Tuesday
Jul052016
Rancho Del Sapo
Tue, 5 Jul 2016
A derelict avocado and citrus ranch an hour north of Los Angeles in the Heritage Valley, a Spanish Mission style house by the architect Chris Choate, a partner in Cliff May's office, bought lovingly back to life by Sarah Walker Design Associates. I find myself more and more these days drawn to old buildings whose renovation brings their soul back to life without eviscerating to enable modern living.
Reader Comments (3)
Stunning. Easy living on a grand scale. Very welcoming home.
These images bring back memories of all the Cliff May designed buildings I knew well in the San Francisco Bay Area, including Sunset Magazine headquarters, and the buildings I worked in, and homes on the San Francisco Peninsula, as well as Napa Valley's Robert Mondavi Winery. May was really good at what he did in designing buildings that had the soul of the early Spanish buildings in California and he was well respected. His influence on partner Chris Choate is apparent, as this home could have been one of Cliff May's own designs. While working on a Saturday as a young architectural intern in Palo Alto, Cliff May called and I answered the phone, as there was no one else in the office. I took a message for the owner of our firm and was in awe of speaking with May and relieved and happy that he was also down to earth and pleasant. ;o)
...and KUDOS to Sarah Walker and Associates for making sure the house kept it's original soul!