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Parota wood continues in the spacious kitchen. Marisa and Christopher found the blue tile that runs throughout the home on a trip to León, Mexico. "It called out to us," says Christopher. Festooned with small stars, its tone matches the color of the ocean perfectly.

Cody, 17, and Dylan jam in the kitchen with Yogi, the Welsh corgi.

Kitchen

Kitchen cabinets

Access into the garden is through the side of the kitchen and not the rear. This means the rear is protected for wildlife and the family do not have to go through the garden to access the BBQ and hard landscaping.

For the interiors, the firm chose timber for “a hard-wearing internal finish and a gentle, humane scale within the space,” says O’Callaghan. A series of semi-open plywood screens creates porous living, dining, and kitchen areas

After: The kitchen’s countertops and backsplash are “all those 1950s-30s enamel card tables,” Geoffrey explains. “That was a decision I made early on; it took me a year and a half to collect them all.” The beams were a great surprise; they were hidden away in the ceiling. The appliances are former Consumer Reports test appliances bought at auction, and the ceiling lights are a custom design, intended to look mid-century.

The custom dining table—which was made by a local artisan—is located in front of west-facing windows that frame the sunset in the evenings. The table can be easily moved inside or out depending on the weather.

The open-plan kitchen, dining and living room honors the home's original design and heroes the existing stone wall.

Mint green-painted ironwork and tiles connect the indoors to the outside more fluidly.

"The marble was chosen to complement the tones of the timber floors,

The relocated kitchen includes Villa Lagoon concrete floor tiles, Heath Ceramics island tiles, Schoolhouse Electric pendant lights and Design Within Reach Valencia stools.

“The house is kind of crooked, with rough floors, and no fancy finishes—but it has lots of personality,” says architect Francisco Mesquita Moura.