small budget big impact Craftsman reno

A few savvy layout changes open up a tiny cottage without altering the footprint.

COMMAND CENTER The renovated kitchen’s European appliances, including a Bertazzoni range and a 2-foot-wide Fagor refrigerator, dress up the budget-friendly IKEA cabinetry. A trio of wall shelves offers storage with no bulky wall units.

b y m a r a b r a g g l P H O T O S BY j oh n e l l i s l S T YLING BY S u n day h e n d r i c k so n

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hen it comes to scale and budget, there is big— say, the Guggenheim Museum Abu Dhabi— and there is the modest, but no less spectacular, transformation of a 750-square-foot cottage in a prime section of Venice Beach, California. Architect Cayley Lambur worked on both projects and calls the latter structure home. The once “moldy and gross” residence is now a clean, light-filled oasis complete with a private tropical garden for the best of indoor/outdoor living.

Penny-Pinching Perks Cayley and her fiancé moved into the derelict cottage—spending the first week without electricity—and then endured the renovation. It was the first of many money-saving decisions that kept them within budget. The new layout optimized the petite footprint while minimizing costly structural changes. Additional windows plus a

750-sQuare-FooT craftsman INspiration Growing up the child of architect parents and knowing firsthand how to survive house renovations l BIGGEST DECORATING CHALLENGE Creating a chef’s kitchen to fit within a small footprint and modest budget l BEST decisION Designing an elevated deck beside the house that continues the feel of the indoor living space seamlessly to the exterior l FAVORITE ELEMENTs The private outdoor spaces surrounding the house, including garden landscaping, fire pit and seating areas l top design achIevement Sticking to the budget and making it happen l

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CUT TO FIT The sunny yellow front door, left, opens onto a tight space cleverly furnished with small-scale custom pieces. Cayley Lambur designed the narrow coffee table and the bookcase, fashioned from a welded metal frame and filled with 2x10 boards.

MOVING ON UP Rescuing laundry machines from the cellar was worth the closet sacrifice, above. Opening up the enclosed porch also allowed for a kitchen island.

GOING PLACES The open floor plan increases the sense of space. The living room, right, flows into the dining nook and kitchen, with deck access through double doors plus a back door to the garden.

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skylight flood the space with light, while a walk-through bathroom and opened-up kitchen ease the flow of traffic. The elevated deck design seamlessly transitions indoor living outdoors. “It feels like twice the size,” says Cayley. “No one can believe it.” Cayley sourced materials with an eye for style and savings. Limited funds (and floor space) precluded a furnace, but a doublesided fireplace offers a better solution. A mill cut her a great deal on maple flooring (by tacking her small order onto a larger one); Amazon shipped many supplies, including the kitchen sink; and Craigslist offered up free soil. Finishing the outdoor “rooms” with a landscape designer was a splurge made possible by lots of strategic penny-pinching along the way.

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A crisp white grommet-top curtain panel on a standard rod saves space and money over a bulkier, pricier door

DOUBLE THE SPACE Cayley annexed the closet from the front bedroom (used as guest quarters) to double the size of the master bedroom’s closet and extend storage space along the room’s entire back wall, above.

Double-Duty Wall Wizard

IMPROVED LAYOUT Changing the configuration of the bathroom, left, allowed access through two doors from the bedroom and laundry room, rather than one directly off the kitchen. Cayley repurposed an inexpensive flea market bureau as a vanity for the Duravit sink.

l Room with a View Strategically placed, a double-sided fireplace draws light and views from one room into another. “Lying in bed, it’s like a window,” says Cayley Lambur of the gorgeous garden view from her bedroom, via the living room. l Size it Right Consider the size of your rooms, the energy efficiency of your house plus your local climate when selecting the number of BTUs needed. Cayley’s Southern California locale allows her fireplace to serve as the house’s sole heat source; in most homes, it would provide only supplemental heat. l Hot Styles After researching many fireplace brands, Cayley chose a model from Heat & Glo to meet her budget. Spark offers splurge-worthy modern designs. l Custom Job Personalize your fireplace further with a surround that matches your decor, plus options for adding a remote control, fan and heat ducts.

The magic of extra space can be yours with a double-sided fireplace that warms up two rooms for twice the impact.

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Local landscaper Travis Brooks created a compact tropical oasis inspired by the front yard’s Canary Island date palm

SECRET GARDEN A flowering trumpet tree, above, rises beyond the mangaris wood fence, providing pretty privacy from the street. The existing bamboo fencing was kept along the side.

FIRED UP The focal point of the flagstone patio is the matching fire pit, complete with a wide rim that makes alfresco dining and entertaining a breeze. 30 Small Room Decorating

SIMPLE STOWAWAY Bins for garbage and recycling slide neatly under the elevated deck, left, hidden from view but easily accessed from the driveway side of the property.

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