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The little-used and unattractive concrete-slab inner patio before…
…And after. The flat-roof eaves were used to delineate the new inte-
rior gallery, so without changing the roof line the Sorrells added three
feet in width to what had been a three-foot-wide passageway along
the interior walls to the family bedroom area; outside, the addition of
flagstone, wood French casement doors, vintage lanterns and the
judicious use of colorful plantings created an inviting and popularly
used enclosed outdoor space
Floors: Manufactured from old-growth European oak, harvested and
flown to China, where it was made into engineered plywood flooring.
“The result is you get an incredibly durable floor,” Jon explains, “with the
look of an old European plank floor. But, it’ll withstand a lot more wear
and if you’re unlucky enough to have a flood, it withstands warping,
whereas with plank flooring you can pretty well kiss it good-bye if you
have any water damage.”
Interior courtyard: Features two mature olive trees chosen and transplanted
from a grove near Bakersfield, an outdoor (gas) fireplace with a mantle
manufactured in the U.S.A., hand-forged light fixtures; local sandstone bor-
ders the planting areas, and all the flagstone is real.
In the back: A good-sized laundry and mudroom was added in the space
between the full-sized two-car garage and the rear of the house, accessed by
a separate shared driveway. There is a rear yard with a small fruit orchard,
rail fence, and a rear porch. The addition of windows on the south side of the
house (there were formerly no windows at all on the south side) has made
it a lighter, brighter home. Access to the garage was changed from the west
side to the south side.
Resources: Action Roofing, 534 E. Ortega St., Santa Barbara, CA 93103
(805-966-3696); Summerland Antique Cooperative, Ortega Hill Road, Sum-
merland, CA. Rex Pratt is responsible for the simulated limestone exterior;
he has done a lot of work for Michael Smith, who has most recently redec-
orated the White House in Washington, D.C.
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