Contemporary Living
Remodeled Fab 40 home adds modern spin to holiday home tour
By Cathryn Rakich
December 2019
When you walk into Uri and Lea Carrazco’s remodeled house in the Fab 40s, don’t expect to see refurbished light fixtures, original hardwood floors or carefully preserved crown molding beckoning back to the home’s heyday in the 1920s. The previous owners gutted the interior in 2015, leaving one wall standing, and started anew.
The two-story home, built in 1927, is now a showcase for contemporary living, complete with a black-and-white color palate and chic furnishings. The Carrazco’s East Sacramento abode is one of five on the annual Sacred Heart Holiday Home Tour this month.
“A lot of Fab 40s homes are old school and traditional. We are more modern,” says Uri, a CPA whose office is Downtown. Previously living in Davis, the couple purchased the three-bedroom, three-bath house in 2016 to be closer to work. “Instead of a 30-minute commute, it’s only 8 minutes,” Lea says. As a young couple, they are close enough to Downtown’s nightlife, “but it’s quieter over here,” she adds. “We love East Sac.”
While the majority of the 3,600-square-foot home was practically tailor-made for the twosome, with features such as stained-black flooring and high-end appliances, the Carrazcos added many of their own touches. Most importantly, they installed a deluxe Sonos sound system with speakers in every room except the downstairs bath.
“Lea and I are really big on music,” Uri says. “All the outside is decked out too.” Lea adds, “The cool thing about Sonos is it doesn’t matter which room you’re in. You can play different music in every room.”
Further post-purchase additions include a basement gym complete with rubber-mat flooring, weight and ball racks, wall mirrors and an elliptical machine.
Where dirt once occupied a space in the backyard now sits a putting green. Their pooch, Bruno, has his own designated dog yard, not far from a new outdoor kitchen with a sink, refrigerator, barbecue and beer tap.
At the far end of the swimming pool the couple installed a standalone dry sauna (painted black and white to match the exterior of the home), complete with a sound system, of course. “We catch a workout and sweat the toxins out,” Uri says. An outdoor TV swivels to face the pool and hot tub.
They installed a pizza oven in the backyard and stone water feature to the front courtyard, and reworked the landscaping to give it more interest. “We added things to make it our style,” Uri says.
The remodeled kitchen features a 12-foot-long quartzite island, white marble countertops and backsplash, wine fridge, nickel farmhouse sink, and crystal door and drawer pulls. Keeping in tune with the contemporary color scheme, the kitchen cabinets are white along the wall and black under island. A large butler’s pantry includes a built-in espresso machine and bar area.
Two Swarovski crystal chandeliers, originally in the dining room, were moved to the office and guest bedroom. The laundry room can be found upstairs near the master bedroom, which has two walk-in closets. A freestanding tub in the master bathroom is situated at a corner window for a relaxing view out two sides.
The Carrazcos used Andrew Turner Construction. Local interior designers Kerrie Kelly and Lori Brazier helped the couple add personal touches. Brazier will decorate the house for this year’s Sacred Heart Holiday Home Tour on Dec. 6–8. The self-guided walking tour begins on 46th Street between M Street and Folsom Boulevard, and winds through East Sacramento ending on 41th Street between J Street and M Street.
The tour includes a holiday boutique, cafe and champagne bar at Sacred Heart Parish School at 856 39th St. Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 on the day of the event (no ticket required to visit the boutique, café or champagne bar). For information, including where to purchase tickets, visit sacredhearthometour.com or email shhometour@gmail.com.
To recommend a home or garden for Open House, contact Cathryn Rakich at crakich@surewest.net. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento.
