We’re always on the hunt for great homes in Carlsbadistan. Occasionally, in that hunt we run into images of homes that just rip our hearts to shreds. Like this one. . . of the loneliest basketball court in the world. Images like these remind us of the age-old adage, “the wave of nostalgia is always a closeout!”
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This week’s bargain $2.6 million dollar home is located in Olde Carlsbad on Oak Street. And what a delight it is. The freshly remodeled 1,900 square foot cottage features four bedrooms and three baths–all updated in the latest modern farmhouse style that photographs perfectly for posting to Redfin, Airbnb, VRBO, or Pinterest? (Do people still use that?)
Aside from the bedrooms, all the interior walls in this home have been artfully removed to allow for one flowing living space that includes entry way, living room, dining room, kitchen, and breakfast nook with a stunning brick fireplace as its center piece. The entire house features “White oak floors” that look just as good as the always popular vinyl flooring featured in so many homes for sale in the area.
The largest of the “bedrooms” (or what was previously the garage) could also be rented out as separate living quarters (to help pay the mortgage). The open-beam garage ceiling was left and painted white, as one does when flipping houses. The garage floor appears to have been covered in the same durable flooring used throughout the home and the old garage door was at some time in the distant past replaced with an expansive picture window offering stunning views of the multi-textured driveway and festive retaining wall. For the eco-minded buyer the bespoke, aged asphalt and concrete driveway also features decorative cracks with organic grass growing through out for a delightful mixed surfaces look.
The asking price for the property rolls in at $1,366 a square foot (or about two times the median selling price for a home in the zip code). But remember, this includes an enormous 1/3 acre lot of unimproved, flat, brush land that only needs your dreams to turn it into a garden haven, an ADU, or the perfect place to park all your cars, as there is no longer a garage. It appears that land on two sides of the property is about to be “developed,” so the time to buy is now before the lot gets ringed by three-story condominium complexes.
And best of all. . . free bird house.
[Link: Redfin.com]
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The new building on State street was under construction a little too early to “benefit” from the City of Carlsbad’s “revised master plan,” so I really don’t know who is to blame for this Village eyesore. When the foundations were being laid I was excited to see what the new face of Carlsbad Village building design would look like. Now that it is completed, I see that the new face of Carlsbad Village is: Tijuana Tuscany. (Sadly, after researching the Tijuana pharmacies this new building reminded me of I discovered that most of them have a more pleasing aesthetic).
So, what is wrong with this structure? Well, from a retail perspective the windows are much too small, not to mention that they look like they were purchased at a Home Depot remnant sale. This probably has more to do with they way they are positioned on the front of the building. There appears to be no consistency or balance to the placement of the windows. And then, of course, there is the burnt salmon color.
While it is nice to see new buildings in the Village, it’s disappointing when they look like this.
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Problem lots are where an architect’s genius can shine. And the lot at 4240 Hillside Dr. in Carlsbad is a problem. It’s at the bottom of a drainage and surrounded by tile-roofed pink houses (okay, salmon, to be fair). The lot rolls perpendicularly across a ravine that is taller on the Hillside Drive side that on the hill side side. It is a lot that the average home builder would take one look at and run away.
Follow the jump for the rest of the story and more photos.
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Occasionally high end architecture, especially in custom ocean front homes, falls into what an old acquaintance categorized as “more money than brains” design. The idea is that often people with money end up designing a home that they would never design nor build if there were fiscal limitations. And this lack of constrained creativity produces buildings that don’t quite ring true.
The Kiko Beach Front Residence tips lightly into this category and is currently under construction at 2649 Ocean Street. Designed by the obviously talented Wolfram Kalber of Wolf Design Build the Kiko Beach House is a functional looking four story that is wrapped in superfluous waves of stucco facades and oddly shaped accessories.
While the building maximizes the lot perfectly, the most interesting aspect is the way it interfaces with the beach out front. A wall separates the public beach from the private beach and then that private beach is again segmented from the swimming area with what looks like a glass enclosure matched on the wall of the pool with a translucent champagne glass like waterfall.
The home is nearing completion and while some could argue that its bombastic contemporary lines are over the top, no one would call it poorly executed, or for that matter ugly.
[Link: Wolf Design Build]
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A few days ago we mentioned that Carlsbad has very few architecturally significant homes. With a couple exceptions, most reside outside The Neighborhood. Unfortunately, the construction of the Carlsbad Beachwalk (two new “contemporary designs” on the corner of Garfield and Sequoia) doesn’t change that statement at all. In fact, these two new homes, being built by Garfield Beachwalk LLC (Patrick Kellett, Gregg Dileo & Dr. Cyril F. Kellett) appear to have been designed by someone reaching far outside their skill set.
With no real balance or congruity of line these two homes appear to have been cobbled together with design elements randomly chosen from several different styles.
While it is good to see anyone with this kind of investment funding moving away from the Crapsman Revival homes that clutter Carlsbad, it is sad that this project is so aesthetically off the mark.
These are, however, only drawings. We hope that when the homes are completed the architectural genius will become obvious. We’ll keep our fingers crossed.
[Link: Carlsbad Beachwalk]
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While several instances of architecturally significant homes exist in Carlsbad, most of them are scattered in the hills east of the 5. Other than the South Park at Carlsbad Condominiums, on the corner of Lincoln and Pine streets The Neighborhood has had very little architecture of note.
This may change with the completion of the Tamarack Beach Lofts at 245 Tamarack Avenue between Garfield St. and the tracks. This group of four 2,200 square foot town homes was designed by Atelier X Architecture and features two car garages and, as the brochure says:
… privacy in a very desirable and easily accessible location less than 200 yards from the Pacific Ocean and easy freeway access to Interstate 5 within 1/4 mile of the property.
The site is being developed by Lugano Shores Investments, LLC, a company formed in 2004 by three-time Olympian, former triple-jump world record holder, and “long-time Carlsbad resident” Willie Banks and his partner Daniel Zimmermann, a consultant, sports agent and track & field national champion.
LSI aims to bring small quality developments with a modern, minimalist and functional architecture to coastal Carlsbad. . . It is their goal to bring modern architecture to Coastal Carlsbad in an affordable and attractive package to enhance the local community with new and fresh projects.
When completed the lofts will feature: granite countertops in kitchen, master bath and second bath, designer sinks, porcelain vanities and Eurodisc faucets, built-in medicine cabinets and custom mirrors, Hans Grohe fixtures and wall hung Geberit toilets, and acustom shower enclosure in master bath. Flooring on the first and second floors with be bamboo hardwood, with a tiled master and second bath. They sound pretty dope, actually.
And the price? They were asking $1.2 million. But we have no idea what they’ll sell for or for that matter if there are any left. We’ll keep you posted.
For more information on the Tamarack Beach Lofts, click the link below.
[Link: Tamarack Beach Lofts]
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