The Guerrero Residence

Occasionally, you get a client who walks in the door and knows exactly what they want. Alicia Guerrero was this client! They moved into an existing home in Alpine five years ago and have loved the location, but the interior never reflected the heart of her family. Every time they returned from their Manhattan Beach residence, things felt heavy, cramped and didn't feel like their home yet. When they decided to remodel, Alicia brought Benjamin Blackwelder, a close friend and insanely talented carpenter to come design the kitchen and fireplace. The before pictures are mind-boggling after you see what the space has evolved into! Light and breezy with layers of refinement was our goal and I do declare that we've succeeded!

Once the demo took place, we had to make sure every function was met. That meant we needed to give them a place to watch TV, dine, prepare and serve food. Not to mention, a quiet spot for Alicia and her husband to sip tea in the morning!

Once we started to design, everything seemed to fall into place. The hand-knotted Oushak rug felt like you were walking on water. The Elizabeth armoire from Oly Studio was a natural fit and mirrored the marble chest oh-so nicely. Not to mention the Moonz sofa filled with down feather goodness!

The dining space and small keeping room of the kitchen are precious! We had the table built by a local craftsman and the figured ash feels like small rivers and streams running through the room. Luckily we had a small pocket where we could place a settee and a high directoire table for Alicia and her husband to sit, sip tea and write thank you notes. Every day should start in a space like this!

[photos by Meikel Reece]