Craftsman rusticity meets a 21st century sensibility
The past and the present collide head-on in this two-story Craftsman hybrid in Huntington Beach’s Lake Park area near downtown.
From a distance, a number of Craftsman characteristics are evident: forward and side-facing gables, exposed rafter ties, a raised foundation and a front porch that extends the width of the house with six tapered columns.
But a closer look reveals an up-to-date house with charcoal-colored heavy-gauge standing-seam metal roofing.
A contrast to the bright-white exterior, the roofing is a heat reflector and energy saver. It’s one of several “green” components in the completely rebuilt residence.
“Metal roofs are more often designed in contemporary homes, but in this case it worked,” says Jay Earl of Jay Earl Design in Huntington Beach.
Inside, the home has bits of rustic styling -- the entire first floor is covered in wide-plank, hand-scraped distressed maple -- that give it a colonial feel, but the flat-screen television, stainless-steel appliances and recessed lighting bring it right back to the present day.
The symmetrical floor plan is divided by the stairway near the entrance, which allows natural light to stream down from the second floor.
The house’s 28 windows keep it bright in virtually every area.
The open kitchen features custom Omega cabinets, a soapstone counter and backsplash and a large island topped with marble with bar space for four. It flows into the great room, where the main fireplace is faced with a set of 1880s Villeroy and Boch tiles.
A walk-in butler’s pantry is outfitted with a commercial-grade stainless-steel racking system on all three walls.
The waiter’s alley leads to the traditional dining room, where one of 13 chandeliers from the early 1900s hangs.
The downstairs bathroom features an iron slipper claw-foot tub with exposed plumbing. The upstairs master bathroom has a walk-in shower with more exposed plumbing as well as a tumbled Carrara-marble floor and glass subway tile.
The white columns used in the front are continued in the back patio. They support an open-beamed trellis that allows light into the great room.
A two-car detached garage includes space for a studio-office that could be remodeled into a small guest room. It is roofed to match the main house.
To submit a candidate for Home of the Week, send high-resolution color photos with caption and credit information on a CD and a detailed description of the house to Lauren Beale, Business, Los Angeles Times, 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012. Questions may be sent to homeoftheweek@latimes.com.