By Jasmin Rosemberg By Jasmin Rosemberg | August 22, 2022 | Home & Real Estate, Migration,
This Dana Point home’s Mediterranean style directed the interior design. PHOTOGRAPHED BY MOLLY ROSE PHOTO
Insert Design used vintage pieces, patina finishes and durable textures to add history to this transitional Mediterranean new build in Dana Point.
“Oddly enough, I initially met the client on a flight because the airline double-booked my husband’s seat,” says SoCal native Jenna Schumacher of her recent Dana Point project, which she undertook with fellow principal designer at Insert Design (insertdesignstudio.com) Majid Maleki. The gentleman she’d conversed with on the plane reached out a year later, and in mid-2018, Insert received Forest Studio (foreststudio.com) architect Bob White’s drawings of the four-bedroom, six-bathroom, Mediterranean-style new build. “We sought to create a warm, inspired interior that felt like home and celebrated the view,” says Schumacher, noting that despite the coastal area’s affluence, the neighborhood had a casual and unassuming vibe. They aspired for the home to be equally welcoming: “We wanted it to be beautiful but livable, impressive but inviting, and luxurious but modest.”
A sleek iron chandelier illuminates the kitchen PHOTOGRAPHED BY MOLLY ROSE PHOTO
While the client desired a wow factor for his first new home, comfort took priority. “This was to be a family home, first and foremost,” Maleki says of the 5,200-square-foot residence designed to fit the family’s active, outdoor-oriented lifestyle. He and Schumacher made further suggestions to enhance its livability, such as the addition of a second laundry room, for wet suit drop-off, and a secondary kitchenette, for storing bulk items. “With two teenage boys and aboisterous Jack Russell terrier, the house had to be practical and functional,” notes Maleki.
The Calacatta countertop displays a Kravet bowl and stone platter by Cyan Design. PHOTOGRAPHED BY MOLLY ROSE PHOTO
The home’s transitional but classic Mediterranean style directed the interior design choices. “We sought out durable textures synonymous with Mediterranean interiors, like limestones, hardwoods, plaster and terra cotta,” says Schumacher, who opted for authentic limestone floors, large-format stone and a variety of woods to b ring history and warmth to white plaster walls. They chose long-lasting finishes that patina and add charm, and durable wool and linen fabrics that disguise wear. “For the decor, we opted to stay in a warm neutral palette,” Maleki says. “As if taken from the vibrant sunsets the house now frames, we introduced warm golds, vibrant rusts and hints of black.”
Limestone floors, large-format stone and a soaring wood ceiling evoke the Mediterranean PHOTOGRAPHED BY MOLLY ROSE PHOTO
Antique and personal decor pieces add charm. PHOTOGRAPHED BY MOLLY ROSE PHOTO
Beyond a romantic interior courtyard adorned with antique cobblestone, a stone fireplace and a towering olive tree, the main level features an office, media room, wet bar, butler’s pantry, and an open dining room, living room and kitchen. “We wanted to create individual experiences for each room in the context of a cohesive overall sensibility,” says Maleki. “The tongue-and-groove wood used on the living room ceiling is the background for the more ornate dining room ceiling. A simply designed iron chandelier lights the living room and kitchen, carrying the eye across the ceiling’s expanse.” Pillow fabrics from Larsen, Lee Jofa, Groundworks and Kravet brighten up a Lee Industries sectional, and the kitchen boasts custom European Woodworks cabinets, a long marble island, and Sub-Zero and Wolf appliances. In the dining area, an ADG Lighting chandelier hangs over an RH table and chairs, teamed with artwork by family friend Colleen Veltz. “The abstract nature of the piece is the perfect complement to the industrialized art deco credenza below it,” Schumacher says.
The cozy office window nook PHOTOGRAPHED BY MOLLY ROSE PHOTO
The dining area features an RH table and abstract art by Colleen Veltz. PHOTOGRAPHED BY MOLLY ROSE PHOTO
The main level also houses an en suite guest bedroom, a warm and luxurious primary bath with different types of lighting, and a brown-accented primary bedroom. “We wanted a romantic twist on the space,” says Schumacher, who utilized a Century bed, chests by Noir/CFC, and art by RH and Natural Curiosities. “The organic bedposts along with the hewn wood beams and rustic wood furniture create a relaxing vibe.” Another guest bedroom and a separate casita with kitchenette can be found upstairs. Outside, a serene backyard flaunts a pool, a spa and RH furniture. Says Maleki, “There is also a rooftop deck to enjoy the ocean or stars.”
A charming entryway with an Arteriors console, Global Views vase and Palecek artwork greets guests. PHOTOGRAPHED BY MOLLY ROSE PHOTO
The primary bedroom exudes serenity with organic bedposts and rustic wood furniture. PHOTOGRAPHED BY MOLLY ROSE PHOTO
The primary bath charms with a free-standing tub and lush views PHOTOGRAPHED BY MOLLY ROSE PHOTO
Completed in March 2021, the quaint abode is modernized with an automated home control system, motorized window treatments and hidden televisions. However, for a timeless feel, Insert Design integrated antique and personal pieces, such as avintage cabinet in the hallway niche, the client’s unique bell collection and a cozy tete-a-tete seat in the living room, and flags above the dual workstations in the office. “Hers has avintage American flag, and his pays respect to his family’s original home in the U.K.,” says Schumacher. “The mix of new, old and meaningful created a curated sensibility to the home that feels honest and authentic to the family that lives there.” Home sweet home, indeed.
Flags hang above the dual office workstations. PHOTOGRAPHED BY MOLLY ROSE PHOTO
The loggia at the front of the house is perched above the garden PHOTOGRAPHED BY MOLLY ROSE PHOTO
A back loggia looks out at the pool and the ocean beyond. PHOTOGRAPHED BY MOLLY ROSE PHOTO
Custom-blended stone on the interior and exterior create a structural and patinaed feel PHOTOGRAPHED BY MOLLY ROSE PHOTO
Antique cobblestones and an olive tree dazzle in the courtyard. PHOTOGRAPHED BY MOLLY ROSE PHOTO
TYPE
Single-family home
LOCATION
Dana Point
DESIGNER
Jenna Schumacher and Majid Maleki, Insert Design
insertdesignstudio.com
ARCHITECTURE
Bob White, Forest Studio
foreststudio.com
CONTRACTOR
Corbin Reeves, Corbin Reeves Construction
corbinreevesconstruction.com
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT
Peter Philips, Philips Design
philips-design.com
ADG LIGHTING
Living and dining room chandeliers
adglighting.com
EUROPEAN WOODWORKS
Custom cabinetry and bathroom vanities
europeanwoodworksinc.com
NEOLITHIC DESIGN
Flooring throughout and living room fireplace
neolithicmaterials.com
RH
Dining room table and chairs, living room coffee table, artwork and outdoor furniture
rh.com
SUB-ZERO AND WOLF
Kitchen appliances
subzero-wolf.com
Photography by: