The front door seems very Mission Revival to me. (For what it’s worth, native Californian). I think that hardware could clean up nicely. Email the lantern pics to some of the folks Marilyn listed, maybe they would like to make an offer. The dining room one might work in the outdoor kitchen area. My sister has a couple somewhat similar in her outdoor kitchen area.
At this point I cannot even order the windows for replacement because I have to wait to see if historical review is going to require certain types of windows. So, I can still change any of the windows until the moment that I have to order all the expensive replacements
Not a fan of the front door, unless it really needs to capture the charm of the house. As for curb appeal, I am not so good at imagining what it will look like all cleaned up.
The Blue lantern looks too small and silly for that ceiling. I like the other one better. I like the andirons too.
I like both the front door (blue or green?) and beams.
Personally I hate ceiling fans - I would go with good old fashioned air conditioning. Just my two cents - I live up the coast from there but even I have a/c - plus nasty old ceiling fans that I need to take out. I don’t know about San Diego area but haven’t you noticed in the past couple of years of the drought it just keeps getting hotter and hotter. My a/c was on over the weekend. And it’s February.
Unless climate change has made some difference…one of the most appealing things we saw in San Diego was the fabulous climate. Almost never too hot. Usually a breeze. Dry air. Just perfect. Relatives don’t have AC.
I think ceiling fans need to blend in with the ceilings. For example. Our ceilings are white…and so are our ceiling fans. They really don’t stick out.
I really dislike lights in ceiling fans. Honestly, I’ve seen hundreds of them (my husband is in a related business), and I just don’t like them…at all. I prefer switched outlets…and lamps.
What thumper said about ceiling fans! It is so nice to have a light breeze going with sliders and windows open. Lights in ceiling fans make them look dated. I would go for some sort of cool track lighting along one side of the ceiling with a ceiling fan in the center at the highest point (no lights and wired independently from the lighting).
I like ceiling fans, and I also like lights in them. Why waste an opportunity to provide more light when you already have all the wiring there? Just get a simple light that doesn’t call a lot of attention to itself. Also, watch out for a strobe-light effect from lights on the ceiling above the fan.
I live in coastal San Diego and only have ceiling fans (no AC). Not many people in my area have AC as we are close to the water and don’t need it.
I live 4 hours up the coast from San Diego. I have AC but I’m one of the few I know who do. I only use it a few days a year. Inland Ca is a different story. AC wouldn’t be worth the cost in Coralbrooks flip.
I don’t care for ceiling fans but I admit they have a use. I know overhead lighting isn’t common in high end houses but I like a switch and overhead light when I come into a bedroom.
I too like a switch and overhead light when you walk into a room. We spent a fortune having them installed in our bedrooms and first-floor office soon after we moved into our house.
I like ceiling fans and AC. There are many kinds out there, even ones with just two blades, so there should be something to fit in with CB’s vision if she wants one. I love the tropical look of some of them, but she will probably want a different look for this house.
Just don’t get ones with the lights that point down. They always ended up shining in my eyes when I was trying to read. Still, there are lots of great ones with lights.
Those 3-panel, lighter weight inner doors are commonly found in old houses around here. If the house was built as a higher-end place, the doors in the public areas will be much nicer than those, and they will be relegated to less visible locations as a cheaper option. For example, in my house, all of the doors downstairs are oversized oak with recessed panels and very detailed trim, quite impressive. The bedroom doors are similar, on a more normal scale. (Alas, a former owner painted them all white. 
) The door to the walk-up attic is just like your 3-panel doors: the only one in the house. I wouldn’t hesitate to replace them if you need to.
I would think long and hard before painting all the woodwork. I thought one of the reasons you wanted the house was the wood ceiling in the LR? I think a ceiling fan in that room would look much more down market than you want to go. Cross ventilation should do the trick.
I love the rounded and shaped arches. I hope you keep them: they give the house character and quality.
I have to disagree with Menloparkmom on gutting the place and stripping it of all of its vintage character. That approach is fine for a characterless box like the last house, where you were able to give it style. I agree that this one needs a treatment like the hoarder house, with better finishes. I was hoping you were going to replace those el cheapo windows flanking the fireplace with paned ones.
Those things in the fireplace are andirons. 
Yours are interesting ones. I definitely would keep them, at least for the time being. Can you tell what they are made of? Maybe cast iron?
From the looks of it, the only problem with the fixture with the blue shade is that it is too high. Looks interesting, though. There are many, many people out there across the nation renovating and restoring old houses who would love it. Same thing with the lantern.
Lots of work done today and many decisions made.
A plumbing company came with the camera scope and a snake (they couldn’t come on Saturday as planned because they had a plumbing emergency). We needed a full inspection on the final leg of the original cast iron that is running under a portion of the basement concrete floor, under the garage concrete floor and out under the driveway to the alley where it meets the City main line.
First they snaked and cleared the drain and there really were no issues. We did it just to make sure we didn’t have any clogs. Then we tried running the camera scope down the line. They could not get the old cleanout head off of the cast iron in the basement. So, we just cut the cast iron. Then they had a heck of a time trying to get the camera scope down through a couple of bends in the pipe. So, we had to tear out this crazy toilet sitting in the floor in the basement so they could get into the line.
I kept asking the guys why they kept the toilet in the basement? All the walls and everything have been torn out down there and the toilet is just sitting in the corner, nothing around it. Finally I realize that those lazy guys are working under the house and in the basement and they just use that toilet to pee, out in the wide open!! I asked them… “What if I come walking in here, like I do about 5 times a day??” “Well, I guess you will just have to shout before you come through the garage anymore” was the answer. Well, that embarrassing dilemna is over now… toilet had to get pulled out. Then they have the nerve to ask me “Are you saving this toilet or do you want us to put it in the dumpster??” Are you kidding me??? its disgusting
Everything was good news from the plumber. The cast iron lines have no root invasion, no visible cracks or damage and no plugged areas. Yes, they are corroded a bit in areas but it is all OK.
Considering the condition of the stuff you showed us…I think its a miracle the lines are OK!
As all the poop is flying, a special landscape drainage guy showed up. We walked the property together and he is going to install a lot of drainage, especially to keep water away from that slope. I have made the decision that I don’t want to put gutters on the front of the house because it might ruin the lines of the roof. We will put some gutters in the back of the house to help with drainage. So, we are going to trench a lot of French drains around the house to divert water away from the foundation. He is going to get back to me with his estimate… I’ll probably faint and rethink everything!!
Meanwhile, we have removed all of the dead diseased trees that were along the eastern property line. They pulled out of the ground like butter. One of them had been damaged almost 15 yrs ago when the garage monstrosity was built on the property line. As soon as those trees came down… two of the neighbors came ‘visiting’ to the yard to see what is going on. In the middle house above (brown house with horrible little fence that is falling down) there is a young twentyish renter that came over. He had received a ‘flyer’ that the house was for sale. What ??? Anyway, he wanted to know if he could buy the house. I looked at him and told him the price As Is. He was astounded and thought that he could buy it for $800k. He doesn’t care that we are building a 6 ft fence on our property line behind that house.
But, the cul de sac corner neighbor came over and I started telling him that I was going to need to build a fence for privacy and security. Just this afternoon, two guys just wandered into the property and started sitting on the old red brick retaining wall. I went out and they apologized… they were sitting there to catch the sunset. They had no idea it was private property. This neighbor is not so happy. I told him that I would put up two stakes at the height of the fence and he could analyze it. Honestly, it is going to block view from his little garden in the back of the house. Most of the living area of the house is up high with no obstruction.
He told me they bought the house 15 yrs ago and have no idea how the garage was allowed to be built right on the property line in the back and right on the property line to the north. It was there before they moved in. There is a 5ft set back requirement and it leads me to believe that it might have been built without a permit. He was really curious if we were building up and I was honest with him that we were and approximately where the new addition will be.
Then we went out in front to where the street ends and I explained my dilemma about trying to get a good fence and gate up for privacy and security to the front of the house. He said that the prior owner of my property had told him that he has right of way to the middle of the street. So, maybe there is some truth to that rumor.
I’m going down to City Hall tomorrow to submit for Permit #2 for door and window replacement. I’m going to go into the historical records area and try to get to the bottom of this rumor. Nothing showed up on the title report, so I’m not sure it is really true.
Loaded some more photos. Working on gathering all the photos and documents required for Historical Review to be submitted with permit and plans tomorrow.
I personally hate ceiling fans, so they are not going to happen. I have never seen one sales listing photo with a ceiling fan that screamed “I love the décor and design of that room” or “I love that ceiling fan”. I’m afraid it’s one of those things that you cannot consciously install for a flip - turns off a large portion of buyers, even though it might be practical. They can install ceiling fans themselves after they purchase the house.
AC and/or ceiling fans are just not common in this neighborhood. I believe that AC is becoming a little more desireable, so we may add that to the home. Still waiting for my HVAC guy to stop by, do an inspection of current system and give me an estimate to move the existing furnace, add AC to house and run all new ducting through existing house and new addition.
Honestly, at the top of the hill by the ocean you just need to open a westerly window and an easterly window and you have a wind tunnel going through the house ! Right now I’m focusing on making sure there is cross ventilation through windows in as many rooms as possible - that’s where the focus is in the window/door permit plans I am submitting.
I agree about the cast iron lines… I thought we were going to have to jackhammer tons of concrete. But, I guess when cast iron is encased in concrete it lasts a long time!
Did you realize the roof of that garage is a large deck? It’ looks right into down into your yard. You can see it on the sat photos.