They Love Surfing So Much They Put a Skate Ramp in Their Front Yard

Leah and Jakeh Bradley’s refreshed California midcentury is a love letter to the beach, with counterculture heirlooms, sandy colors, and plants that create a paradise for their three young kids.

Surfing is in Leah and Jakeh Bradley’s blood. Both born into families of surfers, the Southern California natives grew up in and around the water, spending long days at the beach. "My dad was a professional surfer, so for most of my childhood, I was either in the water on a board, or cheering him on while building forts on the beach," says Leah. "Jakeh was raised the same way with a dad who had him on his back surfing and skating as a small toddler."

When neighbors were getting rid of an old half pipe, Leah and Jakeh scooped it up, creating a skate ramp for their three kids in the front yard of the Costa Mesa, California, midcentury they renovated. "We bordered it with plants to make it feel like it was always there," says Leah.

Photo by Amanda Sanford

The couple met in high school, got married at 19, and eventually had kids of their own. "It’s been so fun growing up together and growing our sweet little family," says Leah. Since the ocean was such a big part of her and Jake’s upbringing, they knew they wanted to raise their kids the same way—spending as much time as possible in the sun, sand, and surf. After welcoming their second child, they began to feel the squeeze of their beachside townhome and started a house hunt.

The Bradleys quickly zeroed in on location—a charming Costa Mesa neighborhood filled with midcentury homes—and waited patiently for the right one to come up. The search got off to a bumpy start, with the couple losing out on two homes before falling in love with a third, a 1955 ranch-style on a quiet street. "I immediately fell in love with the large lot," recalls Leah. "The yard space was so incredible with so much potential." The couple eagerly put in an offer, but were devastated when, again, they narrowly missed out. Two weeks later, Leah and Jakeh got a call—naturally, while at the beach—that the other offer had fallen out of escrow. Soon thereafter, the home they fell in love with was theirs.

A globe pendant original to the home—but not much else—was salvaged in the vintage kitchen’s remodel. Two partitions—one for a breakfast bar, and one that formed the entry—were removed to open up the space and improve flow.

Courtesy of Leah Bradley

Light pours into the renovated kitchen from all directions, with a new natural palette making the room a warm and inviting family space. Leah replaced the dated floors throughout the home with Hakwood engineered European oak in a finish called Aura.

Photo by Amanda Sanford

See the full story on Dwell.com: They Love Surfing So Much They Put a Skate Ramp in Their Front Yard
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