Down By The Sea In Santa Cruz
Author:Annette HanamiWalker Warner Architects Help A Silicon Valley Family Find Solitude in Santa Cruz
Stepping down from the living room and wide deck, the sheltered interior patio designed by Boxleaf Design feels like a sunken extension of the home, with low-maintenance plants and smooth hardscaping creating an inviting transition to the outdoors — and a seamless beach lifestyle.
Photographer: Matthew Millman
A spa-like bathroom is soothing at the end of the day.
Photographer: Matthew Millman
The rooms are infused with fresh white and the blues of the sea and feature durable but comfortable flooring for bare feet. In the living room, elements of beach life fit naturally with the decor, while whimsical touches of tie-dye and chunky rope recall the nearby boardwalk.
Photographer: Matthew Millman
Interior designer Jon de la Cruz worked closely with his longtime client to create an extension of their main home in function and quality. This Santa Cruz home is “quintessential California style,” says de la Cruz. “Young, sporty, comfortable, and not fussy, like the family.”
Photographer: Matthew Millman
Two former garages were converted into a more practical surf shack and a cheerful rec room where the family and their friends can play. Here, the rec room, which layers brilliant blues with the warm neutrals on the sectional, inspired by striped Mexican serapes strewn on the beach.
Photographer: Matthew Millman
In the master and living rooms, Scott designed exposed rafters that recall the underside of a boat hull, connecting them to the sea beyond. The shore is evoked with touches of seagrass, jute, and shells.
Photographer: Matthew Millman
Inside, Scott opened up ceilings and transformed existing windows and doors to create more volume and light and to maximize the spectacular coastal views. Fresh white walls in Benjamin Moore’s 'Acadia' complement a painting by Tara Donovan.
Photographer: Matthew Millman
Expanded decking and a succession of French doors create an inviting flow for family activities centered around a love of the coast and surfing just down the path.
Photographer: Matthew Millman
Scott replaced the old clay tiles with sleek hip roofs and the stucco with clean and durable board and batten and lap siding in warm browns that blends into its environs.
Photographer: Matthew Millman
Located on a spectacular bluff, Scott aimed “to connect the house and its outdoor living spaces with the beautiful coastline and provide shelter from the elements on Santa Cruz’s more blustery days.”
Photographer: Matthew Millman
When a Silicon Valley couple couple asked Kathy Scott of Walker Warner Architects to redesign a conspicuous, peach-colored stucco home into a low-key weekend retreat for an active young family, Scott looked to Cliff May for inspiration for casual indoor-outdoor living.
Photographer: Matthew Millman