My Houzz: Cool, Curated California Getaway
Two art collectors splash their exuberant style over a midcentury modern home in California's Orange County
When Los Angeles couple Mark and Patti Weiner wanted a home close to the beach in Orange County, California, they stumbled upon the right one — a 1960s single-level structure — almost by accident. Scouting local real estate for a friend, the couple unexpectedly came across the place. The friend lost interest because, despite being two blocks from the ocean, the house lacks a direct view of the water. For the Weiners, however, it was a great match. Mark says, “It had good bones, good light and it reminded us of Palm Springs."
By tearing out old carpet, giving the walls and floors a fresh coat of white and adding midcentury modern pieces, this pair of art collectors curated a residence to which they can easily invite guests for a last-minute weekend.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Mark and Patti Weiner
Location: Orange County, California
Size: 2,458 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 2 baths
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By tearing out old carpet, giving the walls and floors a fresh coat of white and adding midcentury modern pieces, this pair of art collectors curated a residence to which they can easily invite guests for a last-minute weekend.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Mark and Patti Weiner
Location: Orange County, California
Size: 2,458 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 2 baths
Browse hundreds of inspiring homes
The couple browses art galleries, vintage stores and flea markets in Los Angeles, Palm Springs, San Diego and Orange County for furnishings. "Everything besides the white couches is used furniture," says Patti. Although it's the most formal room in the home, the living room feels inviting and relaxed. Floor-to-ceiling windows are the best original feature of the house, letting light in on two sides of the room. Jonathan Adler vases and a purple ceramic vase by Adam Silverman (Heath Ceramics) sit under art by Mario Wagner. Outside, a totem by Stan Bitters may one day be turned into a fountain.
Purple Knoll chairs, with their original upholstery, came from an auction in Los Angeles. Mark says, "It was one of the best buys of all time."
Scandinavian rya rug: eBay; sofas: Roche Bobois; Lucite console table: Fat Chance
Purple Knoll chairs, with their original upholstery, came from an auction in Los Angeles. Mark says, "It was one of the best buys of all time."
Scandinavian rya rug: eBay; sofas: Roche Bobois; Lucite console table: Fat Chance
Art-filled hallways enliven the entire house. Windows, skylights and mirrors expand the visual space. This hallway is the perfect example. On the left, original mirrored doors conceal the main closet. On the right, tripanel sliding doors, which provide a maneuverable opening to the sitting room/third bedroom, are suspended without floor tracks. Underfoot, white epoxy flooring transitions to concrete in the master bedroom.
Art: Camilla D'Errico (left), Chad Hasegawa (right); doors: The Sliding Door Company
Art: Camilla D'Errico (left), Chad Hasegawa (right); doors: The Sliding Door Company
Dana: What are your favorite art pieces?
Mark: One of my favorites is the Mario Wagner piece in the dining room. That one has a pretty cool story. It was a surprise birthday gift from Patti three or four years ago. We saw it in a gallery in L.A., and that was the first time I had seen his work. The gallerist delivered it in person and took me by surprise, and we all ended up becoming really good friends. I like the collage and the 1960s feeling of it.
Mark: One of my favorites is the Mario Wagner piece in the dining room. That one has a pretty cool story. It was a surprise birthday gift from Patti three or four years ago. We saw it in a gallery in L.A., and that was the first time I had seen his work. The gallerist delivered it in person and took me by surprise, and we all ended up becoming really good friends. I like the collage and the 1960s feeling of it.
Although the master bedroom has concrete floors, warm features soften the space. A floor-to-ceiling window sits to the right of the bed. A pair of vintage black chairs flank a Milo Baughman burled wood vanity table from a San Diego consignment store. A closet in the adjacent hallway provides plenty of additional room for art.
Dana: Where are your favorite places to shop?
Mark: Consignment stores in Palm Springs, L.A. and San Diego; Fat Chance, Skank World, Xcape, 10 Ten Design.
Headboard: custom, Room Service; art: Sticky Shaw (left), The Date Farmers (right), Clayton Brothers (far right)
Dana: Where are your favorite places to shop?
Mark: Consignment stores in Palm Springs, L.A. and San Diego; Fat Chance, Skank World, Xcape, 10 Ten Design.
Headboard: custom, Room Service; art: Sticky Shaw (left), The Date Farmers (right), Clayton Brothers (far right)
Dana: What's your personal style and decorating philosophy?
Mark: Our style is midcentury modern, but it has to fit the house. Whatever you put in there, you're gonna have to live with it. Also, odd numbers. Everything works better in odd numbers. I don't know why, but it does.
Mark: Our style is midcentury modern, but it has to fit the house. Whatever you put in there, you're gonna have to live with it. Also, odd numbers. Everything works better in odd numbers. I don't know why, but it does.
The master bathroom presented the biggest renovation challenge. To install a new tub, the toilet had to be shifted and the concrete floor torn up and repoured. A large tile wall provides the tub's backsplash.
Tiles: Porcelanosa; faucets: Kohler; sinks: custom-poured concrete
Tiles: Porcelanosa; faucets: Kohler; sinks: custom-poured concrete
Black tile grout, instead of the more traditional white, intensifies the guest bathroom's visual mosaic. Because the windows are functional and part of the original modern personality of the house, the couple left them untouched.
Tiles: Porcelanosa
Tiles: Porcelanosa
Whimsical pieces fill the sitting room: a vintage petal table by George Nelson and a sofa bed upholstered in shiny boat vinyl. "We couldn't find anything else we liked," says Mark.
Sofa bed: Sofa Factory
Sofa bed: Sofa Factory
The kitchen, which features original cabinetry, new appliances and Caesarstone countertops, is a striking blend of new and old. The aubergine tiles on the backsplash, in bowtie and diamond shapes, are from the Heath Ceramics seconds outlet in Sausalito, California.
Dana: Other than the purple Knoll chairs, what's your favorite find?
Mark: The tiles under the bar are one of my favorite features. When we found them at the Heath Ceramics seconds outlet in Sausalito, we took them without knowing what kind of design we would do.
Patti: He laid them out in the garage first.
Mark: The bowtie and diamond shapes — I really like how they go together, so I just started playing around.
Patti: We did the bar first, and then we had extra for the backsplash.
Mark: The tiles under the bar are one of my favorite features. When we found them at the Heath Ceramics seconds outlet in Sausalito, we took them without knowing what kind of design we would do.
Patti: He laid them out in the garage first.
Mark: The bowtie and diamond shapes — I really like how they go together, so I just started playing around.
Patti: We did the bar first, and then we had extra for the backsplash.
A vintage end table in the living room nestles against the atrium window. Mark says, "The fact that we didn't have to change the windows, with all the sliding doors and openness, is what attracted us to the house in the first place."
The tranquil outdoor space provides ample privacy and beautifully showcases the couple's ceramic pots and vintage patio furniture.
Dana: What's your next home project?
Patti: There are still some things I want to do with the backyard. And I want to wallpaper the guest bedroom.
More:
10 Design Strategies for Art Lovers
The Power of Art in Design
Houzz Tour: Modern Beach House with a Custom Twist
Houzz Tour: A Warm Take on Mid-Century Modern
Dana: What's your next home project?
Patti: There are still some things I want to do with the backyard. And I want to wallpaper the guest bedroom.
More:
10 Design Strategies for Art Lovers
The Power of Art in Design
Houzz Tour: Modern Beach House with a Custom Twist
Houzz Tour: A Warm Take on Mid-Century Modern
Stan Bitters medallions (outside): 10 Ten; turquoise dining table chairs: early 1970s Pierre Cardin, eBay; Scandinavian rya rug: eBay