Japanese-Style California Beach House
Anthony and Shannon Demma’s House is steps away from East Cliff Beach at Santa Cruz, California. Anthony had bought it as a spec home — something that he planned to remodel and sell. But as he and wife Shannon started the remodeling process, they fell in love with it and could not let it go.
Both are accredited green contractors. Together they own Living Design (Shannon handles the layout, side and Anthony the structure ) and he also owns A D Structure. They worked together to unite Shannon’s modern aesthetic with Anthony’s Craftsman design. “It was not easy, and it required a great deal of compromise,” says Shannon. “There were times when we were saying,’no way!’ To every other.” The family lived here for five decades. The home is their Santa Cruz beach getaway and a holiday rental.
at a Glance
Who lives here: Shannon and Anthony Demma
Location: East Cliff Beach, Santa Cruz, California
Size: 1,200 square feet; two bedrooms, 2 baths
Shannon Malone
The few had the option to make a second narrative, but that could have meant getting rid of the studio at the back. They decided to stick with the design along with the studio, which is currently Shannon’s mother’s house. “It’s nice to not have a monster home,” says Shannon. “It’s a wonderful scale for the area, and I have people come up to me all the time telling me just how much they love it.”
This cherry blossom tree, red door and matching outdoor furniture hint at Shannon’s love of Japanese style.
Shannon Malone
The home before the remodel.
Shannon Malone
Anthony wanted every facet of the house to feel private and hand-crafted, therefore that he created a Craftsman-style picture invisibly with custom elements. The cement tiles of the porch had been hand-cast by Anthony, along with the front terrace was custom made by Albert Borges of Studio64 Ironworks.
Shannon Malone
Shannon loves to mix comfortable, cozy pieces with more modern decor. These vintage tufted heirloom chairs are some of Shannon’s treasured bits. “I love them,” she says. “They’ve been re-covered like, four times.”
The accent cushions, from a Santa Cruz store, are also some of her favorites. The light was custom made by Johnson Art Studio in neighboring Watsonville.
Couch: Couch Potato; rug: Modern Life
Shannon Malone
The couple’s color palette and layout are substantially influenced by a Japanese aesthetic. The house is filled with thematic adornments and heavy red hues. Local artist Glenn Carter and Lucas Carter of Definitive Nice Painting painted the red living room wall. The fan over the TV has been passed down to Shannon from her grandma.
Shannon and Anthony wished to raise the roof and ceiling to give the home more space within the guidelines of the county’s construction restrictions. At the time, many of the choices were gruesome, till they found that the Japanese farmhouse style. The few were drawn to the Japanese style due to its own woodworking and joinery. “The lines are easy, yet there’s a sophistication and thoughtfulness to the way everything comes together,” says Shannon.
Shannon Malone
The kitchen has plenty of closets, drawers and built in closets, maximizing storage space so that everything has a location and the space is not cluttered.
The few used reclaimed Douglas fir and redwood throughout the house.
Shannon Malone
Anthony had the Sub-Zero appliances built into the cabinetry, allowing the beautiful timber to be the middle of attention.
Bar stools: Crate & Barrel
Shannon Malone
Among the couple’s next projects is building a bench below the dining room window to make a cozy space to enjoy the surroundings. “This will be my new favorite spot in the home once it is completed,” says Shannon.
Dining table and chairs: Crate & Barrel
Shannon Malone
Shannon provides this advice to remodelers:”Think about it a great deal before you build anything. I truly wish we’d sat down and thought about it more before we started; it would have focused us.”
Shannon Malone
The windows were created by Anthony and handmade using reclaimed Douglas fir.
The few chose to utilize a very dark brown color on the walls to draw attention to the windows along with their craftsmanship. “Dark colors draw your eye into the windows and place emphasis on the facts,” says Shannon.
Paint: Mink, Benjamin Moore
Shannon Malone
The silver foliage at the living room ceiling has been another customized addition done by Glenn and Lucas Carter.
Shannon Malone
Because the house is a holiday home, the beds don’t have any frames, making them easy to move about and maintain.
Duvet cover: Crate & Barrel
Shannon Malone
The master bath was an addition made by the couple to give the space a more luxurious feel. Its spacious layout and sliding door allow it to feel large and inviting. The timber detailing on the ceiling is another nod to Japanese style.
Shannon Malone
The few waited months to get their stone order for the master tub but say it had been well worth the wait.
Stone: Walker Zanger
Shannon Malone
The little guest bedroom employs every inch efficiently, with matching twin beds plus a bookshelf that doubles as a nightstand. The large windows and a skylight fill the space with light.
Duvet covers: West Elm
Shannon Malone
The 3form panel sliding doors, such as this one in the guest toilet, help light flow freely, and also the sheer panel produces a serene and soft atmosphere. They used the exact same style doorway between the kitchen and the laundry room.
Shannon Malone
The panel doorway fills the guest toilet with soothing light, ideal for relaxing following a day at the beach.
Shower and countertops: Fossil Green stone, Integrated Resources, South San Francisco
Shannon Malone
The sunny loft, now largely used for additional storage, is accessible only to the family.
Shannon Malone
The couple designed the tiny back patio with efficiency and scale in mind. They built in closets, with a surface hand-cast by Anthony, as well as a bench for additional seating. Mirrors across the fence give an illusion of more space.
Shannon Malone
Anthony doesn’t believe in wasting anything, so when he had some additional pieces of stone from another building job, he generated this chevron-patterned pathway adjoining to the home.
Shannon Malone
Shannon enjoys her cozy heirloom chairs.
Wide plank floors: Carlisle