English Country by the ocean
Looking back, the challenges San Diego architect David Lorimer faced when designing this English Country home in La Jolla’s renowned Barber Tract 20 years ago were numerous: getting all the roof lines to intersect properly, adding dormer windows on the second floor, having the garage doors face the street and making new construction look Old World.
“It came out very authentic, and I like how it’s so intimate,” says Lorimer, whose work spans more than 40 years.
The steep, 45-degree roof pitches and the use of brick and dark wood make the house stand out in a neighborhood of ocean-close storybook homes, whose owners have included actors, producers and politicians dating to when the tract was developed by Phillip Barber in the 1920s.
The design also incorporates outdoor living. Three side-by-side French doors in the living room open to a wide, tumbled oxblood brick terrace, which steps down to a gray-bottom rectangular pool. The spa is capped in New York bluestone.
A lightweight, low-arched pipe trellis system supports wisteria over the patio.
Inside, a study with custom wood cabinetry has its own private patio and sitting area. Multiple archways provide sightlines through the home.
The large basement has a full bathroom, a temperature-controlled wine room (with racks that can hold 2,000 bottles) and built-in cabinets. The space can easily double as a recreation and home theater area.
A Palladian window allows natural light to pour onto the grand stairway. The bull-nose custom wood stair rail is another example of how the owners paid close attention to interior details.
In the master bedroom (and a second bedroom), the walls are quilted, creating a warm effect. French doors open to a balcony and an ocean view. The spacious master bathroom has windows on two walls.
To submit a candidate for Home of the Week, send high-resolution color photos with caption and credit information on a CD and a detailed description of the house to Lauren Beale, Business, Los Angeles Times, 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012. Questions may be sent to homeoftheweek@latimes.com.
