Tuesday, November 13, 2012

dwell modern san diego #3: modern cardiff

This week's Dwell Home Tours Modern San Diego post series: we're on the third gorgeous modern home with one more to go tomorrow (you can see #1 here and #2 here). Our third venue is the Modern Cardiff house.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff

The home is incredibly distinguished looking with blackened exterior planks made from trees damaged in the Cedar Fire.

The architects are Lindsay & Rory Brown of the design-build firm, The Brown Studio. From the Dwell site:
The 3,300-square-foot home was and built using reclaimed timber from San Diego forest fires, all of the finished timber materials are native California species.
Natural rock retaining wall. The military makes bunkers in Iraq and Afghanistan the same way, by pouring loose rock into wire shells.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff


Such a stunning and unexpected house. The black against the blue sky was a stark contrast.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff


Love these poured concrete steps.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff


I spent a considerable amount of time on the home's many decks and terraces trying to get just the right angles. This house has spectacular views.

 Fire feature! I would have liked to have seen this on. Looks pretty cool.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff


Sunset and a cocktail anyone?

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff


Puffy San Diego Fall clouds made to order for the pictures.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff

The home is new construction on an old foundation. More from Dwell.
The home is an open plan concept with defined spaces, each opening outward to the ocean view. Interior areas are private yet connected, with large openings to an outdoor cooking area, private patios, a roof garden and deck, and view terraces.
Let's step through the front door. All that glass is a cool optical illusion. Where is the door opening? Side note: see all the shoes lined up outside the window. NO it is not where the owners keep their shoes. It is our shoes, silly.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff


Just inside the front door was the dining room table. The brilliant painting in the back is on an old door, painted brilliantly.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff






Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff


You step right into the kitchen around a divider wall forming a hall off the front door (are you following?). At this point, please understand that this house was crawling with people. These pictures were in the early afternoon and the tour was in full swing. So forgive me the lurkers. I have not perfected the glare that my colleague at The Brick House claims she uses to disperse unwanted picture subjects.

If this kitchen seems kind of massive and stark, well, it is. Bar for six of your closest friends, anyone?

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff


Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff


Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff



Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff


Better picture of the polished concrete floor. You can see where old foundation meets new. Or something meets something.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff


Filter time.
Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff



Next -- the adjacent living room. A little Eames, in white anyone?


Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff


Industrial lighting throughout. Unfinished beams. Whole house looks pretty tough. It is as much "guy" as Home #2 was girl.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff


Downstairs powder. Plain, simple functional. Get in, get out.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff


I repeat, do NOT use this sink.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff


Quick stop by the downstairs guest bedroom

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff


Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff

Has its own private patio.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff


And no baseboards! Remember my rant on this subject? (Wasn't trying to catch the missing face plates but apparently I did. Oops. Most of the homes on the tour were brand spanking new. This and that was still being installed or fixed. I am sure you can relate.)

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff


Downstairs guest bath. Cool floating cabinets remind you of anything?

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff


Ah, the toilet paper dilemma. My architect did not want me to install a fixture on the wall either. I ignored him (shocking). Glad to see the owners have their squeegee handy and ready to go, on the shower floor. Albert hates squeegeeing the bathroom. My friend's husband says his favorite thing about vacations is he doesn't have to squeegee the bathroom. Sad.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff


These stairs are so sculptural. Many things in this house are. Let's trot up the stairs where we'll bump into 40 or so people.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff


Closer inspection of the skateboard creatures (look like stools). They were designed and built by Miki Iwasaki at Mi-Workshop. The house has skateboard references here and there if you look closely.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff


The upstairs has studio and lounge area as well as the master bedroom/bath. What--another white EAMES? And I don't even have one. The office coffee table peeking out in this picture was also designed and built by Miki Iwasaki at Mi-Workshop.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff


The TV was on and showing architectural images. Kind of fun.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff


Okay I gotta spend five minutes and explain this desk. The piece on the right is on a track that rolls. You can push it in and out. For some reason. Maybe out of the way for parties?

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff


Here is a closeup of the track on the piece that was on the back of the whole unit. The desks seemed to be laminated doors (hollow core). Really light.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff


And the wheel mechanism that rolls the door tables are skateboard wheels. The docent (pretty girl who stands around and answers questions) said that the owner has skateboard roots. That was a reference to the floor as well which is some sort of wood planks, maybe pine or birch, kind of caulked together. Seriously.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff


Now we enter the occupied section of the tour. Note that the railings are also shelves. Clever.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff


The industrial lighting looked good. I doubt it is super bright at night. The house has dark spots (in the kitchen and master bath especially).

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff


View down to the backyard cooking area. More later.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff


 View to another outdoor terrace.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff


GAWD I love this outdoor terrace rock cactus garden. I tried to keep the pictures to less than ten. The exterior landscape architecture is by Rich Risner of DesignGrounded and the landscape and hardscape is by DC West Construction.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff


Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff


Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff


Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff


 More stunning San Diego views with puffy clouds.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff


On to the master. These barn doors are all the range. The hardware costs a fortune. And the doors weigh a ton.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff


Requisite chalkboard paint used on the back of the barn door which covers the master opening.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff


On the back wall of a room divider was the master bath. I could not get a decent picture. I should have turned on all the lights. Double sinks. No comment. Is a link a comment?

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff


Shower. There was also a bathtub but I don't have a picture! I know, wanton disregard for duties.


Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff


The master bath is just behind this room divider wall. E.g. no bathroom doors. Do you like this or does it bug you?

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff


Tour people. She is wearing blue booties. I just wore my neon green socks. Many people like them (my green socks, not the booties).

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff


Are you surprised as to how many people I was really dealing with? Nice work, right?

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff


This is the outdoor kitchen with fire feature. I want one.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff



I believe this is a pizza oven off to the left. It is all built into a hill retaining wall.



Back out we go. One last look at the stairs.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff

I just love these steps.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff


Up close of the burned wood. And the shoes for heaven's sake.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff


Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff


The red mail box! You want that?

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff


Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff


Please stop for Dwell.

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff

Dwell Modern San Diego Home Tours Nov. 10 2012, Modern Cardiff


Our third home on the tour was again, mid-century modern modest by McMansion standards. I really like this new housing trend. Our fourth and final home will post tomorrow. It is a good one too. Oh, I love them all.

Note: 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.

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9 comments:

  1. I love those steps too, and that cactus garden is amazing. This more masculine home is more to my taste than the pastel, feminine one in your last post. It was pretty, but I'm not much of a girly-girl. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You Dana? Not a girly-girl? ;) I wandered around this house in awe. I would turn a corner and gasp. It was stark, but not cold. The industrial materials were so flipping cool. And the cactus garden knocked me out.

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  2. I love that red mailbox. It repeats the lines of the house and provides a cool punctuation mark to the blackened wood. And I like the use of the burned wood, but wonder how they get the charred smell out of it??

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    Replies
    1. The mail box was such a punch! I had questions about the burned wood. Like was it charred and they painted it black? I wasn't sure. It didn't smell. Should have asked!

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  3. Have seen this house in many stages during renovation....the finished project is stunning! Love the cactus garden!

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    Replies
    1. Maybe you are a nearby neighbor who lurks around construction projects? Not that there is anything wrong with that! I am so guilty. One of my best sunset pictures is from a neighbors unfinished home. I was going to give him a copy of the picture for a house warming, and then thought... no.... maybe he wouldn't be so pleased. I really want to try that cactus rock garden. Just copy, right?

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  4. 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.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Great, added a note and a link at the end of the story. BEAUTIFUL job. I thought it was all stunning.

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  5. I also like the mailbox and have been unsuccessful finding a source. Does anyone know where one can be purchased?

    ReplyDelete

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