Type
Residential
Location
Venice Beach, CA
Year
2023
Area
1,400 sq ft
Materials
1,200 board feet of reclaimed oak and pine
Timeline
8 weeks
Budget Range
$45,000 - $60,000
Wood Species Used
- White Oak (beams)
- Heart Pine (flooring)
- Reclaimed Douglas Fir (trim)
Finishes Applied
- Natural tung oil on flooring
- Clear matte polyurethane on beams
- Beeswax on trim elements
Project Story
This 1930s bungalow near the Venice canals was in desperate need of renovation while preserving its historic character. The homeowners, a young couple who had purchased the property as their first home, wanted materials that felt authentic to the era while incorporating modern livability.
The home had suffered decades of neglect, with sagging floors, water-damaged ceiling joists, and original trim that had been painted over multiple times. Rather than gutting the entire space and starting over with new materials, the owners committed to a sustainable renovation approach that would honor the home's history.
We supplied reclaimed white oak beams for the exposed ceiling structure — sourced from a deconstructed textile mill in Vernon, these beams were nearly 90 years old and matched the scale and patina that the home's original builders would have used. The tight grain and warm golden tone of the old-growth oak was a perfect complement to the bungalow's Craftsman roots.
For the flooring throughout the main living areas, kitchen, and bedrooms, we provided antique heart pine planks salvaged from a warehouse demolition in the Boyle Heights neighborhood. Heart pine, the dense heartwood of longleaf pine trees that once blanketed the American South, is no longer commercially available from new sources. The planks showed rich amber-to-honey coloring with dramatic figure patterns that only develop in trees that grew for over 100 years.
Our team custom-milled the pine flooring to tongue-and-groove specifications with a uniform 5.5-inch width, then hand-finished each plank with natural tung oil. The oil brought out the deep warmth of the old-growth wood without the plastic look of modern polyurethane coatings.
Reclaimed Douglas fir was used for all new window and door trim, baseboards, and crown molding profiles. We matched the existing original profiles using reference pieces found during demolition, milling the reclaimed fir on our custom shaper to replicate the exact dimensions and profiles.
The project diverted over 1,200 board feet of lumber from landfills and saved the equivalent of 5 mature trees from being harvested. The homeowners now have a space that feels genuinely historical — because the materials in it genuinely are.
Before & After
BBefore
Before renovation, the bungalow featured damaged particle board subflooring covered with worn carpet, painted-over original trim in poor condition, and sagging ceiling joists concealed by a dropped acoustic tile ceiling. The kitchen had vinyl flooring and laminate countertops. Many original details had been removed or covered over in previous decades of quick-fix repairs.
AAfter
After renovation, the home showcases stunning reclaimed heart pine plank flooring throughout, exposed white oak ceiling beams restored to their natural beauty, and historically accurate Douglas fir trim profiles. The open living area glows with the warm amber tones of old-growth lumber. The kitchen features the same heart pine flooring with a reclaimed oak butcher block island. Every room feels authentically period-appropriate while being fully modernized.
Material Specifications
Ceiling Beams
Reclaimed white oak, 6x8" nominal, ~90 years old, sourced from Vernon textile mill. Clear-finished with matte polyurethane.
Flooring
Antique heart pine, 3/4" x 5.5" tongue-and-groove planks, ~120 years old, sourced from Boyle Heights warehouse. Finished with natural tung oil.
Trim & Moldings
Reclaimed Douglas fir, various profiles custom-milled to match original 1930s patterns. Finished with beeswax.
Kitchen Island Top
Reclaimed white oak edge-grain butcher block, 2" thick, food-safe mineral oil finish.
Project Timeline
Consultation & Material Selection
1 weekMet with the homeowners and their contractor to discuss goals, inspect the existing structure, and walk our yard to hand-select materials.
Material Preparation
2 weeksDenailed and cleaned all lumber. Custom-milled pine flooring to tongue-and-groove specs. Profiled Douglas fir trim to match originals.
Beam Installation
1 weekRemoved dropped ceiling and installed reclaimed oak beams with steel connectors. Structural engineer verified all load requirements.
Flooring Installation
2 weeksInstalled heart pine flooring throughout living areas, kitchen, and bedrooms. Applied tung oil finish in three coats with 24-hour cure between coats.
Trim & Finish Work
2 weeksInstalled all window and door trim, baseboards, and crown molding. Applied beeswax finish. Final punch list and touch-ups.
Challenges & Solutions
Challenge
The existing floor structure was out of level by up to 1.5 inches across the main living area, common in homes of this age.
Solution
We worked with the contractor to sister new joists alongside the originals and used self-leveling compound to create a flat substrate before installing the reclaimed pine flooring.
Challenge
Several of the white oak beams had old mortise pockets from their previous life in the textile mill, which the homeowners initially wanted filled.
Solution
We convinced them to leave the mortise pockets exposed as character features, cleaning them out and lightly sanding the interiors. The homeowners now say these details are their favorite feature of the renovation.
Challenge
The heart pine planks varied in thickness by up to 1/8 inch due to their different origins within the warehouse.
Solution
We ran every plank through our thickness planer to achieve uniform 3/4" thickness while preserving the face patina, only removing material from the back side of each board.
“Walking into our home now, you can feel the history in the materials. These floors have lived a whole life before us, and there is something deeply satisfying about giving them another century of use. The team at LA Lumber didn't just sell us wood — they helped us tell a story with our home.”
Sarah & Miguel R.
Homeowners