Santa Monica · DB's own home · Concept to C of O
A four-bedroom modern home in Santa Monica with a pool, hot tub and sauna, built new from the ground up. DB was the owner, builder, developer and project manager, from the first concept and design to the certificate of occupancy.
Under construction
Finished
The back of the house during framing, and finished.
The build
The Modern Monica is DB's own home, and he wore every hat on it: owner, builder, developer and project manager. He took it from the first concept and design all the way through construction to the certificate of occupancy. The result is four bedrooms and four baths in a modern open plan, built around an easy indoor-outdoor flow.
During construction
Insulation in, before the drywall went up.
It's a smart home, built to run from a phone: the pool, hot tub and sauna, the lights, the garage doors, the cameras and doorbells, the heating and air conditioning, and the door locks. Sonos, Nest and Google Home are built in, and a Google mesh network carries fast Wi-Fi across the whole property. Solar panels keep the monthly electric bill low, and some months negative.
The kitchen is built for someone who cooks, with a full suite of Thermador appliances, and it opens to the backyard through wide glass doors. Out back are the pool and hot tub, a traditional sauna DB designed and helped build, a covered patio, and a fire pit under an old olive tree.
See how the sauna was builtThe primary suite has peek-a-boo views of the ocean. Two bedrooms share a Jack-and-Jill bath, the fourth bedroom has its own, and the laundry has a room of its own.
Concept, design, construction and final sign-off: DB has done every part of it, on his own house.
The Modern Monica is DB's own home, built with DB as owner-builder.
Photos
The kitchen, living room and bath, and the backyard around the pool.
Kitchen
Living room
Bath
The kitchen with its waterfall island, the living room and the bath.
Patio
Fire pit
Front
The covered patio by the spa, the fire pit under the olive tree, and the front of the house.
DB has taken a house from concept to certificate of occupancy. Before you spend, talk with him about the plan, the schedule, and what buyers in your area will actually pay for.
