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This Dreamy Southern California Cottage Brings New Meaning to the Phrase 'Open-Door Policy'
Trust us, you're going to want to see what's on the other side of that pass-through window!
It seems like a lifetime ago (24 years, in fact) since Raili Clasen purchased her first home: a charming white cottage in Costa Mesa, California. The 1950s property hardly tipped the scales at 1,100 square feet, though, so she and her growing family soon split for larger digs. However, because they continued to rent out the cottage, it was more of an open-ended “see you later” than a hard-and-fast goodbye. So when Raili, who spent 16 years in the surf-fashion industry before transitioning into design with her firm Raili Ca Design, and her husband, Ryan, who works for shoe brand Vans, decided to downsize, they set their sights on returning to and reimagining the sentimental starter home.
“I have always loved this house,” says Raili. “Even when I was so removed from it, I still had a six-inch-thick file of ideas.” She dusted off that dog-eared notebook and married her chic surfer aesthetic with a kick of summer camp. Here's how she made the transformation...
Opened Up for An Airy Layout
During the renovation, Raili chose to axe the wall dividing the kitchen and dining room from the living room. To help the three zones feel like one cohesive communal space, she added new “Scandi cabin” vertical pine planks from floor to ceiling, even trimming the windows and mantel in the unstained pine, for a warm, finished look. To keep the living room as relaxed as if an outdoor space, she opted for a wood-framed sofa in a nubby, beat-up linen. Then, to get the most impact from only a few pieces, she added a graphic Anthony Burrill print and a geometric rug.
Get the Look:
Rug: San Pedro by The Citizenry
Embraced the Color Green
To give the small cottage a large, airy feel, Raili looked up, knowing potentially charming trusses were hiding in the attic. After some engineering muscle to remove the drop ceiling and reinforce the vaulted ceiling, Raili brightened up the dark wood with white paint. She then introduced more cabin-conjuring moments like pine-plank walls and cabinets in a color reminiscent of vintage Coleman lanterns. Meanwhile, a couple of wood chairs left as trash in an alleyway put her on the hunt for more mismatched pairs, all which she gave a uniform look with a very California appropriate avocado-toned green hue.
Rewired with jute-covered cord, this vintage pendant fixture hangs directly from a junction box, but the swag rope makes it look like it’s nonchalantly tossed around the beams.
Get the Look:
Ceiling Paint Color: Pure White by Sherwin-Williams
Cabinet Paint Color: Ripe Olive by Sherwin-Williams
Chair Paint Color: Avocado by Sherwin-Williams
Jute-Covered Cord: Jute Rope Electrical Cord Kit from Amazon
Backsplash Tile: Zio and Sons weathered white "Zellige" tile by Clé Tile
Installed Bifold Windows and Doors
In addition to preserving the home’s footprint (plus a little bump to accommodate another bedroom), they prioritized outdoor living spaces that, through a sequence of bifold doors and windows (lacantinadoors.com), feel like extensions of the interiors. The ring of Raili's triangle dinner bell beckons everyone to the indoor-outdoor bar-height terrazzo counter that also serves as the small kitchen's work space.
Made the House a Dark and Cozy Backdrop
In a nod to cottage exteriors, architect Eric Olsen suggested replacing the home's existing old stucco with horizontal cedar shiplap. “We took it to the next level by staining it dark,” says Raili.
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Exterior Stain Color: Black Alder by Sherwin-Williams
Created an Outdoor Dining "Room"
Out back, with the help of landscape architect Bridget Skinner Raili re-created the dreamy ambience of alfresco meals in the middle of a grassy field. “It’s like you meander out to the country and you have a beautiful little picnic set up out there,” says Raili.
Used Natural Materials Throughout
In lieu of a traditional headboard in her 18-year-old son Rees’s small room, Raili added warmth and texture with a plywood accent wall that she had lightly buffed, then sealed, for a matte finish. Still, the wall was calling for some color, so Raili raided her stockpile of vintage finds from the Long Beach Flea Market, finally settling on a perfectly weathered vintage Red Cross flag, which she draped above the bed with two pins. A boldly striped pieced quilt and shams add another graphic touch.
The bathroom's pegboard shelving system echoes the bedroom's plywood wall.
Get the Look:
Striped Quilt and Shams: National Park Glacier by Pendleton
Created a Sunny Spot to Soak
Raili’s original plan for the bath called for an all-white space. She began to move the needle a bit on the color scale with plans to paint the claw-foot tub a dark blue, but the fixtures salesperson had ideas of her own. “She said, ‘I ordered you a yellow tub,’ ” recalls Raili, laughing. “I thought about it for a few days. It’s just another example of people knowing me better than I know myself.” So Raili opted for other blue accents, landing on a hand-painted wallpaper featuring bold illustrations of the native Southern California matilija poppy (aka “the fried egg poppy”).
When the bright blue bifolds are flung open, bathers can soak with a direct, open-air view of the backyard.
Get the Look:
Door Paint Color: Mountain Stream by Sherwin-Williams
Wallpaper: Matilija by Lake August
Built an Outdoor Shower
Ryan, an avid surfer, requested an outdoor shower strategically located off the back gate. It’s outfitted with a rustic bench and a vintage portrait of a boxer, a breed beloved by the family.
Get the Look:
Shower Fixture: for similar, Outdoor Shower Fixture by Gotonovo
Beach Towel: Spider Rock by Pendleton
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