Sharon Hilliard, wife of Del Mar Mayor Carl Hilliard, hired a private investigator to find the perfect carpenter to help her realize the design of her Del Mar home

Arts And Crafts Abode
This Del Mar home is one of the finest examples of Arts and Crafts Revival in the San Diego region, with every detail expressing the very nature of the style. Situated on a quiet corner, the integrity of exploded externalized structure distinguishes the house from the onset, while the interior continues to reveal the delicate finishing work of handcrafted detailing in wood, glass, and stone. Each of the artists and craftsmen were carefully selected for their achievement and skill to form the vision of the home’s designer, Sharon Hilliard.

Known more for being Del Mar’s first lady, Sharon Hilliard, wife of Del Mar Mayor Carl Hilliard, designed this home for her family back in 1996. The composition took about two years to reach completion. Each room was sculpted and finessed individually and allowed to reach its finished state before the next room’s embellishment began. This deliberate artist-oriented patience allowed the complex woodwork to take its definitive finishing touches, expressed with the joints and pegs of the Arts and Crafts structural style, as well as unique stained glass windows found though out the house.

The front entrance door’s window panels are graced with impressive stained glass pine trees, framed with the same solid Honduras mahogany used in other smoothed and softened wood details of the home. All the wood, including the mahogany, white pine, and birdseye maple, were finished with a special liquid beeswax that offers the finished quality of satin. The pine trees in these first panels are further reflected in each of the adjoining windows, with their branches reaching across the home’s elevation from the entranceway into the adjoining living room that overlooks the koi pond and stone gate beyond. Each panel of stained glass, designed by local artist Ron Margole, is designed within a unifying theme. Inspired by the location of the house and by Asian landscape paintings, lines of fog and distant hills are set against dogwood, wisteria, and pine trees.

The pine tree motif is echoed on the handmade engraved hammered copper gates, held in place by the thick stonewall that encloses the front yard and large koi pond, designed by Takendo Arii, the landscape architect who designed the serene outdoors of the Golden Door. From the pond runs a waterfall that cascades down and around the house to the lower part of the back yard. The natural stonewall was laid with a random anti-pattern coursing, interspersed with clinker bricks to accentuate the rustic nature of the Arts and Crafts styling. This unique stone and clinker brick pairing continues around the house, carefully articulating the structure, fireplaces, and patios, in contrast to the wooden beams and overhangs, signatures of the Arts and Crafts style.

When Sharon decided that this Del Mar home was going to take on the best of what Greene and Greene offered to the Craftsman-style movement, she knew exactly which carpenter was best for the job. However, it had been several years since Vincent Skidmore had completed the Mayor’s office furniture, and after several attempts to find him, still to no avail, Sharon did what any determined designer would do: she hired a private investigator. Judging by the finished product, it was certainly a good thing she did. Most notably impressive is the stairwell, borrowed from an original Greene and Greene design. The symbolized structure is expressed with true artistry.

In keeping with the influences the Arts and Crafts movement, which originated from the direct influence of traditional Japanese design and building techniques, the Hilliard’s home is complete with beautiful artifacts and antiques from Asia. Hand-carved screens and tiles find their way into the architecture while beautiful Japanese textiles adorn built in window seats. Each antique holds a story, but none so beautiful as that of the large tomb horse that sits with great majesty in the Hilliard’s living room. Having been carbon dated back to 110 a.d., it stands not only as a reminder to travels and memories but to the Hilliard’s great love of horses and all that San Diego and Del Mar have to offer as home. — Lauren Bender, photography by Vincent Knakal

All the wood, including the mahogany, white pine, and birdseye maple, finished with a special liquid beeswax that offers the finished quality of satin

St. Francis statue, resin birds, and mossy planter from Dig in Flower Hill Promenade in Del Mar; garden caddy with violets, plate holder, teal bird dishes, bird nest in box, bird salt and pepper shakers, and faux quail from Bon Bon in Solana Beach

The Secret Garden
Stretch out those long, warm days of summer with decor that honors the great outdoors. Whether you’re decorating a cheery sunroom or a backyard space under a flower-draped pergola, it’s always right to look toward nature for inspiration. Practical garden caddies double as pretty plant holders, bird-themed accessories add a bit of whimsy, and hanging wire candleholders help extend the day after nightfall. Open-air decor is not just for the birds. — Tanja Kern, photography by Vincent Knakal

Parisian blown glass and shell oil lamp and crystal candlesticks with coral-themed candles from Knorr Candle Factory in Del Mar; seashells from Knorr Candle Factory and Bon Bon in Solana Beach

Coastal Style
Seaside motifs may come in waves in other parts of the country, but they are always appropriate in neighborhoods along Southern California’s golden coast. No one knows that better than Claudia Knorr, whose husband’s family opened the Knorr Candle Factory — a Del Mar tradition — 85 years ago. She says that ocean-themed candles are some of her shop’s most popular and range from simple floating versions to elaborate works suitable for elegant dinner parties or room accents. Combine with sand and large shells for a dramatic tablescape, or emphasize crystal candlesticks with tiny shells for something unexpected.
— Tanja Kern, photography by Vincent Knakal