Cape Cod-style architecture and a sweeping view of the lake make this
Fairbanks Ranch home a designer’s dream

Designer Dwelling

It has been said that all homes are houses but not all houses are homes. The qualities that delineate the difference have never been so apparent as when one is first welcomed into AJ and Daniel Genis’s Cape Cod-style lakeside dwelling, located amongst the meandering estates of Fairbanks Ranch.

The circular driveway procession drops just below the subtle rise in the manicured front yard. The entrance way opens immediately to reveal the great front room, the first of many wide-open interior spaces. The open floor plan is a welcomed tool, used by architects and designers to facilitate a central gathering place within a home.

The Genis home takes this basic idea to a whole new level, where sharing is a matter of lifestyle and not something that happens during those off hours.

"The people I know networked before it was ever coined," explains AJ, whose interior design career spans deep into the history of Hollywood. Learning from her mother and later partnering with her daughter, AJ’s career spans everything from designing residential interiors to set designs for clients as well known as Richard Nixon. What keeps her going is a dedication to having friends as clients, and clients as friends. She goes to great lengths to create individual compositions that match her client’s special and unique stories. She has been known to go as far as to retrieve the doors of a New Orleans church that had been taken to Europe for historical salvage for a client.

From the front room of the Genis home, views of the pool and lake beyond can be seen through painted white moldings of the Cape Cod-influenced windows and doors. When they found the property two years ago, it was relatively bare, kept in a simple state by the former owners. The intrinsic qualities, captured within the setting and surrounding beauty, anchored the shell and offered a blank canvas onto which AJ was able to fill in with details that explain her own story.

The walls of white have become less the walls of a residence than those of a private art gallery. Carefully transitioning the ceiling with added beam work defines the character of each great room located off the main hallway corridor that runs from the kitchen and family space, through the front room for more formal entertaining, to the far left of the home, where private quarters are kept close, but intentionally separated. The main hallway that connects the front great room to the back great room is large enough for one to take time and enjoy each piece of art along the way. The Genises find the beauty within each artist they befriend and collect, which is evident in the truly unique qualities of each painting and sculpture. "Every piece is priceless," explains AJ. Whether it was found for a minimal dollar amount or created by highly sought-out artists whose names precede their work, the Genises have a knack for "picking the piece that becomes important," as she was once told by one of the glass blowers whose work is part of the collection.

The second great room maintains grandeur through oversized beams and split rock cut and quarried from Arizona and Utah, places where, "rock looks like you landed on the moon," explains AJ. It is in this far great room where the kitchen and living area come together, where the sunlight pores in from another magnificent view of the lake, and the picturesque outside is brought inside.

The media room is a gesture to the work of Daniel, who has received three Academy Award nominations for his work as a cinematographer, and holds an awe-inspiring portfolio including such projects as the battle scenes for Star Wars. It’s no wonder that there is a place for family and friends to sit back and relax in chairs so comfortable one couldn’t imagine being disappointed by whatever is on the immense screen.

Setting out to create a sense of home since their relocation to San Diego, the Genises have made their way into the heart of the community. Through a tremendous amount of philanthropy involvement with the Ronald McDonald House, Mainly Mozart, and other local organizations, the Genises’ continued involvement with beautification of all scales, whether through design or volunteering, extends outward and inward within this very special home. — Lauren Bender, photography by Vincent Knakal

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Vegas stocking, two Jester stockings, and Jester ornaments from Perfectly At Home in The Forum at Carlsbadovencal tablecloth, French soap, lotion, and scented drawer liners from Mistral in the Cedros Design District

Holiday For The Home
You probably already have an attic chock-full of cherished holiday ornaments, but there’s something to be said about adding something fresh to the collection. This season, you’re bound to find just the right treasure in one of San Diego’s home decor boutiques. Choose something whimsical that will make your family and friends smile. Better yet, invest in a chic accent piece that will transform your home’s style. Here are a few offerings filled with holiday spirit. — Tanja Kern

Left to right: Fairy Santa Claus from Canterbury Gardens & Gifts in Escondido, and bay laurel holiday topiary from Birdcage at Greenwich & Charles in the Cedros Design District

Metal menorah and matching candleholders by artist Steven Cooper from Hands On Cedros
in the Cedros Design District

Dept. 56 Krinkles ornament and potted frog figure from Circa A.D. in San Diego

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Left to right: Blue/cocoa colored pillows from Perfectly At Home in The Forum at Carlsbad

Embroidered accent pillows from Miller/Dolezal Atelier in Rancho Santa Fe

Victoria Hagan red accent pillow from Target, and satin damask pillow from Restoration Hardware

Pillow Talk
Pillows are clearly one of the most versatile decorating accessories around. They are affordable, easily changeable, and can add just the right punch and personality to your rooms. According to local designer Doug Dolezal, today’s trend is for pillows to have their own individual character; designers typically don’t create pillows that match the sofa fabric anymore. This means that the details are extremely important and choosing the right combinations of buttons, trims, needlepoint insets, or vintage materials will help to make each pillow unique. If you like a European Continental look, you’ll want to add layers of pillows with lots of textures and trims. Dolezal suggests damask on the front, velvet or chenille on the back, and a six-inch bullion fringe. If modern is more to your liking, use fewer pillows with simple silhouettes in bright, bold color ways and your rooms will come alive. For a tailored space, make pillows with leather inset into a fabric frame and thin leather piping.

Over the past five years, Consumers have become more design savvy and showrooms and retail stores have responded by making designed products more accessible. You can find fabulous pillows everywhere, from large convenience stores to designer showrooms. Even fabric houses are responding by turning to designers for fabric collections. Pindler and Pindler and Kravet are two of the many who are offering such choices. Dolezal also notes that gone is the famous karate chop in the center of a pillow and designers are tending to let pillows have a softer look when displayed. When it comes to trims, really anything goes these days. Try brush trims, specialty tapes, and grosgrain ribbon for a more refined look. And scour flea markets and antique stores for vintage pieces — needle points, antique rug remnants, old quilts — that can be turned into one-of-a-kind pillows for your home.

Pillows are also showing up in unconventional places thanks to the evolution of synthetics. These durable and indestructible fabrics and trims finally have the look and feel of their natural counterparts. Now, it’s possible to have plump chenille-like pillows with bullion fringe on your patio without any special handling or concern about fading or mold. They’re also showing up in bathrooms, on chaises, benches, and vanity chairs.

Custom-created pillows are the best way to get something truly unique but they can be pricey. A custom pillow can run about $350 to $800 depending upon the fabric and trim. You can find great pillows at retail stores and in catalogs at all price levels. Target just introduced a line of accessories by New York designer, Victoria Hagan. Her pillows have a modern equestrian feel and cost about $30 each. Every popular home store features a variety of stylish pillows, too. Don’t stick with the ones that come as a matching set — mix them for your own interesting combinations. Bring your fabric swatches with you when you shop, or buy what you like and see how it will work in your room — as everything is easily returnable these days.
— Jodi Miller