What do an 1885 Victorian in San Francisco, an 1870s Federal townhouse in Manhattan, and an 1840 Greek Revival house in Sag Harbor have in common? They’re all the former pet projects of John de Neufville, a real estate investor whose passion for renovating historic homes stems from a lifelong love of architecture. “My mother grew up in New Orleans and always had an affection for old houses,” he says. The interest in them certainly rubbed off on him.
So when he heard about a historic 1924 Spanish Colonial home while contemplating a move with his family to Santa Monica—his wife, Allison de Neufville, a fashion consultant for brands like Dolce & Gabbana, Aerin Lauder, and Edie Parker, grew up on the West Coast—he knew he had landed on his next rehabilitation subject. “Despite its run-down condition, the house had this aura of greatness,” he remembers of their first visit. “We knew immediately that it was a project that we wanted to pursue.”
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