Just one of the elegantly-designed living rooms in this magnificent Rancho Santa Fe home

The Estate

There are few places where the statistical data of an estate is enough to send your thoughts spinning for as long as it would take you to actually walk the entire grounds of the property. Even fewer that are more gratifying in person because of qualities that rarely find their way to the description of the home and accompanying structures on the land. Rancho Santa Fe is home to an estate that not only overwhelms the amenity expectation but does so in a refreshingly unassuming way; redefining the idea of casual luxury, so well practiced in the southern region of California.

All too often, beautiful properties find their way to the list of missed opportunities as a result of landscaping oversight. The difference between landscaping and generating a tropical paradise, however, has been blurred in the case of this Rancho Santa Fe estate. The outdoors have been transformed into a nine-acre enchanting complement to San Diego's climate.

The gardens and grounds are anything but meek and stand in stark contrast to the grove of eucalyptus trees that were formally the focal point of the estate's vegetation before the current owners took on the task of redesigning the entire outside with mature and often rare tropical plant species. Life of all sizes, from dragonflies, koi fish, humming birds, and Arabian horses, appear as perfectly-placed props among the vastly diverse landscape, where green thumbs surely must be the rule and not the exception.

Just as nine acres couldn't possibly hit you all at once when you pass through the rustic wooden entrance gates, neither does the main house. More accurately, the house, like the land, unfolds gradually in a slow and soothing fashion, revealing spaces for every occasion. Driving up to the main house, one passes the tennis courts and main horse stable, concealed behind a lush canopy of green. Just past a pair of century old Dracaena draco trees, the house itself is mostly hidden behind a dense combination of hedges, cycads, palms, and various other flowering plants. The understated front door, opposite the driveway from a natural stone waterfall, is just one example of how a family compound such as this regal estate maintains a true sense of being a family home.

The original Monterey-style home, built in the 1920s, has undergone many upgrades over the years. Now configured as a large U shape, wrapping around a central courtyard, pool, and spa, the end wings offer privacy with six bedroom suites, each opening up to a private veranda capturing unique views of the estate beyond. Each bedroom suite has been designed to feel like a special space unto itself while asserting a sense of continuity from the other parts of the house. This is largely made possible through the expression of handcrafted details such as custom ironwork fireplaces and rough-end chiseled granite counter tops that can be found throughout. Other details ranging from mahogany, woven, tooled, and stamped leather panel walls, Idaho quartzite stone floors, and distressed wood beams define each room's ambiance and setting in distinctly unique ways. The interior design of the home was done by Steven Chase in 1993, and in 2001, was revisited by Barbara Grigsby. Each designer's approach has left very different effects on the house as Chase is most known for large weighted masculine gestures, while Grigsby is associated with ruffles and pillows; as his and her bathrooms in the master suit illustrate, diversity in design offers welcome complexity.

Indoor entertaining happens in the central connecting wing of the house. A billiard room, family room, living room, media room, bar, and two dining rooms are a few of the various shared spaces, but it is no wonder that when the sun is out, little time is spent inside. Pathways meander through the property connecting guest houses, pools, horse stables, tennis courts, and multiple pastures lined with classic white fences and hedged with nearly 150 birds of paradise. Entertaining verandas around the main house pool are accompanied by a gym, sauna, and catering kitchen, accented with a large wood-burning fireplace. Directly adjacent to the lower and upper pool courtyards and cabana area is a small two-story guest house called the Tree House for its distinctive heavy open truss beam design, skylights, and window lined walls. This is not to be confused with the main guest house, found on the farthest point of the property.

To get to this more secluded guest house, one must travel on a cobblestone road, part of the series of creatively lit pathways that weave through the estate. Passing by a newly-renovated two-horse stall barn and turn out corral with access to one of the equestrian training facilities, the barn — shaded behind Canary Island Date Palms — and land beyond have been designed as multifunctional spaces. The structure doubles as a hub for larger outdoor events with cedar-lined bathrooms and a catering facility. On most days, however, it is the chicken coup, not too far away, that makes the most noise in this quiet and serene section of the estate.

Farther down the road, past gardens, birdbaths, and pastures, a stone staircase leads you up to the
open-air, red tile-roofed pool pavilion of the main guest house. Chaparral Flagstone pavers guide you to an enormous Osage limestone rubble wood burning fireplace with large hand tooled copper doors. This outdoor fireplace overlooks a 50-foot oval Italian glass mosaic emerald green pool and raised spa. An ideal place for summer night entertaining, the pool deck connects with the guest house through a series of large glass sliding doors that open to an iron lantern, heavy wood-timbered, and copper-accented dining room. Great care was given to the lighting design, ambiance, and texture as the limestone details continue inside to a dramatic archway that separates the professional kitchen from the bar and main dining area.

The final construction of the main guesthouse, including its two private bedroom suites, was completed in 2002, but the amenity list doesn't stop there. To support the plants on the property, there are two greenhouses and an additional shaded nursery lath house for seasonal sensitive species.

An 11-car garage with stalls for two golf carts completes the property, listed by Michael Taylor, Prudential California Realty. — Lauren Bender, photography by Eric Figge

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(Clockwise from top left): Sterling silver tea and coffee service with unusual gallery tops and rounded bodies standing on paw feet by Bailey Banks and Biddle Company, circa 1900-1915; rare 19th century English gallery tray of silver on copper with masks, lions, and female forms by Thomas Bradbury & Sons from 1860, all from The McNally Company Antiques in Rancho Santa Fe

French porcelain Limoges tea set from 1920 from Acanthus Antiques in Encinitas

Majolica conch shell teapot and cups with oyster-shaped shell saucers from approximately 1910 from Bellini's Antique Italia in Solana Beach

Round English ironstone chintz teapot by Grimwades from approximately 1910 from Acanthus Antiques in Encinitas

Tea Party
In 17th-century England, tea drinking was a genteel social occasion for well-to-do households. Women used fine porcelain pots and cups and silver kettles to steep the beverage and catch up on gossip. Tea leaves were so treasured that families often locked them in ornate tea caddies, like the family jewels, to keep them away from prying servants. Today, gorgeous antique tea services help us recreate these fine social occasions. Here are a few examples that are elegant enough to grace the table at your next event.
— Tanja Kern

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When Home Is Your Castle
Prime real estate in San Diego is getting harder to come by, and when you do find the perfect lot, it's even more important to create a residence that makes a statement. Architect Gregory J. Castle in Solana Beach makes it his life's work to perfect residential projects that require a sensitive and imaginative approach, particularly for difficult locations. Whether you are building a beach bungalow, Tuscan farmhouse, an esteemed manor, or a sprawling ranch, Castle can help create a home that follows the heart instead of fads. (858/509-1827, www.castlearchitect.com) — Tanja Kern

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Find Your Muse
Inspiration often comes from unexpected places, but there's no need to look far for home decor ideas. The 17th Annual Fall Home/Garden Show at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, held September 15-17, will feature more than 425 exhibits, including home improvement products, furnishings, landscape projects, and decorating suggestions. It's an opportunity to get advice from local designers, architects, landscapers, and contractors. Shop the garden marketplace and you may also go home with a treasured plant. (www.fallhomegardenshow.com) — Tanja Kern