Living the Dream

Both family-friendly and perfect for entertaining, the forever home SoCal architect Chris Brandon designed for himself, wife, and kids marries modern design with old-world charm.

- JANICE RANDALL ROHLF

To find a lot in East Side Costa Mesa that’s big enough for a house and a yard, the stars have to align just right. No one knows this better than architect Chris Brandon, who not only has lived in the neighborhood for years but also has designed numerous houses in this and other Southern California seaside towns. “We were looking for a piece of property where we could have a big backyard,” explains Brandon about embarking on a new home for his family. “When this rare, half-acre lot came up, it was a great opportunity, so we jumped on it. We’d been dreaming about something like this for a long time.”

Together with frequent collaborators contractor Andrew Patterson, founder of Patterson Custom Homes, and interior designer Brooke Wagner, of Brooke Wagner Design, Brandon and his wife, Kaley, brought to fruition what they hope will be their forever nest, a 4,600-square-foot, four-bedroom, five-bath home with a pool and a pool house. As for the transitional French style they selected, Kaley likes to think of it as a love letter to her, Brandon says, explaining that his wife has a penchant for arches. They both admire the stylistic juxtaposition of old and new.

“We planned on raising our young kids here, so it wasn’t going to be a modern, museum-like structure,” says Brandon. “We wanted the house to have a sense of permanence, some history to it, even though it was brand new.” In addition, the couple were adamant that the house fit well in the fabric of this traditional and established neighborhood.