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Jul 28, 2023

‘Beautiful plus livable’

It basically took one word for Alene and Sam Hedgpeth to decide to move from the

It basically took one word for Alene and Sam Hedgpeth to decide to move from the San Francisco Bay Area where they had lived for years to San Diego: grandchildren. Their two sons had both settled here and were starting families.

The Hedgpeths, now retired, had been engaged in startups — mostly young software and internet companies — before their last venture, a hardware company, was sold to Apple. Sam now serves on the boards of the Santa Barbara Symphony and the Bank of the Bay, while Alene serves on the board of Las Damas de Fairbanks Ranch, where the couple now live with their black standard poodle, Tessa.

They had looked for homes in several areas in San Diego but liked the security of Fairbanks Ranch. The neighborhood had the added benefit of being the same distance to Poway and Scripps Ranch, where their sons and their families live.

The single-story house they bought in October 2020 sits on an acre of land. Built in 1990, it encompasses 4,172 square feet, with four bedrooms and three baths.

The couple felt that the house had a great layout and wanted to keep the house's character. The problem was that, as Alene said, "The interior was circa 1980." The previous owner had been an interior designer in Los Angeles, so it wasn't a question of quality. But the finishes were all from another era, from the skinny, dark hardwood floors to the yellowish-brown wood cabinetry and from the white, square kitchen tile countertops to floral wallpaper bands at the top of bathroom walls. The office had emerald green carpeting..

The couple hired contractor KDI Builders, owned by Kevin and Dale Ingram, who in turn recommended interior designer Caitlin Aberle of Realm Design, with whom the builders had worked with during the past few years.

"We felt this was an important relationship, that there is certainly trust and good communication between the two teams," said Alene.

The couple wanted the update to focus on the kitchen, living room and master bedroom and bath, plus they wanted a dining room large enough for the whole family to gather. As part of the renovation, they carved a powder room out of an unneeded bar across from the living room.

Based on their expressed taste, Aberle created a neutral palette for the house.

"I would say their overall style is transitional with a nod to coastal design," she said. "They like pops of color in artwork and accessories but overall appreciate a neutral palette with the base of the design."

And, of course, it needed to be both cozy and functional for their grandkids and children, a style that Aberle summarized as "Beautiful plus livable."

To accomplish this, Aberle initially had the couple complete a questionnaire and, from that, she created some concept boards. Based on their feedback, she prepared a design that — given the dog and three very young grandchildren — included colors and materials like performance fabrics that would wear well so the couple could live in their home without worry.

Renovations began in June 2021, and the Hedgpeths were able to move back in six months later, even though their new furniture hadn't yet arrived.

Aberle and KDI Builders made a few structural changes. There was the powder room in the bar area, but they also sectioned off their guest bedroom and bathroom with a door to create a more private guest suite. And, in the laundry room, they added a dog wash with pullout steps to make it easier to bathe Tessa.

Throughout the house, the previous hardwood floors were replaced with Provenza Affinity wide-plank European Oak hardwood floors. Aberle also outfitted the windows with white linen window treatments, fabricated and installed by The Shade Store.

The new kitchen is a favorite of the couple and designer. It's part of a great room with a family room and eating area made voluminous with the same soaring, white wood-and-beam vaulted ceiling that's throughout the house.

Gone are the ugly, square white tiles and tired oak cabinets. In are sleek white cabinets with Shaker-style doors that KDI Builders built around the kitchen's perimeter. The counters are topped by Calacatta Del Sol quartz slab from Genuine Materials.

Behind the Dacor smart range is a backsplash of 3-inch-by-9-inch Dakota Altitude glossy tile installed in a subway pattern. In the center of the kitchen is a spacious island with contrasting dark blue/gray cabinets beneath a quartz countertop.

The island seats three, with Maison Leather countertop stools from Pottery Barn. In the cabinetry at one end of the island, Aberle had a microwave oven installed. Below and to the left of the island's prep sink is a pullout spice drawer. Over the island are two, 18-inch Reese pendants in soft brass with linen shades from Circa Lighting. A pair of Katie Conical Sconces with a hand-rubbed antique brass finish from McGee & Co were placed over the kitchen window.

On the wall across from that window and island is the couple's favorite design feature. Here, Aberle created a rounded alcove wall with two tall wine refrigerators, storage cabinets and open shelving, outfitted with the same Dakota Altitude tile backsplash and Katie Conical Sconces.

The couple's bedroom is on the opposite end of the house. The room is quite large with high ceilings, and the couple wanted the redesign to make it feel like a calm sanctuary.

"This room was overwhelming. I thought it was way too big," said Alene. "I think what Caitlin did that's amazing is (make) it cozy."

One trick that Alene pointed out was the use of oversized light fixtures. There's the 26-inch-wide Katie Large Pendant at the room's entrance as well as the Katie 48-inch-wide Chandelier, both from Visual Comfort & Co. The latter hangs over the Bodhi King bench from Pottery Barn that's at the foot of their king, four-poster Venice bed by Noir.

The sleeping area is cleverly bounded by Aberle's layering of two area rugs — a Nola rayon and wool in slate/granite just over 8 feet by 11 feet, sitting atop a 12-foot-by-15-foot jute rug from Jaipur Living. The effect is to bring the room to human scale.

Near French doors leading out to the patio are a pair of Cameron Square Arm chairs from Pottery Barn. As she did with other fireplaces in the home, Aberle simplified the bedroom fireplace surround with a coat of white plaster over drywall. KDI Builders updated the storage niche next to the fireplace with new cabinets and shelves.

The primary bathroom in the suite got a spalike makeover, with a Suave Due Volpe 4-inch-by-12-inch tile laid out in a herringbone pattern on the floor.

KDI Builders built the double sink cabinetry, which is topped by Everest Della Terra Quartz countertops from Arizona Tile. Aberle had four Amelie Swing-Arm sconces installed overhead. Around the corner is a dreamy tub room, featuring a 71-inch Brielle Resin free-standing, curvaceous white matte tub from Signature Hardware, with an Etoile Round chandelier above from Circa Lighting. That space leads to a capacious shower tiled in large squares of ice gray.

Like many homeowners who had renovated during the lockdown phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, the biggest challenge the Hedgpeths and Aberle had faced was slothlike supply chain issues that caused orders to be delayed by months or switched out for other choices.

Aberle said she was grateful for her clients’ patience.

"Thankfully we had incredible clients who understood the chaos that was going on in the world and were willing to work through solutions with us as problems arose," she said.

Now settled in and planning the landscaping, the Hedgpeths said they’re very happy with the house.

"It exceeds our expectations in every way," said Alene.

Caron Golden is a freelance writer.