A clean, cool modernist white form nestled in the hills above San Elijo State Beach, this chic home has a surprising past: It was once a pink Santa Fe-style abode chock-full of wild tile. “It was Southwest to the max!” quips Amy Meier of the dwelling her clients, a couple with twin girls, purchased on a leap of faith a few years ago. Unable to go inside initially—this was during the time of contactless real estate deals—the designer and her clients could only peep through the windows. What they saw was an opportunity. “You look for the great bones and a great flow,” Meier explains. This house had both.
Architect Mike Holz drew the same conclusion. “It had so much potential in how it sat on the site, with good volumes that just needed updating,” he recalls. “We decided to strip it down and take a minimalist approach so that the interiors could really shine.” Gone are elements like the rustic round wood beams, or vigas, typical of Southwest adobe architecture. The pared-down, boxy result feels reminiscent of modernist Austrian architect Adolf Loos’ Villa Müller in Prague. Largely keeping to the original footprint (save a bathroom wall that extends out a few additional feet), the team opened up the main living areas while defining each space, lightening and brightening the whole of the house with new windows and ample skylights. “I love the way this home presents itself now,” continues Holz. “It has a very minimal façade framed by the landscape, with openings calibrated to beautiful proportions that give a sense of what’s inside.”
Home Details
Styling
Anita Sarsidi
Architecture
Mike Holz, Mike Holz Architect
Interior Design
Amy Meier, Amy Meier Design
Home Builder
Don Sanford, Sanford Builders Inc.
Landscape Architecture
Jeremy Urone, Plant Sight
The homeowners, inspired by Mexican retreats, desired simplified spaces to take advantage of the sunlight and breeze, notes Meier. Hand-troweled plaster walls add softness, walnut floors were chosen for their feel against bare feet, and an abundance of custom built-ins, from pocket doors to furnishings, enhance the balance of the rooms. Perhaps the most surprising built-in is the living room sofa, precisely crafted with a plaster base that melds into the wall behind it “to create a feeling of permanence,” Meier points out. Above it hangs geometric art that echoes the sofa’s shape. “I’m driven by art and craft, and that work felt light and playful,” observes the designer.
The home’s palette is calming and naturalistic—“terra cotta, apricot, the blue of the water, sand,” Meier says—with brief departures, such as in the dining room, where a ruddy marble-topped table and antique wood chairs beckon near a peachy-red sculptural painting. “My clients love color, so we amplified their home’s palette with art,” shares the designer. The breakfast nook received a dash of vibrancy as well, thanks to a set of red vintage dining chairs. “I want them to feel a different emotion in each room,” Meier muses.
By design, sunlight pours into the skylight-topped kitchen, where the designer’s efforts particularly resonated with general contractor Don Sanford. “Amy’s aesthetic is very special, and all the custom cabinetry in the kitchen—and throughout the whole house—is like high-end furniture; nothing is standard,” he comments, noting the kitchen’s integrated pulls and countertop slab of walnut sourced from Napa. “This project was a massive transformation and the organic nature of her design really fits with the setting,” Sanford adds. “It has a lot of character and it ties the house to its site.”
“My clients love color, so we amplified their home's palette with art. I want them to feel a different emotion in each room." –Amy Meier
Meier sourced the breakfast nook’s Gianfranco Frattini table and 1950s pendant light from Pamono. Banquette cushions are upholstered in a Fret Fabrics textile, with C&C Milano and Christopher Farr Cloth fabrics on the pillows. Vintage Joe Colombo dining chairs add a dash of color.
In the primary bedroom, Meier opted to place her clients’ bed in the center of the room, which allows for surprising storage behind it. “My ideas are often intuitive, so when we found a vintage Gerald McCabe bed with floating nightstands, we decided to create a built-in chest for it,” she explains. In this space, too, she toyed with the palette, pairing purply pinks with chocolate browns. “I love combining colors you don’t normally see, and the bright but frosted work by Australian artist Daniel O’Toole creates an interesting tension in the room,” she says.
Outside, landscape designer Jeremy Urone played off the interior aesthetic for a seamless transition. “Amy’s not afraid to add color and unique pieces to her interiors and my work parallels that,” he notes, explaining that he focused on color, texture and native and drought-tolerant species as well as quirky surprises like the sculptural kalanchoe at the dining room window. After identifying the garden’s foundational elements—an avocado tree, Torrey pines, a large yucca and palms—he embraced a subtropical theme, using plants native to riparian areas in a nod to the nearby San Elijo Lagoon. The landscape, lush yet thoughtfully placed, enhances the clean-lined architecture. “I’m so proud of the uniqueness of this house,” Meier concludes. “Homes are like puzzles, and I want people to challenge themselves and think differently about how they put their spaces together.”
A sculptural Willy Guhl chair makes a statement by the pool. The terra-cotta planters are from Eye of the Day Garden Design Center, the teak chaises are James Perse and the umbrella is Dedon. Cushions and pillows wear Perennials fabrics with Kerry Joyce trims.
A simple entryway design showcases hand-troweled lime plaster walls which continue throughout the home. Designer Amy Meier floated a travertine-topped walnut shelf below artwork by William Lemon. Shapiro Joyal Studio’s June Stool rests beneath.
Cushions of Mark Alexander fabric top the living room’s built-in sofa. Tobia Scarpa tables form a modular coffee table atop a rug from Lawrence of La Brea. The custom armchair is covered in a Christopher Farr Cloth denim. On the wall hangs Mikyung Kim’s Yoondongju’s Sky.
On the patio, a serpentine bench boasts cushions composed of a Perennials textile and Kerry Joyce trim. The teak table is from Harbour and the vintage René Malaval bistro chairs were found on 1stdibs. The accent tables are from Meier’s eponymous shop.
Meier sourced the breakfast nook’s Gianfranco Frattini table and 1950s pendant light from Pamono. Banquette cushions are upholstered in a Fret Fabrics textile, with C&C Milano and Christopher Farr Cloth fabrics on the pillows. Vintage Joe Colombo dining chairs add a dash of color.
In a planter from Rose Tarlow Melrose House, a Queensland bottle tree creates a focal point on the kitchen island. Custom cabinetry by Timberwest plays off a Pietra del Cardoso backsplash. BassamFellows stools from Una Malan provide seating.
Joining the dining room’s coral-marble-topped table, found at The Window, are vintage chairs by Jørgen Bækmark and a mobile-like chandelier by Andrea Claire Studio. The Berndt Friberg ceramics are from Hostler Burrows and the painting is by Jan Maarten Voskuil.
Set atop a Lawrence of La Brea jute rug, a vintage Gerald McCabe bed with floating nightstands centers the primary bedroom, backed by a custom chest for additional storage. The draperies are a Kerry Joyce textile paired with Calvin Fabrics sheers. Artwork was commissioned from Daniel O’Toole.
Along the walkway leading from the terrace to the primary bedroom, Meier placed weathered terra-cotta vessels sourced from Eye of the Day Garden Design Center, which contrast with the clean lines of the architecture. The copper sconce is a bespoke piece.
A sculptural Willy Guhl chair makes a statement by the pool. The terra-cotta planters are from Eye of the Day Garden Design Center, the teak chaises are James Perse and the umbrella is Dedon. Cushions and pillows wear Perennials fabrics with Kerry Joyce trims.