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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. |
| By Susan Heeger |
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| photography: Jeremy Samuelson |
Claudia took her remodeling cues from the 1922 Craftsman cottage next to her home on the same property. The designer chose much of her new color palette from the old rose garden, which she planted herself.
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On any given weekend, Claudia Darr's Laguna Beach bungalow is packed with girls: teens lolling in the living room, kids in the kitchen, 11- and 12-year-olds piled on the master bed watching TV with Stella, a yellow Lab. The scent of salt air and roses wafts through open windows. Freshly baked bread cools on the kitchen counter.
photography: Jeremy Samuelson
Claudia removed a wall between the kitchen and dining room to create one open space. |
Just a block and a half from the Pacific Ocean, Claudia's cottage is the hangout of choice for her two daughters and their friends. Claudia, an interior designer, welcomes company with barbecues, roaring fires, and vintage quilts. She keeps everything unfussy so her family and all of their guests can completely relax when they walk in the door.Such casual, simple warmth defines Claudia's approach to life—and the way she transformed a quirky rental property into a California charmer. Five years ago she was living in a tiny 1920s Craftsman cottage she'd moved here to save from the wrecking ball. A larger house directly behind the cottage was rented out to tenants. But as Claudia and the girls began feeling cramped in the cottage, they made a big switch and moved into the bigger house.
photography: Jeremy Samuelson
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The larger 1930s home—just 1,500 square feet—had three bedrooms instead of two but was long on shortcomings. Windows were painted shut, there were few closets, and the floors were a hodgepodge of wood and tile. Plus, it lacked the Craftsman's rose garden and ocean view, and it desperately needed some up-to-date wiring. This was a larger home, but it was no bargain. Claudia recalls, "If you wanted coffee, you had to unplug the toaster." |
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