Contemporary Renovation Brings Coastal Views and Indoor-Outdoor Living

A “prime location and a spectacular view” was what initially attracted this California family to the Plum Street house—a midcentury property located near San Diego’s scenic Point Loma with stunning views of the San Diego skyline. Originally built in the 1960s, the family saw the property’s ultimate potential, but realized that it needed considerable updates in order to meet the needs of their active, modern lifestyle. Luckily, they were introduced to Will & Fotsch Architects, Inc., an experienced firm that only accepts new clients via referrals. The family and the firm quickly hit it off, granting the architect a creative license to renovate their 3,700-square-foot home.

Kolbe's VistaLuxe^® Collection provides an unobstructed view of the city. | Photo ^© Zack Benson

To achieve the desired functionality, aesthetic and value, the firm faced two primary challenges:

• Determining the best floor plan to create a comfortable series of living and entertaining spaces – keeping as much of the existing structure intact – while making the greatest positive impact.
• Determining a style that would update the house, yet work with the overall massing and structure.

“The remodel was done as surgically as possible to frame views and provide a comfortable home for a life of casual entertaining,” explained Fotsch. “We really focused on opening it up and making it feel more connected.”

Left to right shows before & after – Kolbe’s windows and doors enhance daylight, views, ease of
operation and natural ventilation in this California home. | After Photos ^© Zack Benson

Several examples of the design precision employed in this major renovation include:

• Relocating the kitchen – Originally, the kitchen was in the center of the house and disrupted the connection between the dining and living room. By flipping the location, as well as adding floor-to-ceiling multi-slide doors from Kolbe^®, there is now a seamless transition to the deck and an uninterrupted view.

• Converting the living and dining room – The wall between the previous living and dining room was removed for a more open floor plan. The former dining room was made into a blue-hued sitting nook, affectionally referred to as the “parlor.”

• Reframing the great room— By adding 14” to the overall height of the room it accommodated the eight-foot-tall Kolbe multi-slide doors — highlighting the home’s most spectacular view. In addition, this allowed for transom windows on both the front and back of the house to admit dramatically more daylight.

• Excavating and adding a lower level – Due to the slope of the site, there was a very large crawl space that was excavated further and transformed into a new lower level for a game room, pool bath and exercise room. Through the lower level’s multi-slide doors, the back steps lead into a series of small flights with landing areas to better connect the house to the pool.

“This project was all about the views – and framing the views beautifully was super critical,” said Fotsch. To accomplish that, Fotsch looked to Kolbe Windows & Doors and selected products exclusively from the VistaLuxe^® Collection for their “simple square profile” with minimal frames. The collection’s black extruded aluminum exterior elegantly outlines each opening to match the home’s contemporary style, while accentuating the views. A dark ebony stain was chosen for the wood interior frames to give a “warmth and dimension that relates to the home’s casual coastal feel”. View the full transformation of this home at kolbewindows.com/remodel

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