Monday, November 12, 2012

dwell modern san diego #1: munson residence

I drove down to San Diego from Orange County (1.5 hours), this past Saturday (Nov. 10, 2012) for the Dwell Home Tours Modern San Diego event in anticipation of a modern with a capital "M" good time. I was not disappointed. Each of the five homes I toured Saturday was unique and spectacular in its own right. I was able to take photos of four of the interiors and will post them all week. Without further ado, the first home toured was the Munson Residence, located on the Del Mar coast.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov 10 2012 Munson Residence


This house is located near the lagoons and coastal bluffs and has some spectacular views from its rooftop deck.

Nice use of poured concrete pads, gravel and concrete flower beds in front entrance. I am ALWAYS looking for modern landscaping ideas.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov 10 2012 Munson Residence



The home is a cast concrete and masonry block building, with steel beams, concrete foundations and exposed beams all integral to the design. And windows. Tons of windows, with natural sun shades built into the structure, reminiscent of  mid-century modern architect Neutra. The windows in the photo below are in the living room and face West-ish.


Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov 10 2012 Munson Residence


 Courtyard garden with California natives.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov 10 2012 Munson Residence


Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov 10 2012 Munson Residence



Pretty, secluded patio in the breezeway between the garage and the home.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov 10 2012 Munson Residence


Sculptural element in the garden.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov 10 2012 Munson Residence


This grass area below is supposed to have been a swimming pool, according to the landscaper. The pool will come in phase 2. We all can relate to having to kick items into phase 2. This is a double lot, by San Diego standards.



Another sculptural element. This is a fountain. The water comes out the top.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov 10 2012 Munson Residence


Gate and fencing. Courtyard wall has a fountain feature.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov 10 2012 Munson Residence


This lounge room downstairs opens out into the future pool area. The parents have apparently banished the drum set to the downstairs room. In California we don't have basements, so the question of where the band practices is always a challenging one. That is a Murphy bed in the wall. so this private suite doubles as a guest room! Clever.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov 10 2012 Munson Residence


Elegant orange lounge chair sits in a quiet nook under the stairs.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov 10 2012 Munson Residence


Up the stairs to the main living area. Stair railing made of steel and industrial wire, surrounded by windows to the courtyard and the side-yard.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov 10 2012 Munson Residence


LOVE this orange painting in the stairwell. Orange with black and white accents is a theme carried throughout the home.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov 10 2012 Munson Residence


You come up the stairs straight into the kitchen area. Simple and functional.




From the kitchen you can see the living space.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov 10 2012 Munson Residence


Windows, windows, windows oriented towards the coastal views.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov 10 2012 Munson Residence


Creepy hand leftover from Halloween? Music is a big part of this family's life for sure with two different guitars in the main living space.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov 10 2012 Munson Residence


Cool nook glass office built into the side of the house, and in the main living space. These jutting out glass boxes are a signature item of the architect, Public Digital.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov 10 2012 Munson Residence

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov 10 2012 Munson Residence


Orange piano!!! This looks to be an older upright piano, lacquered in orange. What a great idea to make a piano part sculpture and all function. POP. Old 60's concert poster hanging above. The birch tree wallpaper provides a stark backdrop for the piano.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov 10 2012 Munson Residence


View from the living room back to the rest of the home.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov 10 2012 Munson Residence


Comfortable kitchen counter stools.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov 10 2012 Munson Residence


Clean lines in the kitchen with traditional mid-century mosaic back splash. Mosaic tile carries throughout the home in the bathrooms.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov 10 2012 Munson Residence


Another view of the living room.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov 10 2012 Munson Residence


Dining area sits between the living room and the kitchen. True and highly functioning great room.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov 10 2012 Munson Residence


Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov 10 2012 Munson Residence


Another glass nook off the living room. On home tours there are TONs of people. It is a miracle that I don't have people standing in every single picture.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov 10 2012 Munson Residence


 Looking back at the windows in the living room.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov 10 2012 Munson Residence


Onto the bedrooms. This is not a big house by modern standards. It encompasses 3,200 square feet of living space and was built in 2008. If you exclude the living space downstairs which is a separate room and bathroom that open to the future pool area, the main floor includes only the great room, two small bedrooms, a guest bathroom, and a master suite with master bath. This is VERY mid-century. I overheard a conversation that this home represented a downsizing for the owners, who absolutely DID not want a giant McMansion.

Welcome message. Obviously young female artist. Hi yourself.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov 10 2012 Munson Residence


Boy's room. The orange detail from the piano carries back with the black/white wallpaper continuing.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov 10 2012 Munson Residence


Hallway and family art gallery. Nice built-ins.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov 10 2012 Munson Residence


Girl's room (of the penguin welcome message I presume). More of the black/white wallpaper and feature wall of PINK. Luv. A keyboard in this room. Musical family for sure. These bedrooms are not gigantic by any standard which is fine for kids.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov 10 2012 Munson Residence

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov 10 2012 Munson Residence


The master bedroom is very simple with a platform bed, stark black wall, and off center window.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov 10 2012 Munson Residence


Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov 10 2012 Munson Residence



Another glass nook with  a dresser fitting in perfectly.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov 10 2012 Munson Residence


A simple, functional and elegant master bath with all the necessary features. I am a little partial to bathrooms. No double sink. HA! I am so over the design shows where people GUSH over double sinks in the master bath.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov 10 2012 Munson Residence



Egg shaped tub tucked into another glass nook.
.
Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov 10 2012 Munson Residence


Cool fixture over tub.
Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov 10 2012 Munson Residence


This is a black outline painting on the wall, continuing the theme.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov 10 2012 Munson Residence


Master shower with rain shower head and a few bonus other shower heads.



Guest bath. This must be shared by the boy and girl. The mansions of today would have every bedroom with its own en suite bath. Glad to see the owners of this house have the common sense to NOT make their kids too comfortable.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov 10 2012 Munson Residence



 Excellent mosaic tile.





Ta da! Roof top deck! Views to Del Mar natural coastal preserves.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov 10 2012 Munson Residence


Simple rock and tar roof top. Not set up for a lot of traffic yet. Probably phase 2.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov 10 2012 Munson Residence


Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov 10 2012 Munson Residence


Stairwell up to to the rooftop deck.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov 10 2012 Munson Residence


All exterior design work like plants, stairs, concrete walls, rock gabion walls, roof rock/succulent garden, mailbox, fire elements, pizza oven, etc. were designed by Landscape Architect Richard Risner, Grounded - Modern Landscape Architecture & Planning.

The Munson residence passes the test. Its modest size, open design and simple floor plan remains true to the principles established by the mid-century modern designers and architects. Details regarding the architect Public Digital, and other resources can be found here. Stay tuned ... three more wonderful modern houses to come this week.

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16 comments:

  1. Nice writeup and photos of a really well executed house. The kitchen is especially nice [although I wonder how practical they find the extra wide upper cabinet doors?]. I am over the double lav, also. [It wasn't a helpful enough solution for my ex, anyway... she wanted to shuffle me off to another bathroom on a different floor!]

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    1. Great observation on the wide kitchen cabinet doors! I would be curious what the homeowner experience is with that as well ... in terms of running into them, or having the doors block passage -- they sure look good. This home couldn't have been cheap to build, and the lot value alone had to have been enormous, but I found this home to be conservative and economical with its use of space--extremely well designed. The homeowners didn't overdo it and the house would be a pleasure to maintain.

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  2. The house also seems to be economical in its use of construction materials. I liked the repetition of black and white for various wall art. The simple black branch painted in the bath is especially effective.

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    1. This home is very well thought out. There is such unity in the material choices between the steel, the glass, the orange, and the black/white natural tree shape designs. This is a comfortable, efficient home and good looking home.

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  3. Great house! So many fantastic features. I especially love the rooftop deck idea.

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    Replies
    1. Isn't it though? Wait till you see tomorrow. Just as fantastic!

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  4. Hmmmmm, I could live quite happily in this one Rebecca..
    (forgive economical comment - should be doing my 'homework'!)

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    1. I could live quite happily here too. I love that you stop by Kylie (all the way from Australia), please don't apologize!

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  5. FYI...for the Dwell tour Munson residence and Modern Cardiff.
    Landscape Architect Richard Risner, Grounded - Modern Landscape Architecture & Planning provided the design work.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for the note. Added a link. Great job on both properties.

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  6. Now this is what I call creative living space. I bet the architect put a lot of consideration into getting all the amenities to work out how it looks, as well as making sure it's a sustainable and economical living space.

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  7. Look at what a couple of excavators and a whole lot of concrete and steel can do these days. Now that's my idea of functional art.

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  8. I like how this is a finer side of modern architecture. I've seen a lot of designs, mostly minimalist-black-and-white or zen, and this is just something else.

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  9. Modern, indeed. The forward-thinking design matched with excellent interiors and the perfect furniture to boot make these great-looking homes.

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  10. As far as I can see, all of these pictures are from a single house only. Goodness, it doesn't look as big as it really is. The photos made it big because of the features you took. And the main feature for me is how the masonry bricks and glass with steel beams make it more unique and a certified mid century-modernized home.

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  11. I may have to agree with what Donna said, they used the right construction materials and it suited the house. I just wish that my house will also turn into this one after we renovate it.

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