contemporary craftsman · out the home are impressive stained-glass features designed by noble...

Ultimate Design for Family Living

CONTEMPORARY CRAFTSMAN

READERS’ RESTAURANT POLL RESULTS

READERS’ RESTAURANT POLL RESULTS

KITCHENS THAT SIZZLE

KITCHENS THAT SIZZLE44

THANKSGIVING SIDE DISHES THANKSGIVING SIDE DISHES33

Contempo Craftsman in Carmel Valley

By Ramona Wi ll is d’ V iola | images By i lumus PhotogRaPhy

Special PlaceAll Ages

Afor

32 San Diego Home/garDen LifeStyLeS | november 2010

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“Mom — can I tell the rest of the story?” says Joseph, bounding into the kitchen. The 10-year-old’s tale of dis-covery soon takes on the proportions of a Lewis and Clark expedition. “I found our lot, and it was my favorite number, so I told my mom we should live here.”

“And, thus, the flag was planted in this uncharted territory,” says Esther with an indulgent chuckle.

Looking out at the panorama of open land surrounded by mountains and canyons, with unobstructed views to the ocean, she knew immediately it

was a special place.“I called my partner, Jan, and said, ‘I

think we’re in trouble.’” Four hundred feet above sea level, the

aptly named Preserve at Del Mar sits atop a mesa surrounded by Los Peñas-quitos Canyon Preserve. The luxury

Architect Mark Morris created this “con-temporized Craftsman” home for a family of five in Del Mar Mesa. The design pays homage to Frank Lloyd Wright and the Arts & Crafts movement.

November 2010 | sandiegohomegarden.com 33

M idway through a remodeling project on her family’s Carmel Valley home Esther Stearns

stumbled upon a new development nearby. “Our twins were napping,” says Esther,

“so, my oldest son and I decided to take a bike ride through Del Mar Mesa and

explore the canyons near our home.”

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34 SAN DIEGO HOME/GARDEN LIFESTYLES | NOVEMBER 2010

Double-sided fireplace serves both the foyer and this game room. The architect chose locally quarried stone and Douglas fir from the Pacific coast to keep the design period appropriate for a Southern California home.

Opposite top: The homeowners and their children love to cook in this well-equipped kitchen. The sink looks out to the back-yard and beyond to the Pacific Ocean.

Opposite bottom: The Craftsman details continue in the spacious and well-illumi-nated dining room.



development was designed to accommo-date 32 homes on quarter- and half-acre lots, with breathtaking vistas in every direction — and plenty of space between the homes.

“The sense of privacy, and the beau-tiful, natural setting really appealed to us — and, we really wanted a pool,” says Esther, president and chief operat-ing officer of LBL Financial. “Once Jan saw the property, it didn’t take much convincing to put a stop to the remod-el and build our family home here.”

Envisioning their future home, the

Stearnses hired La Jolla architect Mark Morris, principal at Oasis Architec-ture & Design. “Jan and Esther had a medium-sized house in mind for their expanding family,” says Morris. “They had purchased the develop-ment’s pre-eminent lot, and the scale of the property required a home that would complement its proportions. We agreed to expand the scope of the project, giving the surrounds and the structure a nice balance.”

One and half years in the planning and another year and half in construc-

tion, the 9,000-square-foot residence is described as “contemporized Crafts-man” by Morris, who paid homage to the Pacific Rim Craftsman style popu-larized by the Arts & Crafts movement and, of course, Frank Lloyd Wright.

“The development’s guidelines stip-ulated homes be built in a historic style,” says Morris. “I wanted to cre-ate something of historical relevance utilizing local materials. The design is classic and period-appropriate for a coastal Southern California home.”

Numerous variations on the Tuscan villa already were under construction when Morris submitted his drawings. There was push back from the prop-erty committee, but his argument about the origins and relevance of the Craftsman style prevailed. Bringing the environment and resources of the Southwestern United States to bear, Morris used locally quarried stone and Douglas fir from the Pacific coast.

“This is a home that belongs here,” says Morris. “Not a region in Italy.”

And Twins MAke FiveTowheaded bookends, Christopher and Kylie are the couple’s athletic 8-year-old twins. Rotating between tram-poline and custom swing set, Kylie, lithe as Spiderman and always ready to strike a pose, has volunteered as photographer’s assistant and sometime model. Meanwhile, Christopher has “alone time” with his music teacher. The young drummer taps out a para-diddle and soon Kylie jumps in to accompany her brother on piano. It’s a Norman Rockwell scene come to life.

The house has a homey feeling, in spite of its custom origins. Entering the massive oak door, the foyer is bathed

Opposite: The sitting area of the master bedroom is warmed by a stone fireplace. Laird Plumleigh tile at right of fireplace.

Left: Asian rugs and custom stained glass in the massive entry door bathe the foyer in a spectrum of colors.



in a spectrum of colors from custom stained glass and plush Asian rugs. The double-sided hearth warms the entrance and a game room on the opposite side of a river-rock wall. Colored light from leaded panes washes the stairway lead-ing to the family’s living quarters.

Every room serves a true purpose — with lots of cozy window seats for read-ing and daydreaming. The kid’s music room is outfitted with guitars, a piano, drum kit, various percussion instru-ments and a couple of horns. A covered outdoor TV room near Jan’s office can

be seen from the galley kitchen or the family room nearby. Steps away is a multi-hued swimming pool with kids’ toys stacked neatly nearby.

“We built the house around the kids,” says Jan. “We have sight lines from almost every location. It gives us peace of mind.”

The couple and their kids love to cook — together. The autumn-hued marble counters and enormous island/bar seat-ing were designed with little chefs-in-training in mind. A couple of step stools assist with minimum height require-

ments and Christopher can toss up a mean salad. The kitchen sink, overlook-ing the backyard with an unobstructed view to the Pacific, almost makes you look forward to doing the dishes.

“With Mark, we were getting a team — not just an architect,” says Esther. “Cherie Noble, Mark’s in-house design-er, worked with us in every aspect of the interior. She introduced us to con-cepts and helped us create a beautiful, livable home — a balance between the structure and the living space.”

Cherie Noble (formerly of Oasis) guided the homeowners through the interior-design process with a cohesive, elegant, functional and period-appropri-ate approach to living scapes. Through-out the home are impressive stained-glass features designed by Noble accented by ceramic tiles designed by Laird Plum-leigh. “I took the color palette from the canyons and applied it throughout the house in fabrics, textures and repetitive elements,” says Noble.

In the kids’ rooms, the couple just let Noble “run with it.” She selected different tile motifs from European Kitchen Bath & Tile, paired with complementary towels and linens. Each room bears the imprimatur of its inhabitant — rockets for Joseph, sea-scapes for Kylie and the wild blue yon-der for Christopher.

PlaygroundsA bike path surrounds the lot, which has very little automobile traffic. Access to hiking trails and wilderness explora-tion abound. A custom jungle gym and trampoline get daily workouts from three active kids. A section of the property, built with raised beds, is already produc-

continued on page 40

Opposite: Upstairs, a long corridor leads to the master-bedroom suite.

Left: The master bath would look at home in a luxury resort. A walk-in shower, soak-ing tub, stained-glass ceiling and views galore are among the amenities.



ing vegetables, herbs, fruits and citrus. Kylie shows off her crop of onions, parsley and strawberries while lemon blossoms scent the garden.

Although the home is not LEED-certified, Morris and the homeowners thought it appropriate to incorporate renewable practices and sustainable ener-gy sources for this large home. A bank of solar panels on the property — but not on the roof — has thus far gener-ated enough energy to run the household (including heating the pool and hot tub) without an assist from SDG&E.

For Esther and Jan’s living quarters, however, a grown-up sensibility pre-vails. The couple’s bedroom is the defi-nition of sanctuary, encompassing more than 1,200 square feet. A small, double-sided hearth warms a large sitting room used for reading, chess or watching an old movie. Adjacent, a home office serves as a conference room when Esther needs to work from home or talk to the other side of the world. It’s conveniently located next to a hot tub on the deck.

The suite’s bathroom is five-star spa worthy. Double marble vanities, walk-in glass shower and a soaking tub with a view of the hills, is infused in sooth-ing green hues from stained-glass ceil-ings. Arched and polished wood give the space gravitas. A walk-in closet — the size of a small Manhattan apart-ment — completes the dressing area.

The couple’s bedroom commands a sweeping southwesterly view with decks overlooking the backyard, the canyons and on to the coast. Cushioned window seats provide more nooks for bedtime stories. Family photos line the hearth, and the sound of children laughing finds its way wherever you are. S

Where to find it, page 126

A Special Place for All Agescontinued from page 39

To see more images of this house or to enter our Homes of the Year contest visit sandiegohomegarden.com

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~ Lighting & Home Decor ~7816 Miramar Road • San Diego

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