a mar vista family\'s journey to inner space

Regarding the Vista home that Janet Mitsui Brown rebuilt in March, the first thing you notice is its sense of balance, sense of harmony and consistency.
The slabs on the fence column repeat on the chimney, the front steps, and the foyer. The red-
The toned wood of the double front door appears again around the eaves and windows.
The lanterns on both sides of the fence and porch are designed in a unified way, combining the features of Asia and artisans.
But once you get into the grand foyer, 5,000-square-foot, two-
The story house presents a unique set of spaces designed for four people: Janet;
Her husband, Roger Brown.
Their teenage daughter, Tani.
And Janet\'s mother, Mitsui Akiko.
\"I hope the House reflects our family,\" said Janet, a writer, illustrator and producer and practitioner of the ancient Chinese art of placement feng shui.
To do this, each member has its own place.
\"To meet her needs, Janet created an office in front of the house overlooking the garden, along with a media room that leads to her office as well as the living room and dining room.
When the media room is used for business, sliding opaque glass separates it from the home area.
When used for home time, it is closed from the office.
Roger is an actor. he\'s at 2000-
04 CBS series The District ended up with The grand entrance he wanted and The security of his home, partly provided by a clever iron fence depicting wood and The surrounding lot.
Behind the parking lot is a workshop-
Roger called it the office of the human world--
Women are not allowed.
Even the reporter was banned.
\"Dogs can leave bones on the floor and no one will move them,\" he said.
\"He has his own bathroom there and will soon add a steam shower.
However, in the adjacent backyard, women are allowed, where family members often entertain around stone fire pits and Japanese grills embedded in slabs --
Roger built a covered table.
He found the patio particularly attractive.
\"There is fire, there is meat,\" he said . \"
The couple\'s daughter, a high school graduate who is about to leave Princeton in June, has a comfortable bedroom on the second floor.
Her mother specially selected the north side of the house, providing the room with the softest natural light and relaxed atmosphere, but added a skylight to the high ceiling to prevent the room from becoming dim.
Tani said: \"They didn\'t want to leave when my friends came over.
\"Feel the influence of Tani in the foyer, where there are two stains --
The glass pieces she carefully made-
One depicting Buddha, the other depicting bonsai-
Hanging under the skylight.
The fourth resident of the House, Mitsui Qiuzi, has her territory behind the house, and the bedroom and bathroom are adjacent to the family room (
Second Family room upstairs)
, There is also a second level kitchen that meets her needs and can easily reach the terrace.
Janet also gave her own laundry area to her mom to \"stay in harmony,\" she said \".
\"Although the renovation was not completed until 2003, the couple has been planning since buying the house for $286,000 in 1997.
The house is 1,200-square-
The post-war bungalow in nearly a quarter-
Lots of acres, bars on windows, hidden in the street by a big tree.
\"It looks like a hidden house,\" Janet said . \".
But it has potential for families who want a house that needs to work upstairsand-
It\'s nearby.
First, they remove the bar from the window, trim the trees, and clean up the weeds and sundries in the field.
\"This is the basic feng shui,\" she said . \".
To determine the floor plan for the new house, the couple worked with Los Angeles architect James Monday.
By 2000, the plan has been completed, Roger has played his part in the TV show and now seems to be a good time to start working in the house.
The family moved to a rented house by the sea.
Earlier, Roger worked as a general contractor to save money.
Janet recalled that he was very happy with his two characters, one in the studio and one at the work site.
Six months later, however, only the framework was completed and Janet realized that he could not do justice for the two pursuits.
\"You need to do what you\'re best at, and that\'s to be an actor,\" Janet recalls . \" She told her husband and advised them to bring a licensed general contractor to her barber\'s
Janet and Luis Martinez worked together and took a year off to finish the house.
She went shopping with Martinez and purchased the slate in bulk, they used it on the floor, fireplace, bathroom wall and terrace;
The counters in the office, kitchen, laundry room and bathroom are all marble.
\"There\'s nothing better than finding bargains, is there? \" Janet said.
In order to continue the Asian features outside, Jeanette injected it with ponds, bamboo and Buddha statues.
To help decorate and choose the colors and materials inside, she hired Susan Taniguchi, an interior designer.
When the house was completed, the total price of the renovation was slightly higher than $1 million.
Janet called it a house built \"in the area.
\"The most recent valuation is $1. 6 million.
Having a design that emphasizes personal private space actually enhances their family life, says Janet.
The most important thing, she added, is that it brings a sense of peace \". \"Kathy Price-
Robinson has written about the remodeling for 16 years.
She can be contacted at www. kathyprice. com.
If you would like your remodel to be considered for pardoning our dust, please send it to the Los Angeles Times Real estate editor before and after a brief description of the picture and project, 202 W. 1st St. , L. A. , CA 90012. *(
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Project at glance: convert 1940 s bungalow to 5,000-square-foot Asian-
Home of artisans for three generations.
Region: Vista architect, March: James Zhou, Vista, March ,(310)559-
5192 builder: Luis Martinez
602195, Hollywood ,(323)816-