BY

JODY GARLOCK

PHOTOS

EDMUND BARR

STYLING

CHAR HATCH LANGOS

SQUEEZEPLAY

Two parents, three rambunctious boys,

and a dog under one not-so-big roof?

It all adds up to pure bliss for this family.

Among the low-slung bouses in this quiet old neighborhood in Corona

del Mar, California, the Fenmore house is the place to be. Preteen boys

shoot baskets on the driveway and pile onto the diningroom benches for

PB&Js. “They don’t mind being packed in like sardines,” says mom Chris.

Never mind that, in a neighborhood where many homes have been

transformed into larger Mediterranean- or Spanish-style mini mansions,

this one remains an unassuming 1956 ranch. Or that it’s still a tad tight,

even when it’s just Chris, husband Eric, and their three sons, ages 2 to 11.

When the Fenmores bought the house 10 years ago, Chris dreamed

big. “I had that fantasy of adding on, but over time I realized that we

could live comfortably in a small three-bedroom house. We just needed

it to open up.” Removing a structural wall between the living and dining

rooms was key. “I wanted that wall out no matter what we had to do,” says

Chris, an avid cook who was at wit’s end with the hemmed in kitchen. “1

would have taken a sledgehammer to it myself if it had been up any

longer.” A house that turned its back on the outdoors didn’t cut it either,

especially for a couple who owns a landscape design business.

Opposite:

After getting their outdoor spaces in shape, Chris and Eric Fenmore, with

sons,

from top

, Shane, Henry, and J.P., tackled their 1950s ranch.

Above right:

Reclaimed

bricks laid in herringbone and basket-weave patterns cover the driveway. A pair of

chairs are comfy spots for watching basketball games.

Above left

: Chris displays 1960s

dishes in the hutch. “The pops of color remind me of a simpler time,” she says.

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JULY 2008 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS