Home Tour // A 1960's California Ranch-Style Home Gets A New Lease on Life

Today’s home tour brings us to Thousand Oaks, California, and is a real testament to the potential of the ranch-style homes common to the 1960s. Jessica and Tyler and their 1964 home are well-known on Instagram for their stunning kitchen. But their whole home is beautiful and well thought-out and feels easy to live in. It’s amazing what’s possible with patience, planning, and a DIY mentality! I can’t wait to share this tour with you today…

Jessica and Tyler share their 3 bed/2 bath, 1500sf home with their two kids (ages 6 and 10). “This was the third home we saw when looking to buy our first home, and it felt like I knew right away,” says Jessica of house hunting. “Even though it was in such an outdated state, it has such good energy and a ton of potential.”

Let’s take a peek at that outdated state…

Thankfully Jesica and Tyler were up to the challenge of updating this “pretty average Southern California tract home”. And not just ‘up to it’, but excited to tackle the work ahead. “I really wanted a home that needed work, especially one that needed a new kitchen (and not just a "oh, this kitchen is 10 yrs old let's gut it" situation, something that truly needed replacing), but could still be lived in. We were definitely looking for the house that needed the most work in a good neighborhood, and that's what we got. That being said, we could still barely afford it in this market, which is why it took 3 years to be able to start the kitchen renovation.” 

And since we’re already talking about the kitchen, let’s start the home tour there. The heart of Jessica and Tyler’s home is quite a stunner…

Lovely, right?! psst: you can find paint colors and all other sources at Jessica and Tyler’s website www.renovate108.com.

I am so impressed by how well thought-out this kitchen is. Every inch is used and that slide-out cabinet filled with cleaning supplies is the stuff of my dreams! The adjacent pantry is equally as thoughtful and does double-duty as the laundry room.

Before buying this house, Jessica and Tyler lived in a 150sf studio in Venice Beach and then an 800sf apartment, where they had their two kids. So when moving into this home, “1500 sq feet seemed positively palatial,” says Jessica.

Let’s take a look at the entry and living room.

Jessica often uses the term ‘slow renovation’ to describe their projects. “Slow renovation is a term I embrace when I feel like things aren't happening quickly enough for us, to remind me that its not about how quickly things get done, its about keeping at it,” says Jessica.

Jessica and Tyler also “prefer to stretch budgets over time instead of going in all at once,” says Jessica. “Projects have to unfold over a longer period of time as compared to others. There is a lot of representation of a quick makeover or a "quick" renovation (the classic example being a half hour HGTV show). That doesn't work for everyone's circumstances, and so I hope we can show that we can still do amazing things with our homes, even if its at a slower pace.” Amen to that!

Jessica and Tyler are meticulous planners. “We believe that a lot of deliberation and planning should go into our choices,” says Jessica.

This 1500sf home works well for Jessica and Tyler’s family right now, but it has “a clear path to becoming a 2000 sq ft, 4 bedroom, 3 bath house, adding a laundry room and connecting the house to the garage for when we're ready.” So they won’t have to move out if and when 1500sf feels too small, they’ll be able to adapt the house to fit their needs. 

The kids currently share a large bedroom that has space for a play/craft/reading/homework area. What a dream bedroom for a kid!

Jessica and Tyler are dedicated DIYers. Not only does doing-it-themselves allow Jessica and Tyler to buildup their construction skills, but it also gives them control over the end product. “We prefer to do the work ourselves to maintain a certain quality and play with details, which are not things that easily translate to hiring a crew to come and work on your house.“

Next up in the tour is one of the bathrooms, which received a similar palette to the kitchen. I have to say, that this shower transformation is one of my favorites on the internet and I dare you not to giggle when you see the lime green walls and space-age contraption from the ‘before’.

So good, right?!

I asked Jessica if they had any surprises during their renovations. “Well, the most interesting thing(s) that happened during the renovation was probably the borderline shooting and Woolsey fire hitting us back to back, leaving our city totally gutted for weeks. Nothing like being evacuated from a home for days that you are spending a ton of money and time on improving because it might go up in flames! Puts some things into perspective!“

I love that Jessica and Tyler embrace the challenge of their 1960s California ranch-style home. “I love this house because it… was in decent shape even if it was outdated, and has a ton of potential to show us how charming and unique we can make a tract home.”

Anyone else ready to buy a ranch-style home?! Thanks for sharing your home with us, Jessica and Tyler! You can find more on their website, www.renovate108.com, and Instagram @renovate108.