Second Time Around speaks to a flawless revamp and a larger industry trend
The story behind Second Time Around reflects a larger trend in America and the remodeling industry: the silver tsunami. More than 70 million Americans are now aged 65. According to the National Association of REALTORS®, this demographic holds the cards in the housing market and is divided on aging in place, downsizing and some even upsizing. As baby boomers head towards their next chapter, the building and design industry prepares for this monumental shift in consumer demand.
Structural Support
For Second Time Around, Anders Lasater, AIA, President and Design Director of Anders Lasater Architects, described the client’s wishes for the project as a light-filled retirement retreat. While the canvas was cramped, dark and built in the 1970s, it also offered extensive views of the Pacific. Effortless entertaining and indoor-outdoor living were her top priorities.
“We approached this by surgically manipulating the home’s footprint,” said Lasater.
The execution was aided by design team members Mike Ricker of Ricker Construction, Erin Benedict and her team at Benedict August, landscape architect Michael Wilke and Toal Engineering.
The design team pushed the front facade forward, overtaking an underutilized courtyard. While this decision was unconventional, Lasater noted it unlocked the interior flow of the entire home.
This extension added a guest bedroom and a home office, while the rest of the home was reoriented.
The design team stretched the primary living zones along the southwest face of the building, while grounding the kitchen as the heart of the home. With the temperate atmosphere in mind, the indoor kitchen opens seamlessly to an outdoor cooking and entertainment space.
Fine & Functional
The revamped facade is an homage to midcentury modern, carefully balancing clean plaster walls, cool porcelain tiles and a striking front door.
“We don’t believe in wiping the slate clean just for the sake of it,” said Lasater. “We seek to understand what came before and use our signature design pillars, Space, Proportion, Light, and Material, to unlock the hidden potential already sleeping within the existing structure.”
Inside the home, clean lines are emphasized through a geometric lens. The natural cedar ceiling is continued throughout the home, providing warm guidance and a visual anchor. This decision, while aesthetic, also makes the 2,300-square-foot home feel more spacious.
Eliminating dark corners also helped the smaller home feel like a larger space. By intelligently placing skylights in the entry, kitchen and office, natural light now hits the darkest parts of the home.
In the main living area, a hand-sculpted limestone fireplace sits between two panoramic parting doors offering sweeping views of the Pacific and the limestone, reminiscent of sand on the seabed.
The primary suite was expanded but not enormously, placing an emphasis on intentionality.
The primary and guest bathrooms exhibit an elevated approach to age-in-place design. The walk-in showers are completely flush to the ground and each features a unique yet elegant bench and a removable showerhead. Each has a distinct personality, with textured tiles, hardware and lighting fixtures playing a key role in the room’s mood.
The home is a refined palette of texture, angles and light executed with a keen eye.
Duel Dreams
Lasater’s approach to remodels is preservationist at heart. He believes a successful home is defined by the relationship between overarching architectural gestures and intimate interior details.
However, his heart wasn’t always solely set on the profession.
“As a kid, I had two dreams: to become a heavy metal drummer or an architect,” said Lasater. “When the ’90s grunge scene put a damper on my musical aspirations, I decided to pursue my passion for the built environment.”
While the world will never know if Lasater meant to be on the stage, he is shaping lives another way.
Following degrees from some of the best schools in California and working under other architects, he opened his own practice in 2005. Anders Lasater Architects has received design awards from the National Kitchen and Bath Association, the American Institute of Architects Orange County (AIAOC) and the Gold Nugget.
Going for Gold
Second Time Around is one of those accolade-laden projects, receiving an AIAOC Award for Outstanding Design and a Gold Nugget for Best Renovated or Restored Single House.
“For our team, this national Gold Nugget Grand Award is a beautiful validation of our disciplined process,” said Lasater. “It proves that when clients trust our vision and we collaborate with top-tier partners like Ricker Construction and Benedict August, we can write award-winning stories with every home.”
By Sofia Feeney. She is the editor of Residential Contractor and can be reached at sofia@builder.media.
This story is featured in the fall issue of Residential Contractor. Read the print version here.
