Surfing is in Leah and Jakeh Bradley’s blood. Both born into families of surfers, the Southern California natives grew up in and around the water, spending long days at the beach. “My dad was a professional surfer, so for most of my childhood, I was either in the water on a board, or cheering him on while building forts on the beach,” says Leah. “Jakeh was raised the same way with a dad who had him on his back surfing and skating as a small toddler.”

The couple met in high school, got married at 19, and eventually had kids of their own. “It’s been so fun growing up together and growing our sweet little family,” says Leah. Since the ocean was such a big part of her and Jakeh’s upbringing, they knew they wanted to raise their kids the same way—spending as much time as possible in the sun, sand, and surf. After welcoming their second child, they began to feel the squeeze of their beachside townhome and started a house hunt.

The Bradleys quickly zeroed in on location—a charming Costa Mesa neighborhood filled with midcentury homes—and waited patiently for the right one to come up. The search got off to a bumpy start, with the couple losing out on two homes before falling in love with a third, a 1957 ranch-style on a quiet street. “I immediately fell in love with the large lot,” recalls Leah. “The yard space was so incredible with so much potential.” The couple eagerly put in an offer, but were devastated when, again, they narrowly missed out. Two weeks later, Leah and Jakeh got a call—naturally, while at the beach—that the other offer had fallen out of escrow. Soon thereafter, the home they fell in love with was theirs.

The Bradleys’ new home was located in Costa Mesa’s first tract development, a community of midcentury homes built on farmland. Although the home needed cosmetic work, the seller, who was the original owner, had lovingly cared for it for decades.

Despite being a compact 1,378 square feet, the home had a family-friendly layout with large yards that gave them the extra space they needed. “We don’t like being confined indoors for too long,” says Leah. The interior, despite needing updates, brimmed with charm, from the soaring pitched ceiling, to the original fireplace, to the period-specific breezeway, and an abundance of original windows and skylights. “It felt so airy the moment we walked in,” recalls Leah.

Before jumping into renovations, the family lived in the space to see what worked and what didn’t, which also allowed them to save money to tackle areas they wanted to prioritize. “We lived in a rough work-in-progress state for about two years, which was hectic with small kids. But it allowed for us to really think about every design decision,” says Leah.

The first was removing two non-load-bearing partitions, one separating the entry from the kitchen, and another between the kitchen and the dining area, which allowed for a larger family gathering space. “Our home had a great layout and bones, it just needed the spaces to flow a little better,” says Leah. Next was the kitchen, where the family added an island and custom white oak cabinetry from Stille Home, a company based in Ojai, California. Unglazed terra-cotta tile and linen window coverings complete the natural, earthy palette.

Leah, a landscape designer and cofounder of design firm Dirt, embraced the home’s fixer status from the start, using it as an opportunity to redesign the space around her family’s lifestyle. “We spend almost every day at the beach and in the ocean, so naturally I wanted our home to reflect the place we love so much,” shares Leah. “We wanted it to feel beachy, but not cheesy.”

Throughout the home are family keepsakes and personal mementos, like old photos of Leah’s dad skating and surfing, along with favorite vintage boards from his surf career. A subtle nod to ’70s surf culture, pops of color, and retro graphics are introduced through original art, including paintings by local artist and fellow surfer Lauryn Alvarez. “Our garage growing up was stacked with tons of old surf magazines, photos of my dad and mom skating and surfing, and tons of boards lining the walls,” reminisces Leah. “I wanted to bring back the look, and fill our home with the colors we love and that hint of ’70s surf and skate nostalgia.”

“We spend almost every day at the beach and in the ocean, so naturally I wanted our home to reflect the place we love so much.”
—Leah Bradley, landscape designer and owner

Now a family of five—Leah and Jakeh are parents to Zippy, age six, Velzy, four, and Bonny, one-and-a-half—the Bradleys’ reimagined outdoor space is critical for the active bunch. “Honestly, I almost wanted to do the exterior before the interior, as it really was so important to have a functional yard for the kids and our dog,” says Leah.

After sitting on the design for a while, the vision began to come together. “We knew we wanted a hot tub for post-surf soaks, and sort of built the rest of the yard around that,” says Leah. Around the decks and hardscape, native plantings seamlessly melt into social spaces for entertaining, and play areas for the children. “We created plenty of spaces for the kids to adventure in with an art studio/playhouse, skate ramp, hot tub, grass to run wild on, chicken area to tend to, and garden to take care of,” says Leah.

Leah and Jakeh have found immense joy in watching their kids grow and seeing them discover the same passions that shaped their own childhood. “It’s been so fun watching them fall in love with surfing and the ocean,” says Leah. “We’re happiest out in the sunshine and on the beach.” After long days outside, the Bradleys enjoy coming together as a family, sharing a meal, and talking about their day around the dining table. “Like us, our kids love being on the go and are always up for adventures,” says Leah. “But knowing we will wind down and end up together around the dinner table in the evening is something we look forward to.”

Related Reading:

This Beachside Pad in San Francisco Is the Stuff of Surfers’ Dreams

A Concrete Beach House in Mexico Opens a Portal to Epic Surfing

Project Credits:

Builder/General Contractor: Koland Construction / @kolandconstruction

Landscape and Interior Design: Dirt/ @we.are.dirt

Cabinetry Design/Installation: Stille Home / @stillehome

Tile Installation Contractor: California Custom Tile / @californiacustom_tile

Architectural Macrame and Fiberglass Design and Install: Jim Olarte / @jimolarte

Abstract Art Design and Install: Lauryn Alvarez / @laurynalvarez

Interior Styling: Jen MacBeth / @californiacasa

Photography: Amanda Sanford / @amandacsanford

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