291 Walnut Street

‘Sometimes you don’t have to travel far to find home. For AJ Olson Whitfield, a realtor and broker in coastal Orange County, home is located just across the street from her family’s previous residence. However, even though they didn’t have to move far, it was quite a journey to get to home sweet home, one that included demolishing the existing house and building a new one-that exuded coastal farmhouse style- from scratch on the lot.

My contractor husband, Garrett, and I love a blank slate,” AJ says. “We built our home from the ground up. I feel that new construction can sometimes come off flat, so it was important to bring in elements that gave life to the designs.” They did this by pulling from both their coastal and farmhouse styles and melding clean and purposeful lines with a welcoming touch. “Garrett and I are a great team,” AJ says.

Most people think we are crazy … and this may be true, but we love having a vision and then turning it into a reality.” By combining their talents, they created a stunning coastal farmhouse with modern influences.’ —Autumn Krause for Cottages & Bungalows