Home & Garden - Ranch & Coast

With plenty of floor-to-ceiling windows, this new home in Del Mar was built for panoramic views Del Mar Dream Home Anyone who has ever done it will tell you that building a new home in Del Mar takes more than material, construction, and land. The city of Del Mar is meticulous when it comes to deciding what should be built and how it should be, and this can lead to an extremely arduous permitting and building process. When Mike Angello purchased a lot in Del Mar back in the late '70s, he always knew that he would one day be building his retirement home there. Situated on a cul-de-sac in a four-lot subdivision and mainly designed by local architect Stuart Resor, the long-awaited house was finally completed this summer. Sure, retirement takes a while to achieve, but Angello didn't expect a six-year build out time from the first submittal of plans to the final inspection (it is just a house, after all), so plans have changed and the home is now currently for sale with Bob and Kathy Angello of Willis Allen Real Estate. The home features every possible upgrade you could imagine. The upgrades were not part of the original design, but rather came from on-site suggestions from the collaborative work of the general contractor Jim Broutzos and interior designer Simms Ferreira. With every change and upgrade the house was sent back through the city for approval, but if the added cost didn't scare Mike away, the building process wasn't going to, either. The architect's original design is most evident on the exterior fa?ade. Influenced by the later work of Frank Lloyd Wright with Asian eclectic undertones, the house's overhangs, windows, and balconies reach out in a subtle but angular geometry. Upon approach, the large custom lamps and hand to floor railing immediately express the large gesture of the front porch that extends the full length of the house. The site was a challenge to design, as it is a slope graded up from the street. The design takes advantage of the natural contours by building into the earth a foundation and lower story at street level that is equipped with a garage, a spare bedroom with bath, a wet bar and den, and a HVAC/utility room that forecasts anything but a moderate climate. In an attempt to make this lower level less subterranean, each room is equipped with a daylight cut to bring in natural light. Even the shower was given a skylight that is accented from outside with the signature copper that can be found on the roof and in the smaller details around the periphery of the house, such as the storm drains and exterior lighting fixtures. The real beauty of the house is on the top two levels that take full advantage of the ocean view. The main floor is an open plan, with living room, dining room, and kitchen connecting to one another. The living room is set down from the dining room by stairs, and the signature interior handrail made of steel, cables, and mahogany runs throughout. The fireplace is clad with travertine and it is the only wall that doesn't offer six-and-a-half-foot Pella aluminum-clad windows overlooking the ocean. Rich mahogany, glass mosaic tiles, and river rock details can be found on the surfaces of each uniquely-finished room on both the second and third floors. The stairwell, lit by windows and a skylight, brings you up to a master suite where the windows act like picture frames, isolating different views of the ocean and horizon beyond. The center window, positioned above the fireplace, is at just the right height for one to be able to watch the sun set on the ocean from bed. It may have been designed for someone with enough free time to while away the days in front of the ocean view, but you certainly don't need to be retired to appreciate the serenity of this Del Mar dream home. - Lauren Bender, photography by Roberto Zeballos ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Clockwise from left): Glass paperweight, Creative Co-op, Inc. jeweled frame, and Aleron box from Perfectly At Home in The Forum at Carlsbad; leather pen holder, silver-plated monkey letter opener, leather file holder, and leather paper tray from Bella Castilla in Rancho Santa Fe; antique iron Hondius Globe from Perfectly At Home; leather diary, leather journal, and King Henry and War & Peace book boxes from Bella Castilla; French Fleur bookend from Perfectly At Home; Crane & Co. stationary boxes from Seaside Papery in Coronado; glass starfish paperweight from Perfectly At Home; leather-trimmed desk tray, silver-plated monkey tape dispenser, and silver-plated ink blotter set from Bella Castilla; and pewter key magnifying glass from Perfectly At Home The Executive Office You might not be the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, but you can certainly have an office like one. Enjoy the time you spend in your home workspace by outfitting it with luxurious storage items and accessories. Practical desk necessities, like blotters, paperweights, and tape dispensers, now masquerade as fanciful objets d'art. Maybe you'll find yourself spending more time staring at your desk than you do working at it. - Tanja Kern, photography by Vincent Knakal ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Eco-Friendly Living Home has never been sweeter. North County's new award-winning Del Sur community ups the ante with a combination of nostalgic, regional architecture, small-town charm, and environmental sustainability. Sunflower shell countertops, wheatboard cabinets, and bamboo floors are only the beginning. Every home will incorporate satellite irrigation and tankless water heaters, and will use only energy-star appliances. At least 20 percent of the homes will be solar-powered, and almost all of the construction waste gets recycled. And speaking of recycling, Del Sur homes offer optional reclaimed building materials like timbers from an old pier in Portland, and floorboards from an old barn in the Midwest. Residents enjoy beautiful, eco-friendly homes, as well as 18 miles of trails that wind through Del Sur's seven new neighborhoods. (www.delsurliving.com) - JJ Hall ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ASID Clearance Sale Those with home design in mind should head over to the 9th annual ASID (American Society of Interior Designers) Clearance Sale on Saturday, August 19. Chaired by Tracy F. Taylor, allied member ASID, the sale is scheduled to take place at The Scottish Rite Masonic Center from 9am-5pm and will feature one-of-a-kind items from professional designers, designer showrooms, and clients' homes including furnishings, fabrics, frames, and accessories. Admission is $3 per person at the door. (858/646-9896, www.asidsandiego.org) - Jane Shiomi ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Organic Matters "Less is more when it comes to good design," says Cathy Gill, an award-winning ASID designer in Solana Beach. In her 20 years of experience, she's seen homeowners move away from overdone rooms to simpler spaces. Softness and comfort is a frequent request. Organic materials like leather, metal, wood, woven shades, and raffia are a natural way to achieve the look. "A well-designed space provides the owner with what's really important - a harmonious environment - rather than superficial decoration," she says. "Zen is in." (858/259-0626) - Tanja Kern ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Quilting Glee Whether a veteran quilter or a newbie looking to pick up the skill, the 25th Annual San Diego Quilt Show will provide plenty of inspiration and helpful advice on patchwork. From August 31 through September 2, view over 400 quilts, from those with traditional patterns and pictorials to innovative new designs, all on display at the San Diego Convention Center. Selected pieces will be for sale. Highlights of the show include the Quilting Bee, the Quilt Challenge, Wearable Art, and Opportunity Quilts. Other special exhibits, such as Dimensions in Dollmaking, offer different outlets in quilting. Enjoy featured pieces by Jan Krentz, a noted quilter and instructor, and pick up tips on various techniques such as applique and embroidery. A charity preview of the Quilt Show will be held August 30 from 6-9pm. Tickets can be purchased in advance, or at the door. (619/443-2706, www.sandiegoquiltshow.com) - Rina Van Orden
		A steel, cable, and mahogany handrail runs the perimeter of this warm, sunken living room with ocean views


		Dark woods, organic prints, and minimalist accessories - all arranged by Parker Rose Design in San Diego - bring contemporary flare to the rooms of the house

		A woodgrain kitchen with marbletop center island flows into the contemporary dining room, where natural light keeps every meal tasteful

		It's hard not to imagine riding the surf while you take a bath in this vista-view bathrooom

		The Art Of Nostalgia Ask anyone about the connection between art and advertising and he or she will throw out the name Andy Warhol. But the movement began long before him, back when art nouveau was flourishing in Paris and artists such as Edward Penfield, Alphonse Mucha, and even Picasso painted ads for local magazines and merchants while trying to make ends meet. Today, these highly-detailed and expertly-designed sales images, touting everything from wine to cigars to travel, are considered some of the most important art pieces of the past century. They are windows through time to a period when culture and art began colliding. The original posters have become extremely rare, and exist now only with collectors. Parkers Posters in San Diego contains one of the most exclusive collections of original vintage poster art in the country. Owners Arlene and George Parker began tracking down these rare posters in the 1970s, acquiring prints from as far back as the 1890s. Their inventory spans some 100 years, from the turn of the century up through World War II and into the 1980s. Many of them show the introduction of popular logos and their progression through time. "We love posters," says Arlene. "When we retired to San Diego, we realized there were no original poster galleries in the area, and three years ago we started our own." All of the Parkers' posters are preserved, archived, and are linen-backed. Expertly framed, they make great additions to any home or office. (858/270-0274, www.parkersposters.com) - Alicia Garcia

		Bathing In Beauty For all the time you spend primping, you might as well create a bath that is a pleasure to spend time in. Today's bathrooms are incorporating more customizable features than ever before, from cabinetry made of exotic woods and luxurious soaking tubs to handmade tiles and state-of-the-art radiant heat flooring for toasty toes. The eclectic showroom at International Bath and Tile in San Diego carries some of today's trendsetting bath products, including Dornbracht faucets, Robern cabinetry, Soko hardware, and Walker Zanger tile. The showroom's talented designers can help you create a room that's all your own. (858/268-3723, www.ibtsdiego.com) - Tanja Kern

		South Of The Border Mexico's landscape has lured visitors for centuries with its rugged charm and natural beauty. It's home to a large population of artists who, over time - and with the influence of Spanish settlers - have honed their skills in pottery shaping, textile weaving, painting, and furniture making. Laurel Smith and Laurie Wilson, owners of Laura y Laura in Solana Beach, hand-select Mexican antiques and furnishings for their customers to enjoy in their own homes. Peruse their collections of carved mirrors, cabinets, and decor accents to find that special something. Design services are also available. (858/345-1286, www.lauraylaura.com) - Tanja Kern