Streamlined Cape Cod at The Wedge

This home sits just a few blocks from the world-famous surf spot, “The Wedge” in Southern California on the tip of the Balboa Peninsula. The home underwent a custom remodel complete with a second story addition.

The client purchased the home as a fixer upper – the house had experienced a lot of neglect over the years and damage from unpermitted work. My objective was to not only restore it, but to turn it into his dream home. We rebuilt and restored the old original single-story beach house with a bungalow above the garage and it was transformed into a modernized two-story Cape Cod beach home.

Early on during the demolition process, we discovered all sorts of history and mystery, like dark green stucco walls in the kitchen where the original outside porch had been during the 1940s. We also discovered an inspection card from 1958 in the wall behind plaster in the guest bedroom. The home has a slate roof and cedar shingles with white windows and trim. Built in a Cape Cod style, the exterior features copper gutters and downspout, a fire engine red Dutch front door, and two sets of French doors to bring in the cool ocean breeze. The patio has been adorned with rustic red bricks.

The cabinets throughout the home are all custom built by my Custom cabinetmakers with beaded inset paneled doors. The dramatic second story master bedroom has an 18 foot vaulted ceiling with tongue and groove beams. A custom deck was also added on the second story for watching sunsets over the Pacific Ocean. The process to rebuild and restore and completely transform this old beach house was a pleasure and fun for the client every step of the way.