Located in central Malibu with views of the Pacific, this California home was in desperate need of a remodel. “It was so dated and stuck in the 80s,” says designer Kirsten Marie. “Our mission was to give it a fresh look with a clean edgy beach vibe that suited our clients’ lifestyle and the house.”

The clients had purchased the property as a second home, allowing them to be closer to their daughter at USC. Plus, it would serve as a great spot for some coastal R&R! “We are incredibly lucky to work with them because they allowed us to have full creative control during the design process throughout the interior and exterior,” Kirsten recalls. “It also didn’t hurt that they have amazing taste! Being that this was going to be their home away from home they wanted to fully embrace the laid back Cali lifestyle while mixing in some modern minimal touches.”

In the dining room, they removed glass partitions, raised the ceilings, and added new sliding doors. “We also opened up the space leading to the living room,” the designer shares, where the ceilings were raised and a marble surround was added to the fireplace. The kitchen was totally gutted — “We took out a large bay window over the sink and removed the upper cabinets and post to make the family room and kitchen an open floor plan, which as we all know gets the most use!” The bedrooms were updated, one of which was split into two rooms with a Jack & Jill bathroom to maximize the space. As for the master suite, there’s a new marble shower, floating tub, vanity, marble counter tops, windows, and a spacious closet. 

With so much work, there’s bound to be a roadblock or two. “One of our biggest challenges we faced was finishing the project within the 6 month time frame,” Kirsten recalls. “It was definitely an all hands on deck race against the clock! Good thing I have an incredible team and we were working with an amazing contractor Babineau Construction and a team of talented trades.”

See the space in the slideshow.