Modern Living Meets Old World Aesthetics

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This project is an example of bridging the gap between modern living and old world aesthetics.  Lots of clients value the charm and uniqueness of early century construction, but not its limitations such as small rooms, low ceilings, narrow hallways and floor plans designed like rabbit warrens.  For these clients, there are two options: buying an old home and updating it without sacrificing too much of what makes it unique, or buying a newer home and introducing some of the elements that harken back to old-world construction.  This project is an example of the latter.

This family room is is located off the main entryway and as such, is highly visible.  The owners wanted to cultivate a sense of age and European charm in this new home.  My suggestion was to introduce alternative materials that were more representative of that time and culture.

We removed the cast-stone fireplace surround that is so prevalent now in current S CA construction.  We replaced it with a deep grey river rock from Italy that exhibits very little veining and no warm color tones. To set the stone, a pure white adhesive was used that cracked heavily during the drying process, yielding an ancient, heavy feel.  The mantle was created from a huge, unadorned piece of newly seasoned timber that we beat for days with chains to give it a weathered, warped profile.  After staining it umber brown, we lightly sanded the edges and dents to give it uneven coloration.  Lastly, it was touched randomly with a blowtorch to create a scorched appearance.  The ledge was built from bluestone, chipped delicately at its edges with a hammer.  The fireplace was exactly what we had hoped for: aged and textured and gorgeous. Over the next few weeks, we created beams for the ceiling, repeating the process we had tested on the fireplace mantle.  The end result was a room that married modern proportions with old-world materials and design.