Out of every home I have ever done this has to be my favourite. My clients were extremely trusting and gave me the freedom to create whatever I envisioned, this was a dream come true project. This house had 4 fireplaces that were extremely boring. They had traditional facades that didn’t make sense with the modern architecture. I wanted to “sex” it up a bit. This house was for a couple and their almost off to college son. I remember at the time traveling down to the Mayan Riviera, book matched onyx walls were the rage. Kelly Wearstler had done “The Tides” using it and I loved it! They also lit up their bars from the inside of onyx, another sexy touch that I used in the pool cabana. These clients were perennial entertainers so we needed to create spaces that were welcoming and glamorous. We had a men’s room which represented the fire element and a women’s bathroom which represented the water element. I look back on this project which was almost 13 years ago and believe it still stands the test of time.

This project was almost a tear down but we took it back to the studs and reconfigured the spaces still keeping the structural bones in place. The house was dated and needed a new identity. I love to create a story about a house that I design. This theme came to me as I was dreaming and scheming one night. I studied interior design in LA and learned to love the architecture that was birthed in the 30’s and 40’s, Art Deco and Art Moderne. The latter was reminiscent of being on a ship with built ins and rounded corners and windows. Rincon is a famous surf spot on the west coast just south of Santa Barbara and north of Ventura, also called “The Queen of the Coast” . I wanted this house to feel like you were on a yacht with Vistas and builtins and decks that led to views of the river mouth. We kept it light and airy and mostly modern but I love to add unexpected antiques and tiles to warm things up and make it feel lived in. This was a family house that needed to accommodate children with sandy feet and wet dogs so nothing could be too fussy.