Decorating & Design
March 18, 2019
This Sunny Abode Masters The Art Of California Cool
![](https://houseandhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/feature-2019_MAY_Nelsons__Kitchen_03_HH_FE19_24.jpg)
Designer Sam Sacks takes us behind the scenes of her latest project.
As a designer, sometimes you meet a client and you immediately know: this is going to be good. This was my experience with Alex and Jim Cooper, two Hamilton plastic surgeons who’d purchased a dark, dated ranch-style house in Hamilton, Ontario that needed an overhaul to better suit their young, happy family.
The homeowners described their ideal design as “California cool,” which translated to a laid-back and breezy feel with a distinct point of view. In just four months, we transformed the once dreary 3,700-square-foot home into the epitome of SoCal chic. Click through to take a virtual tour of this sunny space!
![California family home family room](https://houseandhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/crop-2019_MAY_Nelsons_FamilyRoom_01-1_HH_FE19_56.jpg)
The large family room was divided into two seating areas to create a multipurpose space. A fringed pendant light is a bohemian touch.
![California family home palm tree painting and floating shelf](https://houseandhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/crop-2019_MAY_Nelsons_FamilyRoomDetail_01_HH_FE19_36.jpg)
Alex found the photograph of Palm Springs online and bought it for her husband. A barnboard shelf anchors the piece and warms the white walls.
![California family home beachy kitchen](https://houseandhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/crop-2019_MAY_Nelsons_Kitchen_01_HH_FE19_45.jpg)
Face-frame kitchen cabinetry is a throwback to California Craftsman style. While the flat-front drawers and protruding plinth (instead of a toe kick) are more Dutch than American, the mix takes the mostly Shaker-style kitchen from traditional to coastal.
![California family home](https://houseandhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/crop-2019_MAY_Nelsons_Portrait_01.jpg)
Alex and Jim in the dining room with their son, Henry, 2, and daughter Lucy.
![California family home neutral kitchen](https://houseandhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/crop-2019_MAY_Nelsons_Kitchen_05_HH_FE19_22.jpg)
Open-plan living means decorating functional spaces like the kitchen with the same attention to detail as a living room. An antique oil portrait and a leafy ficus tree in a striped pot add character.
![California family home kitchen with blonde wood and white cabinets](https://houseandhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/crop-2019_MAY_Nelsons__Kitchen_03_HH_FE19_24.jpg)
The island’s Caesarstone countertop is framed on three sides by an oiled oak ledge that provides diners a softer wooden surface for enjoying meals, while the cook preps on stone.
![California family home family room with cognac leather chair](https://houseandhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/crop-2019_MAY_Nelsons_LivingRoom_01B_HH_FE19_46.jpg)
In the living room, a traditional Spanish chandelier reflects the influence of 18th-century Franciscan Missions on California style. Mid-century modern-style chairs look contemporary combined with the rug’s graphic awning stripes and African Kuba pillows.
![California family home entrance with bird decals on the wall](https://houseandhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/crop-2019_MAY_Nelsons_LivingRoom_04_HH_FE19_22.jpg)
A clean-lined Laminam fireplace surround acts as a foil for the living room’s traditional chandelier and woven bench. The flock of wall-mounted birds evokes the seabirds that soar through the skies along California’s coast.
![California family home woven bench](https://houseandhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/crop-2019_MAY_Nelsons_LivingRoom_03_HH_FE19_23.jpg)
Shelving that shows off the homeowners’ books and treasures found on far-flung travels creates a casually curated feeling. Whimsical raffia elephants are the room’s conversation pieces.
![California family home powder room with wallpaper](https://houseandhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/crop-2019_MAY_Nelsons_PowderRoom_01_HH_FE19_24.jpg)
The main floor powder room proved a perfect spot to make a bold statement with wallpaper. The tie-dye print is another nod to California cool.
![California family home breezy master bedroom](https://houseandhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/crop-2019_MAY_Nelsons_MasterBedroom_01_HH_FE19_31.jpg)
Texture reigns in the principal bedroom, where a flat-woven kilim sits beneath a rumpled linen slipcovered bed. The mix leaves the room feeling inviting and elegant.
![California family home master bedroom with natural wood side table](https://houseandhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/crop-2019_MAY_Nelsons_MasterBedroom_02_HH_FE19_19.jpg)
Although white oak is predominant throughout the house, Sam chose walnut nightstands for the principal bedroom. The darker wood is an homage to mid-century modern furnishings that inspired much of the home’s interior design.
![California family home nursery with floral wallpaper and seaside-inspired accents](https://houseandhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/crop-2019_MAY_Nelsons_LucysRoom_02C_HH_FE19_46.jpg)
Lucy’s bedroom has a subtle surfside feel, thanks to textures such as the handwoven macramé drum light and rattan rocking chair, and a sparing use of floral wallpaper on one wall.
Kim Jeffery
House & Home March 2019
Sam Sacks