Built in the 1980s and largely left untouched for decades, Villa Secreta had been neglected—but underneath it all were extraordinary bones and original details worth protecting. Sam and I purchased the property as an investment and undertook a complete whole-home renovation with a clear intention: preserve the soul of the original house while creating a home that would function beautifully for a modern family. We kept and restored the original Saltillo floors, architectural beams, Roman tubs, and much of the home’s existing layout, while completely reimagining the spaces that needed to work harder. The kitchen was opened and substantially expanded, the laundry room was enlarged, and the entire home was layered with handmade materials and collected details to create the feeling of a Spanish home that had evolved naturally over time.

Full-home renovation and interior design, including space planning, kitchen expansion and redesign, laundry room expansion, bathroom design, architectural preservation, custom cabinetry, flooring restoration, lighting and plumbing selections, stone and handmade tile specification, material sourcing, and final styling. Throughout the renovation, Beckon carefully balanced restoration and reinvention—preserving original Saltillo, beams, Roman tubs, and architectural character while introducing handmade zellige, natural stone, wood cabinetry, brass fixtures, and old-world details throughout.

Villa Secreta became a deeply characterful Spanish-inspired home that feels collected rather than newly constructed—rich in handmade materials, natural texture, and original architectural details, yet entirely comfortable for modern family life.

The response to the finished home was immediate. Villa Secreta received more than 200 Zillow saves within its first 24 hours on the market, attracted multiple offers, and ultimately sold for $2.1 million—setting a record for the highest sale price in the neighborhood at the time. The property has continued to appreciate since the sale.

For us, Villa Secreta became proof that thoughtful preservation, exceptional design, and intelligent real estate investment can work beautifully together. Preserving a home’s soul isn’t at odds with creating value—it can be one of the very things that creates it.