remember it will continue to evolve 

After you lose a home in a disaster, the pressure is particularly high to create a space that feels complete. Especially in a fire-prone area, where guidelines and regulations continue to change, regular upkeep will be required indefinitely. "Fire hardening over time is a constant endeavor," Nugent says. "Things pop up and it’s just a matter of always doing what you can to minimize the risk of things collecting in the corner of your house and starting to burn."

On an aesthetic level, though, the one acre property’s landscaping has required patience and persistence on Nugent’s part. The home’s previous owner was Jay Griffith, a landscape designer who poured a lot of time into creating a complex landscaping system for the property with native plants and recycled materials. The design was all but lost in the fires, so Nugent had to create something new, not just for her own experience of the property but for the vast range of wildlife that moves through the area too. "I thought I would pick it up right away, because I grew up with plants, and my dad talking about plants, but it’s not easy," Nugent shares. "I have a new appreciation for how difficult it is."

With a lot of space to cover, Nugent decided to divide up the work as the project progressed. "While we immediately began restoring the ravine, I waited until I moved into the new house to tackle the upper lot—and I’m so glad I did," she shares. "Living in the space gave me time to imagine the best layout for patios and plantings. The final design differs dramatically from the original plans, which included far more concrete."

Whether it’s the still ongoing landscaping process, or the custom closets which she waited over a year and a half after moving in to finally have installed, she has found that patience has been rewarding—as itchy as the wait may be. "It was worth it," Nugent says.

Project Credits: 

Architect: Ryan Levis 

General Contractor: Gleicher Associates

Related Reading:

Deciding to Rebuild After a Fire Is Just the First Step

How Trees Destroyed by the L.A. Fires Are Being Recycled Into New Lumber