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M a r l e n a M a i d h o f

@marlena

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Opinions about old houses, mostly correct😉
San Diego Realtor + Designer
Mid-Century • Vintage • Homes Worth Saving
@acmexserhant • DRE 01968789

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Would you save this one or start from scratch? ✨

Because underneath the very obvious project is an architectural thirst trap waiting to happen.

Soaring wood ceilings. Exposed beams. Walls of windows. That massive fireplace. And enough original wood paneling to make a mid-century lover start mentally renovating before they’ve even finished the tour.

But then you get to the setting: perched on nearly ¾ of an acre with panoramic views toward the bay, ocean and Fiesta Island. There’s even a permitted ADU unit on the property.

She needs work. A lot of it. But please, for the love of good houses, keep the wood.

Would you restore her mid-century character or take the renovation in a completely different direction?

3710 Ticonderoga St
San Diego, CA 92117

Offered at $1,850,000
2 beds | 2 baths | 2,120 sq ft | .68 acre lot

* permitted 1 bed | 1.5 bath companion unit

Listed by Kyla Pince | Keller Williams La Jolla taken in Bay Park, San Diego by @marlena

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5 days ago

What’s that one elusive vintage piece you’ve been hunting forever but still can’t find?

We hit Eighth Street Market again and, naturally, did some damage. A leather sofa and chairs, a coffee table, a couple of side tables, and the coolest two-piece mirrored Victorian hutch that I’m fully obsessed with.

The house is slowly coming together, one vintage find at a time, but we’re definitely not done hunting yet. Next stop: Trade Days on Friday, because apparently we need more treasures. ✨

There’s just something way more fun about furnishing a house with pieces that have a little history, a lot of character, and absolutely no chance of being boring! taken in Fredericksburg, Texas by @marlena

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19 days ago

Send this to someone who loves a house with personality. 🤎

House crush: fully justified. Between the walls of redwood, beamed ceilings, oak floors and windows looking out into the trees, this Mission Hills home feels more like a hidden retreat than a house in the middle of San Diego.

It’s warm, woodsy and wonderfully untouched, the kind of place where the original details are exactly what make you fall for it.

And after being held by the same ownership since 1969, this little time capsule is ready for someone new to love it.

4277 Jackdaw St
San Diego, CA 92103

Offered at $1,600,000
3 beds | 2 baths | 2,180 sq ft | 5,662 sq ft lot

Listed by Jim Scott | Scott & Quinn Real Estate taken in San Diego, California by @marlena

8k

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25 days ago

It’s 80 degrees and humid but the calendar says September, so… fall-ish? 🍂

The October mugs are out and soon my sourdough starter will be coming out of hibernation. I don’t make the rules. I just live by them ✨ taken in San Diego, California by @marlena

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a month ago

Be honest: are you preserving every inch of this house or renovating it?

Before houses were designed to appeal to everyone, they were allowed to have a point of view.

This 1974 Larry Weir adobe in Rancho Santa Fe is proof. Spanish tile floors. Exposed wood beams. Arched doors and windows. Kiln-style fireplaces. Nothing about it is trying to disappear into the background.

The Weir Brothers became known for adobe homes like this throughout San Diego County, and 50+ years later, all of those original details are exactly what make this house feel special.

Turns out personality ages pretty well.

6678 Las Colinas Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92057

Offered at $4,200,000 3 beds | 3 baths | 3,416 sq ft | 3.63 acres

Listed by Heather Manion | Pacific Sotheby’s International Realty taken in San Diego, California by @marlena

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a month ago

Built in 1955 and somehow still holding onto the details that make it so good, the original cabinetry, hardwood floors, pink-tiled bathroom, and yes, that perfectly pink vintage stove and oven.

It’s the kind of San Diego house that makes a very strong case for working with what’s already there instead of ripping it all out.

Located in Western Hills, just above Bay Park with ocean views.

2244 Penrose St
San Diego, CA 92110

Offered at $1,399,000
3 beds | 2 baths | 1,329 sq ft

Personally, I’m protecting the pink at all costs.
What’s the first thing you’re saving? 💕

Listed by Annie Decrescenzo and Jill Crawford of exp realty taken in San Diego, California by @marlena

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a month ago

Some houses have character. This one was built around it.

Built in 1974 by Larry Weir, this Rancho Santa Fe adobe is full of the kind of details that make me stop scrolling, Spanish tile floors, exposed wood beams, arched doors and windows, kiln-style fireplaces, and that unmistakable warmth that only gets better with age.

The Weir Brothers became known for their adobe homes throughout San Diego County, and this one feels like a pretty good argument for keeping the original character intact.

6678 Las Colinas
Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92057

Offered at $4,200,000 3 beds | 3 baths | 3,416 sq ft | 3.63 acres 
Would you preserve it exactly as it is, or make a few changes?

Listed by Heather Manion | Pacific Sotheby’s International Realty taken in San Diego, California by @marlena

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a month ago

The Palm Springs remodel is coming along and obviously I dressed appropriately for the occasion. 💃🏼🔨

A little update on what’s happening around here:

1. The parquet floors Doing my best to save the original parquet in one of the dining areas. Sadly, they were too cracked and damaged to keep, but I tried. They would have been so good sanded down and brought back to life.

2. The bathtub She’s custom. We had this concrete tub made for the house and I chose this warm terracotta color for it. Eventually she’ll have a ceiling-mounted tub filler, I literally cannot wait for this!

3. The round room New windows are IN. This room is one of my favorite architectural details of the house and it’s finally starting to feel like a room again.

4. Travertine everywhere And I mean everywhere. We’re doing the entire house inside and out in travertine flagstone. With the round room flagstone was the one material that could just keep flowing without an awkward stopping point. The goal is for it to feel like it goes on forever.

5. The entrance The new steel front door is in and I am loving how it’s looking with the rounded edges. What you’re seeing here is still the brown coat the walls will eventually get a smooth stucco finish.

6. The pool Currently empty and very much under construction, but you can finally see the shape. We took out the original tiny two-person jacuzzi so we could make it bigger and reworked the pool with squared-off corners on one side and soft, rounded edges on the other to play off the architecture of the house.

Applications for future pool guests now open ✨ 🏊‍♂️ taken in Palm Springs, California by @marlena

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a month ago

Things I showed an unreasonable amount of restraint around while vintage shopping in San Diego.

The $15 girl dinner plates? Still thinking about them. The brass mirror? Not for sale, devastatingly. Has now become my Roman Empire and I must find one

Should I go back for anything? taken in San Diego, California by @marlena

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2 months ago

Built in 1963, this La Jolla mid-century is full of the kind of details you simply can’t recreate, warm wood paneling, beamed ceilings, walls of glass, stone fireplaces, an outdoor shower and one very good vintage bathroom.

Set on over half an acre overlooking the canyon, it feels private, quiet and almost completely removed from the city.

5860 Cactus Way
La Jolla, CA 92037

4 beds · 3 baths · 2,854 sq ft
Offered at $3,275,000

And thankfully, no one renovated the personality out of it.

Looking for a house with a little more character? Send me a message or comment below and let’s chat.

Listed by Linda Daniels · Pacific Sotheby’s International Realty taken in La Jolla, California by @marlena

38k

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2 months ago

Every original piece of hardware in this house had a story worth keeping.

During our Texas remodel, we carefully removed each knob, lock, and backplate, stripped away decades of paint, repaired the mechanics, and put everything back where it belonged.

We could have replaced them with matching new hardware, but perfection was never the goal. Character was.

I love that no two doors are alike. Those little imperfections are what make the house feel collected instead of decorated.

You can buy new hardware anywhere. You can’t buy 100 years of history. taken in San Diego, California by @marlena

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2 months ago

Some homes don’t need reinvention they need appreciation.

This home was designed by Herbert B Turner, and is a wonderfully preserved mid-century. With Floor to ceiling glass, vaulted wood beam ceilings and an effortless indoor outdoor living.

It sits on a very private flag lot in Old Del Mar. Beautifully maintained, and proof that not every great house needs a renovation.

Asking $4,200,000
343 Serpentine Dr.
Del Mar, CA 92014
4 bed + 2 bath
2,153 sqft | 11,800 sqft lot

Plus an adjoining 11,000 sqft vacant lot can be sold with it giving you 22,940 sqft of privacy.

Listed by Kyle Murphy of Coldwell Banker taken in San Diego, California by @marlena

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2 months ago