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| Romantic Craftsman Cottage |  | | With windows flung open to the scent of salt air and roses, Claudia Darr basks in the charm of a 1930s California cottage she restored for her family. |  See Claudia's cottage |
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| Mastering the Mix |
| Jeri and Steven de Souza dressed down their antiques to fit their new way of life. |
| By Susan Heeger |
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| photography: Roger Davies |
Amid palms and potted succulents, Jeri does some phonework on the Caribbean-flavored rear terrace. The sliding glass doors of the dining room are almost always thrown open to the breeze. The vintage rattan table and chair were junk-shop finds upholstered in weather-resistant outdoor fabric.
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Five years ago when Jeri Barchilon and Steven E. de Souza’s children left home, the couple no longer needed their large, art- and antique-filled, 1912 Los Angeles Craftsman—let alone its five bedrooms. Then they got an unexpected offer on it and realized it was time to go. But where? And how would they squeeze the pizzazz of "big house" life into a smaller space?
photography: Roger Davies
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Jeri, an interior designer, secretly welcomed the challenge. "I was itching for a good project," she admits. And she and Steven, a writer-director for film and television, had a wish list ready. "We wanted a less formal house with more of an open plan, so we could use it all," Jeri says, "and we both needed a home office." Adds Steven, "We also wanted to live within walking and biking distance of the beach." East Coast transplants, they envisioned sunny rooms and glass doors open to gardens. They couldn't go too terribly modern, since they planned to keep at least some antiques. But because Jeri's decorating is far from precious (she likes to dress down antiques with eBay finds and thrift-shop gems), they weren't wedded to any architectural style.
photography: Roger Davies
Odd chairs, mostly in pairs, lend a certain harmony to the mix-and-match dining room. The fabrics blend pleasingly and complement the antique Oushak rug. |
Their eventual choice: a 1949 ranch-style bungalow on a broad lot two blocks from the beach. A bit "dingy and tired," Jeri says, and painted "grim beige" on the inside, the house compensated with generous rooms, a convenient layout, wood floors, and high, beamed ceilings. "You can make this great," Steven encouraged her, envisioning the cottage where he’d spent childhood summers on the Jersey shore. 
photography: Roger Davies
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That sort of breezy, feet-up feel became Jeri's guide as she tackled the redo in 2001. Together, they opened up the living spaces, removing a wall between the kitchen and dining room to create one large flowing area for lounging or entertaining. "I want to hang out with my friends while I cook," Jeri says. To unify the parts, she painted everything white, including cabinetry and shelves, some existing, some custom-built to match. And though, on Steven’s advice, she stole space from two closets to make a powder room, she preserved original details wherever possible. "A great house is all about the mix—old, new, pricey, bargain," Jeri says. "It shouldn't look as if a decorator just left."
photography: Roger Davies
In a sunny corner of the kitchen, Jeri added a seat to the bay window, rolled up a steel table and chairs from dwr.com, and presto—a breakfast nook. |
In this spirit of practical collage, she saved somewhat grandmotherly bay windows, but under one in the kitchen built a window seat, creating an eat-in breakfast nook. Under another in the living room, she installed bookcases for Steven's "ever-multiplying collection." To make their furniture look at home, she added 6-inch baseboards in each room, underscoring the traditional feel of the surroundings. She brought in natural light with French doors in the master bedroom and color in an array of fabrics. "I love materials that feel good when you touch them—linen, silk, leather, cotton," she says. "If they get tattered or faded, fine. That just adds texture and interest." 
photography: Roger Davies
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So, too, does combining elements from different decades and cultures and pedigrees. In the living room, for example, Jeri's layered blend includes English and Swedish antique chairs, a modern Italian glass coffee table, Chinese lamps, flea market fireplace tools and pottery, and nesting tables from a thrift shop. On the sisal rug, a zebra skin recalls a trip the couple took to South Africa. "There’s nothing more dull than having everything match," believes Jeri, who compares her mix-it-up approach to "wearing a Chanel jacket with a Target T-shirt." To her and Steven, comfort is as critical as style, which is why they have a round dining table—best for conversation, she says—ringed by a medley of different chairs. "When people get comfortable at a party, they move their chairs around," Jeri says. "It’s nice to encourage that."
photography: Roger Davies
In the master bedroom, the de Souzas added light by means of a bay window and French doors to the garden. |
For coherence, she repeats design themes, incorporating animal prints, chinoiserie, mirrors, shells, and painted wood throughout the house. Her accent colors are complementary, as in the master bedroom where "restful" blue walls are sparked by Chinese-red cushions and chairs. Window coverings are minimal—she calls the bamboo matchstick blinds "cheap, chic, and a beautiful filter for light." 
photography: Roger Davies
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Usually, the blinds are up and the doors and windows are open to the garden. "We just close the house up at night," says Steven. He likes to write outside on a laptop and, during breaks, bike to Starbucks for coffee. "There's an odd conception out here," he notes, “that you're not living unless your house is the size of a hotel. But ours exactly suits the way we live. I can't imagine where we'd be happier."
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