Rookwood: A Fixer / Full-Home Renovation in Scripps Ranch

 

Rookwood is a full-home renovation in Scripps Ranch, completed in 2022 over an 8-month build. The project started with a clarifying conversation: our clients wanted to be close to friends and family in this part of San Diego and came to us thinking they wanted a custom home on a vacant lot. After walking them through the available land and what a ground-up build would mean for their timeline and budget, the better answer became clear. We helped them find a 2,802 sq. ft. fixer-upper built in 1970, backing onto Jerabek Park with open space and canyon access. Then we transformed it into the home they were originally trying to build from scratch.

The original house was tired but well-located: dated kitchen, original bathrooms, closed-off floor plan, but a strong downstairs primary suite, a solid lot, and an existing owned solar array of 26 panels. The renovation kept what was working and rebuilt the rest. Structural work opened up the main level into a true open-concept floor plan. The kitchen was rebuilt from the studs with custom cabinetry, built-in appliances, and a Miele coffee system. Every bathroom was gut renovated. The upstairs media room was finished out as a dedicated entertainment space. Wall textures, finishes, and the home bar were added throughout, alongside a whole-home Sonos audio system.

The original house is largely unrecognizable from what's there now. The before photos toward the bottom of this page show what the property looked like the day we took possession.

 
 
Wooden front door with black handle and glass panel, white exterior wall, black mailbox on the left, doorbell on the right, two decorative dog statues on each side of the door, and a brown doormat with diamond and arrow pattern.
Open-concept living room and kitchen with wooden flooring, white cabinets, black refrigerator, dining table with chairs, black pendant lights, sliding glass doors, and outdoor patio.
Open-plan kitchen and living area with white cabinets, a black kitchen island, brown barstools, a tan leather sofa, large windows, and hardwood floors.
Modern kitchen with white cabinets, a large marble island, black pendant lights, stainless steel appliances, and a sliding glass door leading to a backyard.
Modern white kitchen with brass handles, large window with a view of trees, and stainless steel appliances, including a refrigerator and oven.
Modern kitchen with white cabinets and marble countertops, stainless steel oven, and black utensils in a holder.
Modern white kitchen with stainless steel refrigerator, gas stove, and marble countertops, with a window overlooking a garden.
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A modern home bar with a white wine cooler, glass shelves with various liquor bottles, a gold faucet, and a window showing a house and trees outside.
Modern open-concept kitchen and living room with white cabinetry, wood flooring, black and wood accent furniture, large windows, and black pendant lighting
Living room with white brick fireplace, grey and green chairs, a patterned rug, and framed artwork on the wall.
Living room with white walls, light wood floors, a large wooden dining table with six chairs, a green sofa, a gray armchair, a fireplace, window with blinds showing trees outside, and a brown wooden sliding door.
Clean, modern bedroom with a bed, TV mounted on the wall, wood trunks, and a view of the bathroom with vanity and lighting.
Modern white bathroom with double vanity, black fixtures, round mirrors, and a glass-enclosed shower with black showerhead and handheld sprayer.
Modern white bathroom with a glass-enclosed shower, black fixtures, and built-in shelves, featuring a window and a white vanity with a black faucet.
Modern bathroom with white cabinetry, marble countertop, large mirror, black fixtures, glass-enclosed shower with black hardware and a window, and wood flooring.
Modern bathroom with white walls, black vanity with dual sinks, large mirror, and a white bathtub with a curtain. There are small windows near the ceiling and black fixtures throughout.
Living room with a beige sectional sofa, a large dark gray bean bag, a wall-mounted television, a mirror leaning against the wall, a window with a view of green trees, and minimal decor.
Modern kitchenette with black lower cabinets, white countertop, black faucet, framed artwork of San Diego on the wall, small wine fridge, and a potted plant.
Overhead view of a staircase leading down to a dining area with wooden floor, white walls, a modern pendant light, a dining table, chairs, and a window.
Minimalist bathroom with white walls, white sink with a gold faucet, gold cabinet handle, and a white toilet. A white door is reflected in a mirror. A modern light fixture with elongated white and gold bulbs hangs from the ceiling.

Project Specs:

  • Location: Scripps Ranch, San Diego, CA (92131)

  • Project type: Full-home renovation of an existing single-family residence

  • Year completed: 2022

  • Renovation timeline: 8 months

  • Square footage: 2,802 sq. ft.

  • Bedrooms / bathrooms: 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, plus media room and office

  • Original house built: 1970

  • Lot: Backs onto Jerabek Park with direct open space and canyon access

  • Scope of work: Structural reframing for open-concept floor plan, full kitchen renovation, gut renovation of every bathroom, media room buildout, finish carpentry, electrical and plumbing updates, exterior refresh

  • Kitchen: Custom cabinetry, built-in appliances, Miele coffee system, marble island, designer pendant lighting

  • Bathrooms: Fully gutted and rebuilt, including primary suite, secondary baths, and powder rooms

  • Smart home: Whole-home Sonos sound system

  • Energy: 26-panel owned solar array (retained from original)

  • Other features: Home bar with wine fridge, dedicated upstairs media room, custom wall texture and finish work throughout

  • Schools: Miramar Ranch Elementary, Thurgood Marshall Middle, Scripps Ranch High

What it looked like before we started, yeesh…

Living room with brown leather sofa, black coffee table, light blue cabinet, cream walls, hardwood floor, framed black and white photos, curtains, and a view into the kitchen.
Living room with a brown leather sectional sofa, a black ottoman, framed artwork, and a table lamp. The room has wood flooring and a staircase leading to the upper level.
Living room with beige walls, a white brick fireplace with a mirror above it, a piano, armchair, and large windows with white shutters.
Kitchen with white cabinets, granite countertops, built-in microwave, gas stove, refrigerator, wood flooring, and a window with floral valance.
Kitchen with white cabinets, black appliances, granite countertops, hardwood flooring, and a view of an outdoor patio.
Dining room with a wooden table, six chairs, a chandelier, a floral centerpiece, and a wall-mounted TV.
Bathroom vanity with a large mirror, a white sink, a potted orchid, framed pictures, and white towels hanging on towel bars.
Bedroom with a bed covered in a white coverlet, blue blanket, and striped pillows, a ceiling fan, mirrored closet doors, and a wooden desk with a television and bookshelf.
Bathroom with white tiled countertop, sink, silver faucet, and a potted orchid plant. There is a large mirror, framed artwork, towel rings with a towel, and a separate shower area with a patterned curtain.
Living room with red sectional sofa, black armchair, wooden coffee table, bookshelf, framed movie posters, window with shutter, and ceiling fan.
Small bathroom with beige walls, a black granite countertop vanity with a white sink, a mirror, a framed black and white photo, a green wreath on the wall, a decorative dish with rocks on top of the toilet, a framed sunflower artwork, a towel bar wit
Front porch with wooden door, hanging lantern, bench, potted plant, window, bushes, and white picket fence.

Why we work in Scripps Ranch

Scripps Ranch is one of the strongest renovation markets in San Diego County. The neighborhood started developing in the late 1960s and 1970s and most of the original housing stock is still standing. That means a lot of homes still carry original kitchens, original bathrooms, and closed-off floor plans that don't match how families want to live today. The lots are good, the schools are strong (Miramar Ranch, Thurgood Marshall, and Scripps Ranch High are all walking or short-drive distance for most of the neighborhood), and the established setting makes people want to stay and renovate rather than move.

Projects here usually involve some combination of layout changes, kitchen and bath gut renovations, structural work to open up interiors, and exterior refreshes. We've completed multiple renovations across Scripps Ranch and the surrounding North Inland communities, and we know what to expect from these homes structurally, mechanically, and permitting-wise.

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