The Orradre home in San Luis Obispo gets some coastal style
Michelle Orradre loved everything about coastal style — the soft hues, the natural textures, the comfort and ease. When browsing antique and thrift stores, she found herself drawn to pieces evoking the seashore.
Incorporating those nautical treasures into one cohesive design scheme was an entirely different issue. Orradre, her husband, Jim, and their two teenaged children had recently moved into their San Luis Obispo home in early 2014. Faced with bare walls and scarcely enough furniture to fill its 3,200 square feet, she decided to turn to an expert.
She originally contacted interior designer Yvette Chaix to help her choose a sofa and some wall art. “When I walked into the home and saw she had nothing, I told her we would need to do a little more than that,” said Chaix.
“A little more” evolved into a redesign of the living room, breakfast nook, and downstairs bathroom — all in the coastal style Orradre admired.
Going coastal was made tricky by the fact that the house has traditional farmhouse architecture. “That’s why I didn’t go over-the-top coastal,” said Chaix. “I wanted it to be cohesive.”
Chaix avoided inundating the space with beach-themed accents and instead focused on colors and textures inspired by the ocean. She considers the style of the Orradre home “California coastal,” which emphasizes casual living, comfort, and breezy ambience.
Key to this are the cool hues, such as blues and grays, set off by crisp white trim and accents. Soft lines underscore the feeling of casual ease and also are reminiscent of waves and water. For instance, the custom media cabinet in the living room, one of many pieces built by Green Goods, has doors that incorporate a motif of wavy lines. Furniture is mostly soft and rounded with few hard lines or sharp corners.
A scattering of sea life motifs give the home a firm coastal connection, without going overboard. Among their finds were oversized shells for the bathroom wall, a lobster sculpture for the breakfast nook, and subtle seaweed watercolors for the living room. In the foyer, a hand-blown glass chandelier with flowing blue tendrils is reminiscent of a jellyfish. It is a bold piece that sets the theme and palette for the home.
Rich texture is also important to California coastal style. Weathered woods balance the coolness of the color palette. Chaix chose distressed wood for the fireplace mantel, coffee table and side table. The fireplace wall is clad in textural American Clay plaster in a darker hue to make it a focal point in the room. The hall bathroom’s walls are covered in natural grass cloth, and a driftwood-framed mirror completes the look.
Contemporary elements keep Chaix’s interpretation of California coastal fresh and updated. Furniture features clean lines and contemporary fabrics. A modern light fixture hangs over the breakfast nook. A fish sculpture in gleaming metal makes a bold statement in the living room.
Orradre made sure the space would function well for the family. “We wanted something very livable because we have teenagers who often have friends over,” she said.
She and Chaix chose a sectional sofa for the living room, which provides ample seating around the television. The new, custom banquette in the kitchen is relaxed, yet stylish with its metal base and quartz top. Orradre had originally chosen a table for the small breakfast nook, but found that the stationery bench requires less space than freestanding chairs.
Orradre wanted to honor her family with a gallery wall in the stairwell. Chaix chose a deep blue wall color, “so the pictures would pop,” she said. She had the old, generic handrail replaced with a custom one in bleached wood that better suited the new coastal vibe.
Chaix chose frames in a variety of styles, sizes and finishes for a casual feel, but used matching white mats for a pulled-together look. Arranging the frames along an angled wall was tricky. Chaix started with the largest frames, then filled in with smaller ones.
In four months, the space went from empty walls and a lack of a defined style, to a cozy seaside-themed retreat — a place where the family can relax and, according to Orradre, feel as if they have escaped to the coast, without ever leaving home.
Home design tips
BUILD A PHOTO WALL For a fantastic photo wall, start by choosing your frames. Mixing up frame finishes is fine for a casual space, but keep mats consistent for a cohesive look. Arrange larger frames first, then fill in with smaller ones. Select photos that work well with that arrangement, rather than the reverse.
JUST BEACHY For a subtle beach look, add ocean-themed accents with restraint. Choose a few bold pieces, rather than large collections of small items. Focus on color: hues pulled from water, fog and sand, set off by crisp whites. And add in textural interest with baskets, weathered woods, sisal, grass cloth and other organic materials.
SMALL SPACE DINING In a small breakfast nook, a banquette is often an easier fit than a table with freestanding chairs. Another option is to replace some or all chairs with bench seating.
This story was originally published February 9, 2016 at 6:17 PM with the headline "The Orradre home in San Luis Obispo gets some coastal style."