About three years back, interior designer Beth Dana bought her coastal California home as her own pet project. The success of this whole-house remodel inspired her to tackle other facets of their property, namely her studio. “It was a two-car garage constructed in the 1920s that I believed would make a ideal studio,” she states. “I often host overnight guests and guessed a studio would work nicely for them while doubling as a motivational work area for me personally.”
Beth Dana Design
When Dana isn’t designing for clients, she’s either displaying or writing. In fact, it was in this studio which she completed her first children’s novel.
But before any of that could happen, we need to rewind to the beginning of the construction’s transformation, which included gutting it down to the studs.
All that stayed afterward was the walls, concrete flooring and side-by-side double doorways. “It was important to leave those facets as they were,” Dana says. “The concrete flooring has so much character with its nicks and imperfections. The doorways have new paint on the exterior, but the inside remains as I found it, down into the old handles, locks and chains. They remind me . The climbing rose and trellis existed long before I came.”
Beth Dana Design
The one thing which wasn’t negotiable was that the replacement of the door frames, which have been riddled with termite damage. But the new wood was kept bare to age naturally.
Beth Dana Design
This juxtaposition of new and old is a theme that resonates through the studio. Inside atop new rugs is a blend of new and vintage furnishings from her former residence in Ashland, Oregon, which Dana has accumulated along the way. “it is a mishmash of things which make me happy, plus nothing cost a lot of,” she states.
The green sheer curtains are backed with white ones to conceal a wall full of industrial shelving dedicated to her creative jobs. The curtains are tied into a wire for easy sliding. “This feature allows me to change out the curtains to whatever colour I’m in the mood for,” she states.
Beneath the handmade knotty pine ladder is Dana’s desk, which she believes was a grain storage bin. “It was a hand-me-down in my mother, who used it in her plant store in the 1970s,” she says.
Just as she adores each bit of handpicked furniture, her favourite studio feature is the Venetian plastered walls. “It wasn’t what I’d intended,” she states. “I requested the drywall guy to perform his routine thing, and when I came home, I found he had done this for me instead. It’s so easy to the touch and beautiful to look at that I did not dare cover it with paint.”
Industrial-style desk chair: Cost Plus World Market ; white sofa and grey rugs: Ikea; striped chair: Prize; ottoman and sisal rug: Pottery Barn; side-by-side: Mexican antiques; lamps: Bed Bath & Beyond; cushions: Cost Plus World Market and Dana’s own assortment
Beth Dana Design
The recently constructed loft matches a double mattress and box spring wrapped in crisp white sheets developing a tidy, inviting ambiance for guests. A crate turned upside down acts as a bedside table.
The wood portrait over the tiny table covers a vent. When opened, an opposing wall vent create a great cross breeze, further aided by a ceiling fan.
Given the California shore’s yearlong temperate climate, the studio never gets too cold. Although new insulation and weather stripping have been added into the old building, “it is possible to still see daylight through the doorways,” Dana says, laughing. “But it’s OK. On the intermittent cooler times, a heater does the job just fine.”
Lighting: Barn Light Electric and Schoolhouse Electric & Supply Co..
Beth Dana Design
Patio place: Cost Plus World Market; hydrangeas: Dana’s backyard
Beth Dana Design
The studio includes a efficient kitchenette that centers on a breeding sink — “a treasure,” as Dana explains it. She found it in a local plumbing supply store.
Dana found that the stainless steel counter at the ideal breadth but had the lower shelves modified to fit a smallish refrigerator. Ikea hardware holds a shelf up of yellow pine beside the garage’s first windows.
The glass door in the primary entrance draws in more light.
Beth Dana Design
Though miniature, the recently constructed bathroom packs a punch behind a door taken from the main home’s kitchen.
“When I was planning the bathroom,” Dana notes, “I envisioned a green wooden classic mirror. I couldn’t get it from my mind. Sure enough, I walked into a store in Ventura and watched an specific replica of what I’d conjured.”
A tall, classic metallic basket holds additional towels.
Beth Dana Design
Shelving from the bathroom uses the same yellow pine boards as the kitchenette, but with pine brackets for a softer look.
Towel hooks through studio: Anthropologie; sink: Kohler; mirror: American Home & Garden
Beth Dana Design
Because the studio no longer acts as a space for automobiles, the driveway also includes a new life as a patio. Concrete planters let Dana’s green thumb more gardening opportunities while separating the grilling zone from the studio area.
There is no telling what great work will attest from this artist/guest studio next. Regardless, it’s a happy atmosphere for both Dana and also the guests lucky enough to stay here.