Spanishway

For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. Hebrews 3:4 

Crazy to think I used to do a daily blog, early in the morning, I'd wake around 5 am. to have at least one uninterrupted hour before the kids got up and life started! Wow, how everything has changed! Now I'm lucky if I can squeeze in a workout or even lunch for myself!

But not complaining at all, I'm absolutely having a blast with Real Estate, Design, our project homes, and other investments.

This year we completed 3410 Spanish Way in Carlsbad. This was a year-long project. We again partnered with my brother Jim. We always have a lot of fun working together, I helped design the whole project but wasn't able to be there every day like I was in our last project. I love getting my hands dirty and learning new things daily, it's so much fun, I even love filling up the truck with trash and doing a "dump run".
This home came to me through a friend who let me know that one of her clients recently lost her husband and was going to sell. I went over there to meet her and we hit it off. She was like no one I've ever met! She answered the door in army fatigues, muscles popping out everywhere, a scotch drink in her hand, keep in mind she was in her late 70's! I loved her right away, she went on to show me her gun collection, and demonstrated how she can do pull up's in her garage on a pull-up bar. She jumped into my Jeep and I took her to my last project home. She told me then and there I want you to buy my house and turn it into something! And that we DID!!!

Beautiful Spanish Way......

We added 1,000 SF. to the house, converted the garage into the new stunning kitchen. We raised the ceilings in the main part of the house to13,' in the master bedroom to16'!! We built a
483 SF. detached garage with a rooftop deck, built-in BBQ, refrigerator, sink, with ocean views. Added 200 SF. of block walls, we finished with a Santa Barbara smooth, white-stucco.
We took the worst house in the neighborhood and turned it into a showpiece.
Before...

Where the old garage used to be. 

En-suite bedroom 

The detached garage is awesome, it's engineered for a granny flat up above if the new owners wanted that, we did the hard work. 

We brought in 65-year-old Olive tree's again it's becoming our signature. Many agents, clients, would comment once the trees went in we knew it was the Slee's! 

Mini-Vineyard 

Fireplace before 

 Heart of the home! The kitchen is where the old garage used to be.

I decided not to use a backsplash instead went with a Venetian Plaster love the way it turned out! 

Kitchen before (which is now the master bathroom)

Took garage down to the studs, poured a new slab.

One requirement I had was a walk in pantry. 

Love the way the pantry turned out. I found the hutch at an antique store, it wouldn't fit, so the guys had to remove the drywall and slid it in. 

I found this piece a week after we started the demo, it came out of the owner of Architectural Digest's home, (according to the guy I bought it from) I thought it would be the perfect piece for Spanishway since the whole design concept is Modern Spanish. 

We added La Cantina doors, Western French steel doors, and Anderson windows. 

To raise the ceiling up to the rafters, we had to bring in a steel I-beam. Jim and John are brilliant, they used a forklift to raise it into place. 

This is where the new build started on the back side of the house, new laundry room, and added a new master suite. 

Bathrooms of Spanishway. Three total, I only go with about three materials total for the entire house, otherwise, a home can get too busy, looking like a showroom rather than a peaceful, consistent space.

Master

Guest en-suite. 

Hallway bathroom 

Master bedroom 

Bi-fold door that opens up to the back. 

 The ceilings are 16' high I love the feeling of this room, so bright, open, fun to watch peoples expressions when they walk in totally unexpected.

 

 I had Classy Closets come in and do all four closets, I feel people skimp when it comes to closets, I do the opposite, I love organized closets with built-ins.  

Bedroom #2

 Bedroom #3

 En-Suite

Laundry Room 

Spanishway 

I wanted the AC unit, solar unit, and meters covered, Jim welded the metal and John designed the wood covers. Love the clean sleek look. 

I was so worried we wouldn't have a large yard after everything was cleared, and the land was leveled, I was pleasantly surprised! Jim Welded the metal for the cable fencing, John did the cable's. Team work!

I really believe that every area should be useable, I created cozy, seating areas. 

Smooth white stucco!! My choice for all of my projects homes. Smooth as a baby's bottom. 

Detached garage with a rooftop deck. 

 BBQ, refrigerator, concrete countertops, ocean views, love this space.

 Mexican tile on the back of the bar

Two planter boxes

Guess who stopped by last night.....Charlie the previous owner of Spanish Way, she was blown away to say the least. 

This is what she left

 Hope you enjoyed the journey of 3410 Spanish Way, was a hard 10 month of non-stop work, a ton of cash, but so proud of this beautiful, peaceful home. God could not of brought us better buyers, they are in love, and super excited for their dream home.

The Slee's are onto the next, this time it's our "forever home" we have bought 1/2 acre in Olde Carlsbad it's exactly what we've been dreaming, praying about. I grew up on an Indian Reservation, with privacy, and land. I've always craved that, and this property is so peacful, I was there doing some computer work the other day and didn't want to leave, I was tempted to lay out a blanket on the grass and take a nap! I chose not to because the current owners have cameras everywhere, I didn't want to trip them out. Thanks for following along, I'll do a better job of chronicling the new house journey, adding over 2,000 SF. Pool, landscaping, I'll give John a couple month break then we start!

Love you all, Shirley