54 DO IT YOURSELF Winter 2020
&
GIVE
TAKE
THE MOYSA FAMILY (GEOFF, BRI, GREYSON, AGE 12, EMERSON, 9,
AND DOG CHOPPER) SHARE A TWO-BEDROOM, ONE-BATHROOM
1,000-SQUARE-FOOT CONDO—AND FOR GOOD REASON.
“Southern California is crazy expensive, and this
is what we can afford ... we can’t see ourselves too
far from the ocean, and with that location comes an
expense,” Bri says of their thoughts when deciding to
buy a home instead of rent. “Do we move inland and
get more house for our money, or do we stay here and
make it work? We chose to stay and make it work.”
Investing in their condo was worth it, thanks to
a few fabulous features: the condo’s location ( just 15
minutes from Dana Point), outdoor space (a nice-size
backyard), and a nearly blank slate for transformation.
But that also meant seeing past dated rooms in a
sea of baby blue—on carpet, vertical blinds, even the
toilet seat!—to what the condo could be, once clad
in interior stylist Bri’s signature tans, grays, blacks,and whites. She is quick to credit Geoff for being
an excellent teammate—the perspiration beside her
inspiration—and tackling every project that came
their way. Together they tore out carpet, spruced up
the concrete underneath, overhauled the kitchen,
installed benches and a vanity, beefed up baseboards,
and crafted wood shelves for nearly every room.
The cozy condo makes the most of every inch, and
it all bears the Moysas’ modern, fit-for-a-family
fingerprints.
“There’s a pride that comes with knocking
these things out yourself and knowing you single-
handedly made your home what it is,” Bri says. “It’s
all on us to get it done.” The result is totally worth
the give-and-take.UP THE WALLSBri’s husband, Geoff, crafted a display ladder out of $9 worth of lumber, above right, to
gather an arrangement of beautiful blankets. Shallow ledges on another wall barely intrude into a pathway
through the room but still showcase favorite artwork.