A CAPE WORTH THE WAIT
Renovations almost always take
longer than expected. But for Wendy and Tom Braun, it wasn’t bad weather, building permits, or back orders that held up their home’s remodel for more than a decade.
It was getting unstuck.
They had found their dream house in the Los Angeles suburb of Yorba Linda in 2005. Like much of Orange County, Yorba Linda is crammed with ranches and Spanish-style homes. So when Wendy—who had grown up in Tennessee, and is drawn to more traditional architecture—saw the only Cape around for miles, she was sold.
Built in 1974, the house held 2,800 square feet, with three bedrooms and two and a half baths, and was in surprisingly good shape. Wendy also knew it wasn’t perfect. “Everything was dated, but it functioned well enough,” she says. “We were in
