A Historic Palos Verdes Estates Home Gets a Thoughtful, Tailored Refresh

“My husband and I met in the Bay Area but have family in Palos Verdes,” says the homeowner. “When we decided to move south, we fell in love with the beautiful ocean landscape, closeness to nature and history of the home. We love being part of its history, having the responsibility of being its stewards since it will live well past our lifetime.”

The two-story, 2,523-square-foot home was originally designed by architect Winchton Leamon Risley, renowned for his work on residential and commercial projects in Los Angeles and Pasadena. Realizing that it needed updates to accommodate their design style and lifestyle, the couple entrusted Palos Verdes native Christine Costa Zippert, owner and design principal of Christine Costa Interiors in Redondo Beach.

“We fell in love with the beautiful ocean landscape, closeness to nature and history of the home.”

“We wanted the home to grow with the family over time and not feel too trendy or like a time stamp,” says Christine. “We didn’t want to lose any of the history of the house but instead tried to honor it while creating a layered interior that felt fresh and like it had been there forever. We wanted things to feel weathered and time-washed with solid woods, linen, and jute and natural materials you can trace to their origins. It also needed to be durable. They didn’t want the house to feel brand-new or be able to tell where things were bought. They wanted it to feel lived-in, collected and uniquely theirs.”

As part of the comprehensive, two-year-long renovation, the home underwent updates such as replacing all electrical systems, installing hand-forged iron doors, updating baseboards and moldings, repainting walls, refurbishing ceiling beams, refinishing floors, resurfacing kitchen cabinets and adding new hardware. A walnut countertop by John Boos & Co. was added to the kitchen island in lieu of conventional stone or marble to intentionally acquire patina, while the octagonal stairwell was enhanced with bespoke handrails adorned with lamb’s-tongue detailing and welded on-site. “We wanted to build back in the charm,” adds Christine.

Storage solutions were a crucial element of the redesign, along with imbuing a collected aesthetic with handpicked accessories and long-lasting, stain-resistant upholstered fabrics to withstand scuffs, spills and marks from crayons and colored pencils.

“We have two young children who come with many toys, art projects and lots of energy,” explains the homeowner. “So one of our biggest goals was to create a home that looked beautiful and felt grown up but also had plenty of storage built into each room and flexibility to move coffee tables for open space to play. We invested in several substantial antique cabinets to help hide the toys and create lovely anchors in each space.”

Apart from weaving in furnishings that serve double duty for storage, every room is now deliberately nuanced with character and undertones from one of the homeowners’ favorite destinations: Majorca, Spain. To add to the cozy but fresh coastal Spanish look, Christine layered newer pieces like a pair of Scoop wall sconces from Matt Alford Studio and a custom-stained Jenks coffee table by Martin & Brockett, alongside found items culled from flea markets, estate sales and antique stores.

Highlights include an 18th-century Swedish corner cabinet finished in blue milk paint by local decorative artist Megan Neel of Just Your Decor; an 18th-century French verdure tapestry; a vintage 1920s Scandinavian crocheted bedcover; and an antique rosewood cabinet inlaid with ivory and mother-of-pearl from John Robshaw.

“Some of my favorite elements are the Farrow & Ball Pigeon paint color we used on the ceiling of the stairwell paired with a star globe pendant by Hector Finch,” says Christine. “I also love the window treatments throughout the home with floral-printed fabric by Kerry Joyce, the natural jute string lantern pendant by Nickey Kehoe in the dining room and De Nimes paint by Farrow & Ball.”

The design strikes a perfect balance of warmth, charm and sophistication while honoring the original architecture and history. “We really fulfilled what we were going for: a cozy, comforting home that feels intentional and considered but also a place we can use,” says the homeowner. “It’s the backdrop for many special family memories, but it’s also so easy to host and share with family and friends, which is a big priority.”

Creating these moments and breathing new life into the nearly century-old home with a sense of ease and timelessness was also a driving force for Christine.

“What I love and I’m most proud of is that you can’t tell when the house was put together,” she says. “In a historic house or in any house, I don’t like walking in and feeling like it’s overly staged and perfect—like there’s not a crease in any pillow. Instead, I like things to have a little off-kilterness to them, and I think this house has it. The more it is lived in, the better it will look.”

Going Cozy-Collected: Christine’s Top Tips

Think Beyond Present-Day

“Homes evolve over time. To make a home look authentically collected, don’t just source from the period the house was built, but layer influences from the decades that came afterward. Beware of period knockoffs. It’s better to invest in one or two high-quality, beautifully made pieces from a period than fill your house with a bunch of contemporary knockoffs from that time. Build slowly so you’re surrounded by pieces that you love and that bring you joy.”

Reinvent the Old

“Howard Feed-N-Wax or tung oil can make beat-up wood items look new again. Refinishing antique and vintage pieces using unexpected materials can give them a second life. We used Danish milk paint for the corner cabinet, and it’s the first piece people ask us about when they see the house.”

Treat Objects as Art

“Have one beautiful piece of silver you love? Turn it into a collection over time. Ten pieces of silver set out on a buffet, or 20 plates hung on a wall, go from being single objects to an installation that feels like art.”

Dig Deep

“Do your research. I am a major collector of design and art books. For this house, I looked at several Spanish designers working in coastal areas of Spain from Castile to Basque, including Lorenzo Castillo, Jaime Parladé and Isabel López-Quesada.”

Do It Right

“Older homes have a lot more millwork and carpentry overall. Don’t skimp. Add the beams, wainscoting, wood paneling, decorative casings and built-ins.”