Beach Cottage Homage

This 1940s beach cottage is a nod to the owners’ family homes.

This house sits on a hill overlooking Rim Rock Canyon in picturesque Laguna Beach, California, but its roots reflect another locale as well. The adobe 1940s beach cottage blends luxe, laid-back, beach-cottage style with the aesthetic of a beautiful, effortless lake house.

“Nicole Anderson, the homeowner, is from Michigan and her husband, Peter, was born and raised in California,” says Kelly Shannon, owner of K Shan Design and a friend of the family, says. “It truly does mix the two styles for perfect results.” Nicole adds, “Peter and I love classic and simple but elegant design.”

Undergirded by the vision of combining the styles of a lake house and beach cottage, the couple focused on designing a new kitchen, redoing the bathrooms, creating better use of the outdoor living space and installing new white oak floors and stairs in their 1940s beach cottage. And, of course, what is a remodel if you don’t move a few walls to open the floor plan? They did just that to convert the living/dining/kitchen area into one open space. Though the renovation was extensive, they had the right team for the task as they turned to their community: Peter’s brother and father are contractors, and they are also surrounded by talented friends.

“We had wonderful people to help us with our vision,” Nicole says. They used local craftsmen and showcased their artist friends’ works while also turning to close friends like Kelly and designer Corinna Thavirat from Corinna Lee Thavirat Design. The house was truly reborn with tender loving care.

entryway with beach hat hooks create an entryway vignette to this 1940s beach cottage — hat trick. Necessity is the mother of invention. “It’s always hard to get out of the house and remember everything, so I started leaving hats here to make it easy to grab one before going to the garden, beach or out,” Nicole says. The hats double as breezy décor! |below| Paint Job. The couple recently painted the exterior of their home Kendall Charcoal by Benjamin Moore and cooper gutters and rain gutters. Their property also has a charming casita (pictured here) that they use as a guest room.

Forever Home…Take Two

The couple and their children had just settled into their previous home when Nicole expressed her desire to move again. “I wanted a place with more space for our growing family. Peter was not thrilled, so I went looking for homes with my father-in-law,” she says. She will always remember walking into the front gate of the 1940s beach cottage, down the stairs for the first time and seeing the yard with grass, a huge tree and a tire swing—nostalgic memories from her past. “My Michigan roots kicked in,” Nicole says. “I wanted my children to be able to play outdoors and have usable outdoor space, and this home had that. Also, Peter is an avid gardener, and I knew the property would have the room to let him use his green thumb.” When Kelly first saw the home, she said, “I absolutely fell in love. The possibility of what the house could be was an absolute dream.”

rear exterior of renovated 1940s beach cottage — Paint Job. The couple recently painted the exterior of their home Kendall Charcoal by Benjamin Moore and cooper gutters and rain gutters. Their property also has a charming casita (pictured here) that they use as a guest room.

Renovating the 1940s Beach Cottage

The home originally had oppressively dark floors with chandeliers and fireplaces, making it seem more formal. Longing for a fresh and bright space with an artful flow, Nicole picked a light color scheme with a new layout and design features.

“The neutral color scheme was created by the home’s environment,” Kelly explains. “We took inspiration from the property, which is covered with eucalyptus trees and placed right in the beautiful hills of Laguna. Depth was then created through design elements by mixing textures and using different tones of wood and metals.”

homeowner's daughter in entry way of beach cottage with hung beach hats on exterior wall behind her

homeowner Nicole with chicken in the backyard of her 1940s beach cottage

flowers and fresh lemons on patio table in 1940s beach cottage — Fresh Flowers. Nicole always tries to have fresh flowers around the house. “I often source my flowers from my yard,” she says. She’ll cut protea in spring or grab a bunch from their local farmer’s market. Eucalyptus trees grow right on the property, so she also places the branches in vases around the house along with her flowers.

Vision for Revision

Several areas received a lot of TLC. The kitchen was redesigned to be more communal with a kitchen nook for the kids to do homework while Nicole, a lawyer by day, cooks. “My kitchen is my happy place. I made sure there was enough space between the island and stove/back cabinets so there is room for a few of us to work at one time,” she says.

The primary bathroom was transformed into a personal spa. “I just love sitting in my vanity chair, which is a Levaggi Beech Tre Archi chair,” Nicole says. And, of course, with the beach so close to the home, the outdoor living space was of particular importance. They installed a beautiful deck and a fire pit. “We can now eat dinner outdoors together any warm night of the year,” Nicole says. “This space opens up to our kitchen and living area, so we really get to enjoy the beautiful Southern California weather. And with our new firepit, we all enjoy gathering around it and looking out over the ocean.” She often sets the table with glasses from her glassblower friends at Siemon and Salazar Studio in Laguna Beach.

Thanks to their special team of friends and family, the Andersons now have their 1940s beach cottage forever home. It’s a place that celebrates both Nicole’s roots and Peter’s longtime home and brings just the right amount of homey lakeside living to the SoCal beachside.

open concept living room with lake cottage inspiration in 1940s beach cottage — Cozy Quarters. The living room is an open concept with the kitchen and dining areas. “It’s so great for a family of five, especially for Nicole and Peter to be able to keep an eye on the youngest one,” Kelly explains. “Everything just goes, so the space isn’t just easy on the eyes, it is also very livable.” Nicole wanted it to be very comfortable and loves how it turned out. “It’s truly a space that emphasizes connection and coziness,” she says. “We purposefully keep the TV and all the toys in a den and playroom off this room.”

vintage style animal illustrations and rattan side table in 1940s beach cottage — Cocktail Central. A bar cart is located across from the kitchen, adjacent to the living room and next to the dining room. “It’s very central,” Kelly says. “The crystal decanters, candlesticks and vintage items add charm and warmth.” Many of the pieces are heirlooms Nicole inherited from her grandmothers and she often keeps her childhood tea set there for her daughter to play with.

dining room table with view to garden in renovated Laguna Beach cottage — Reading the Room. Built-in bookcases used to flank the dining room window, but they took up too much of the area. “The clients opted to remove those and add shiplap for dimension to open up the space,” Kelly says.

adobe archway frames orange accent wall and painting in 1940s beach cottage — Orangesicle. A grasscloth paper in a stunning orange makes a statement in an archway nook. “I enjoy having some pops of color in the house,” Nicole says. “It was fun to put the paper just in the nook where it has big impact.”

seating area with white arm chairs in primary bedroom — Prized Possession. Nicole and Peter wanted a seating area in their primary bedroom and Nicole found a desk at an estate sale. The chair is a family treasure built by Peter’s great uncle, Jan de Swart, who was an artist and woodworker born in 1908.

orange abstract still life with round bookshelf displaying family photos — Circular Logic. This piece is on the top landing of the stairs going up to the primary bedroom. “I had it from a previous home and liked that it broke up the angular space with a more feminine piece to display family photos,” Nicole says.

kitchen with large island with built-in storage in 1940s beach cottage — Eye for Design. A large island and practical storage were Nicole’s priorities for the kitchen—and she got both by cleverly adding storage to the island design. “Our friend Corinna Thavirat (Corinna Lee Thavirat Design) drew up the architectural plans,” she says. “I wanted a large island, but one that did not feel as bulky given its length (over 11 feet), so we added open shelves at the end.” The shelves perfectly accommodate her large platters and bowls and keep the island from feeling too heavy for the space. “Corinna even designed a small drawer on top of one of the shelves so I can store my serving spoons and long salad utensils,” Nicole says.

styled bookshelf next to wood door with rectangular carving — Shelf Life. Nicole turned to Kelly to style her shelves. “I love styling bookshelves because it tells a story about who the people are that live in that home.” Kelly says. “They are very personal, which is maybe a reason so many people feel challenged by doing them themselves.” She enjoys making the shelves tell her clients story while making them visually pleasing. “As for built-ins, well there is nothing better because it’s literally built into the home, and they are so beautiful and soulful that way,” she says.

marble counter and half wall with shiplap and exposed shelf in 1940s beach cottage — Timeless not trendy. Nicole envisioned open shelving in the kitchen, but was tired of seeing the typical wooden open-shelf look in most kitchens. “That’s when I came up with the idea of running the marble up to one shelf,” she says. “It keeps the materials simple yet timeless. I really did not want a trendy kitchen, but rather a classic one that I will be comfortable in 20 years down the road.”

round mirror fiddle leaf fig and wooden dining table in renovated 1940s beach cottage — New and Old. In her dining room, Nicole mixes old and new pieces. “Everything in this space except the mirror and light fixture have been repurposed,” she says. The items add personality and dimension to the neutral home. “Together, everything creates a calming feeling that aligns with the ocean and canyon landscape outside the windows. My house is a retreat and a place of comfort,” she says.

star wallpaper in girl's bedroom with textured rug and cane style bedframe

spacious master bath with hexagonal tiles in cream and wood cabinetry in vanities — Perfect Pale Pink. Valentina, the couple’s daughter, uses this bedroom which is dressed in Cole & Sons star wallpaper in a pretty pale-pink shade. “After two boys, I was excited to have the opportunity to use this paper and it is neutral enough that my tomboy daughter even likes it,” Nicole says with a smile.

botanical wallpaper and rattan chandelier in 1940s beach cottage — Color Crush. Pops of color make Nicole’s heart sing and this wallpaper, from Cole & Sons, was a fun way to add in the color orange (with a side of monkeys!). “It works so well with the original brick,” Nicole says. Kelly Shannon found them the lovely vintage shade on Charish.

master bedroom with modern chandelier and curved nook bookshelf — Design Dimensions. The room has a unique shape and to balance it, Nicole removed the fireplace and added an arched bookshelf.

soaking tub with a view in master bath of 1940s beach cottage — Tile with style. Beautiful tiles are a showstopper in the bathroom. “Kelly Shannon helped me pick my floor tile at Mission Tile,” Nicole says. “I knew I wanted to use the Zellige tile on my shower walls. We brought a sample with us, and she helped me put it all together.” The large hexagons are more interesting than the standard squares. Nicole loves how the marble works with the more organic look of the Moroccan tile. They also chose a honed-leather finish for the natural stone on the vanity top.

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