When Nick and Kelly Amendola bought their home, it was super dated. Located on a vintage golf course in Central California, it was defined by the era in which it was built — the 70s. A lot of the elements were quite dark, from the wood paneling to the heavy stone floors. Kelly, a lifestyle blogger, and her husband saw the potential and quickly hired Diego Monchamp of Brown Design Group to tackle the remodel. From opening things up to letting the light in and furnishing with accessible pieces, the home was completed just in time for the couple’s first baby to arrive. We’re chatting with the team at BDG to learn more about the process:

Thank you for sharing this space with us — it’s gorgeous! What can you tell us about the clients?
Nick and Kelly Amendola are California natives who were looking for an architectural home with open floor plan and space to entertain outdoors.

Kelly is a lifestyle blogger and Nick is a beverage distributor. Both feel that entertaining their family and friends was a big priority after moving out of their smaller apartment. A stocked bar and plenty of circulation space allows the party to seamlessly move between the front yard pool area and the golf course panorama on the other side.

What condition was the space in when you first approached the project?
The house was in a very worn down state when we first did a walk through. Finishes were dull and faded, flooring was mismatched and lighting was spotty and dated. The wood-paneled walls and ceilings were in poor condition, but did eventually add some texture under the new paint that we were planning.

What was the clients’ main concern and goal?
The house had soaring ceilings and interesting lines, [but] the rooms were oddly separated. The clients were unsure of how to rearrange while retaining the integrity of the architecture. Because it is a golf course property, the pool area is off the front. We addressed that by incorporating entertainment space in both the front and the back yards.

Kelly wanted the interiors to be light and fresh. We wanted pay a nod to the era of the house but not be so literal. The Amendolas also were looking for durable finishes as they envisioned lots of family and friends being there.

We’d love if you’d “walk us” through the space, with a few key things you did to transform the home?
We worked with an architect to expand the front of the house within the existing roofline to create a larger dining space. Creating a screen wall upon entry also helped define spaces but gave you a “peek” at the golf course beyond. We painted the wood paneling in Dunn Edwards’ semi-gloss Cool December, which set it off from the walls just enough to make it more interesting.

It’s beautiful. Finally, are there any risks that paid off?
There was some existing aggregate flooring throughout portions of the home that were original. We thought that this would be a beautiful surface to retain, but eventually we opted to replace it with a wide plank white oak to create a cohesive flow between the rooms. It was definitely the right choice, and the Amendolas love it.

Take a tour in the slideshow, and learn more about BDG here.