Crosby Comfort
Ever notice how formal living rooms have become smaller and smaller, or have all but disappeared? Perhaps it’s for good reason: people don’t live there. In California, especially, we’ve come to embrace the casual lifestyle. Ties are no longer required and jeans are worn just about anywhere (appropriate or not). At parties, we congregate in the kitchen. The point is that people want to be comfortable in their homes, as well as their skins. Architects and builders got the message. The great room has become the focus of busy lives, the hub of the house.

That’s what you notice when opening the double doors to a handsome home in The Crosby at Rancho Santa Fe. The foyer has soaring 20-foot ceilings and acres of chiseled travertine flooring. But the eye is immediately drawn to the expansive living area with a vaulted, open-beamed ceiling, overlooking a pool and waterfalls, the golf course beckoning beyond. When you slide back the vast pocket doors, the room opens up onto the backyard, in a seamless transition between indoors and out. It’s a house made for entertaining. You can imagine guests at a cocktail party spilling out onto the covered patio or gathering around the outdoor fireplace. (Or firing up the barbeque as the kids are doing cannon balls in the pool.)

The great room has a rustic fireplace, a bar, and a refrigerated wine room that holds 800 bottles. The adjoining open kitchen has all the amenities imaginable, and attention to detail is everywhere. Above the cook top, tumbled travertine is inset with mosaic tiles and centered in etched stone. There’s a breakfast nook, although "nook" isn’t a big enough word to describe it, along with a walk-in pantry and separate butler’s pantry. If you or your family needs "space," a bedroom/bath off the kitchen can be adapted as a media or recreation room.

The sumptuous master suite has 12-foot ceilings, a sitting area overlooking the pool, and a fireplace flanked by bookcases and a wet bar. And in the spacious master bath of travertine and mosaic tile, there’s "his and hers" everything — from closets to commodes.

An appealing feature is an attached guest home with its own kitchenette and separate entrance, located off the interior entry courtyard with fireplace. There’s also an impressive walnut-paneled library with a boxed beam ceiling. While there’s a formal dining room, there’s no formal living room. But then, who needs it? This home is built for life.

The house on Old Man River Road is by A.W. Properties/Danny Hampel Construction. It has 4 bedrooms and 4.5 baths covering 6,700 square feet. Mark Radford is the architect. The home is offered at $4,395,000 by John Lefferdink & Associates. (619/813-8222, www.solanasantafehomes.com)
— Andrea Naversen, photography by Vincent Knakal

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Garland light by Tord Boontje, Roost aluminum votive holder, and Kiln enamel
dinnerware — all from Cathedral in Hillcrest

Swiss Miss
We can thank Ikea for bringing Scandinavian style to the forefront of American culture. Designers from Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden have helped fill our homes with simple designs that are as fun as they are functional. These pieces, inspired by nature, might be uncomplicated, but they’ll make an impact.
— Tanja Kern

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Silver candleholder from Crate & Barrel in Fashion Valley, white pillar candle from Illuminations in Fashion Valley, Bourgie lamp in transparent polycarbonate from MOS/My Own Space in La Jolla, and ball glass taper holders from Nordstrom in Fashion Valley

Modern Baroque
If you were part of the European aristocracy in the 1600s, you would have commissioned skilled artisans to create buildings and sculptures in Baroque style — ornate façades and elaborate finishes that impressed visitors with wealth and power. Today, the term "baroque" is still used to describe ornate pieces of furniture and decorative accents, although modern interpretations have little to do with the classic definition. Today’s pieces are made with simpler modern materials, like plastic and glass. Once shaped into elaborate forms, these accents are the perfect addition to starkly modern interiors, or an ironic counterpoint to traditional spaces in need of a touch of fancy. — Tanja Kern

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Old World Garage
If you’re custom designing your house — don’t forget the garage doors. Today’s imported woods make all the difference when it comes to style and class. The rustic look is very popular, such as the doors created by Access Custom Garage Doors in San Diego. Custom-building their designs by hand, Access uses Old World craftsmanship techniques passed down through generations. Their styles are influenced by a variety of cultures including Mediterranean Vineyard, Spanish Revival, East Coast and Beyond, and more. The company also stresses the importance of hurricane-proof designs, especially for anyone owning a second home in the Southeast. (800/944-3643, www.accessgaragedoor.com) — Ryan Thomas