Before & After: A throwback ranch home becomes a contemporary jewel box
It used to look like a stuffy home suitable for grandma, but after a major redo, a San Pedro abode is now being touted as “the panty-dropper house” — at least by Los Angeles Realtor Alice Rodriguez.
Gone are the honey-colored wood-paneled walls, tiled roof, brick pavers and unruly greenery. Developer Lucie Idleman of D’Oro Development transformed the antiquated 1965 ranch-style home on a corner lot to a contemporary retreat for a savvy, Silicon Beach entrepreneur.
Inspired by the image of a floating glass box, Idleman tore down the walls separating the kitchen, dining and living areas, turning the interior into one elongated open-plan home.
“They had to go in and re-engineer the home to hold a ceiling that stretches from one end of the house to the other,” said Rodriguez, of Keller Williams. Removing the walls also gave D’Oro Development the opportunity to add fireproof and soundproof insulation between the walls.
Extra-wide pivoting gates and a swiveling entrance make for more drama than the previous wrought-iron gate and wood entry.
Two outdoor living areas outfitted with Restoration Hardware fire pits and a Japanese hardwood-encased kidney-shaped pool encourage sun-soaked lounging.
A mirrored garage door adds a glam “I’ve-arrived” touch.
“If you have a Tesla or Maserati, you’ll be able to see it as you pull up,” Rodriguez said.
Once inside, visitors are greeted to the sight of a now tame, Zen garden. The once-riotous collection of short palm trees and shrubs interspersed with brick were replaced with a more serene arrangement of poured-in-place colored concrete, golf-grade Bermuda grass and manicured bushes.
Entertaining indoors is also an option, with two living areas set against Starphire wall windows, a modern chef’s kitchen with Miele and Sub-Zero appliances, plus a 330-bottle floor-to-ceiling wine case.
After a 10-month renovation, the 2,200-square-foot South Shores home — which has three bedrooms and two bathrooms and is just blocks from the ocean, walking trails and Trump National Golf Club — is now ready for the limelight.
At the advertising-inspired asking price of $1,499,999, the home is listed at more than double the $735,000 that it sold for less than a year ago.
But Rodriguez says it’s a bargain compared with Santa Monica real estate, which might get you an 800-square-foot fixer-upper for the same price.
