Open House
Land Park Revival
The rooftop bell may not be the first thing people notice when visiting this two-story Spanish Revival in the heart of Land Park, but it is definitely one of the home’s most unusual features.
When husband and wife Kele Dobrinski and Christina Valencia purchased the mission-style home in 2016, the old bell was encased in a flattop structure that “didn’t do it justice,” Valencia says. To add architectural detail, the couple built a curved tower around the metal ringer “so you could see the bell in all its glory.”
Open Minded
Mai and Jeff Townsend have taken the notion of “open concept” to a whole new level in their recently renovated home on a cul-de-sac in Sierra Oaks. A bright orange entryway door leads to an immense light- and art-filled space that encompasses multiple zones for entertaining, cooking, dining and relaxing.
“My absolute favorite thing is the incredible openness of the room,” Jeff says. “I love how we created these self-contained areas.”
The Townsends purchased the 1965 ranch-style home in 2017 from the estate of the original owner. “This property had great bones,” says Mai, who has a passion for interior design. “It was well built. Just very compartmentalized. The main thing for us was to create an open flow and space.”
The renovation took eight months under the watchful eye of Mai, who created the design plans. The couple gutted most of the 2,222-square-foot house, which they called a “time capsule,” leaving the exterior structure. “It’s a brand-new house in an old shell,” Mai notes.
The Townsends moved to Sacramento from San Jose with their son Blaze and yellow lab Parker. In addition to wanting to be closer to Mai’s parents who live in West Sacramento, the couple saw potential in what the area offered.
“We fell in love with Sierra Oaks,” says Jeff, an attorney specializing in mediation work. “It was a whole new amazing life that was opening up to us.”
Farmhouse Vibe
The family of six was “busting at the seams.” Living in a small house in Oak Park, Micah and Emily Baginski and their four children needed a bigger place to call home. But there was a catch. The couple wanted to build a new home in the established neighborhood of Curtis Park, where vacant lots are few and far between. After a year of searching, the opportunity finally presented itself.
You Gotta Have Friends
It’s good to have friends. That’s what Dr. Patrick Browning came to embrace when he committed to the daunting task of designing, constructing and decorating his new abode. “I had this great complementary group of friends who each had their own skill set that was perfect for building this place,” Browning says.
Room for Greatness
Built in 1931 in one of Sacramento’s most celebrated neighborhoods, the brick Tudor exhibited a footprint typical of that bygone era.
The kitchen was small. The rooms were segregated. Storage space was scarce. But homeowner Katherine Bardis, who saw past the bright blue fuzzy carpet from a long-ago update, knew she could turn the two-story structure into a show-stopping place to call home. “The craftwork in the home was phenomenal,” Bardis says. “You could tell the bones had a lot of room for greatness. The house gave us a really good foundation to be creative.”She knows what she’s talking about. As co-founder of Bardis Homes, a company launched in 2012, Bardis is experienced in home construction, land development and interior design. She was born to the business. Her father Chris Bardis built thousands of homes in Sacramento and around the West.
Smart Design
“High and low” is how interior designer Elizabeth Lake describes her style for remodeling her two-bedroom, one-bath home in East Sacramento. For example, she replaced the cabinets on one side of the kitchen with inexpensive open shelving from IKEA. But in the dining room, she went big with a modern, statement-making crystal chandelier by Baccarat.
“Buy quality when necessary, but be smart about it,” says Lake. “There are places you don’t need the best of the best and places you probably do.”