Open House

Natural Force

NEW EAST SAC HOME IS TRIBUTE TO ARTIST’S CREATIVITY

In 1933, the United States Steel Corporation developed a very special steel. Some clever marketeer dubbed it corten, referring to its corrosion resistance and tensile strength.

This steel alloy was unique in that it used oxidation to its advantage. As corten rusts, it develops a protective layer, removing the need for paint or expensive weathering treatments. Akin to terra-cotta and adobe, corten steel’s natural patina lends anything built with it an earthiness that is irresistible.

The exterior of Gerald Walburg’s three-story new residence typifi es the distinctive reddish-orange of “young” corten. It makes sense that he’d pick this distinctive siding—Walburg, a renowned artist, has been working with corten for longer than I’ve been alive. His 40-foot “Indo Arch” at 4th and K streets

ZS ZS

By Zack Sherzad Photography by Aniko Kiezel OPEN HOUSE

THE THREE-STORY BUILDING IS OPTIMIZED FOR SUBDIVISION—EACH FLOOR HAS THE HOOKUPS NECESSARY TO BE A SELF-CONTAINED UNIT.

Gerald and Deborah Walburg

is a monument to the material’s natural beauty and durability. Since its installation in 1980, the “Indo Arch” has been weathering for more than 40 years, and has since settled into a deep coffee brown.

Like corten, Walburg designed his new house in East Sacramento with a philosophy that embraces the natural forces of time. “At our age, you’d better plan ahead,” laughs Deborah, Gerald’s wife.

The three-story building is optimized for subdivision—each fl oor has the hookups necessary to be a self-contained unit. Lock a few doors and you’ve got three apartments ready for rental, each with its own entrance, kitchen and bathroom. “If I was alone, I would take two fl oors for myself,” Deborah says.

Each fl oor is a marvel in its own way. The central fl oor has an open-concept living room, kitchen and dining area. Maple fl oors, large windows and a wide sliding glass door give the space an inviting lightness.

Accenting the space are handmade rugs, a large Jack Ogden painting

and a laundry list of original vintage furniture—a George Nelson dining table; six accompanying Eames molded fi berglass chairs, plus an Eames lounge chair and ottoman; a Hans Wegner sofa. The mid-century aesthetic is so strong that the Walburgs chose their kitchen cabinet hardware to match the pulls on the many pieces of original Nelson furniture throughout the house.

Ascending to the bottom fl oor drops the temperature a dozen or so degrees, and the background noise of the city fades beneath the 10 feet of surrounding dirt. “I sleep down here in the summer,” Walburg says.

Subterranean fl oors are great for things like wine—Walburg is a passionate home vintner, and his wellstocked cellar is tucked in a far wall. But the challenge with spaces like these is overcoming the dreariness of having no natural light. This problem is solved by an elongated basement patio well dug parallel to the path of the rising sun. A sliding glass door lets in a surprising amount of morning light.

Moving from the lowest fl oor to the highest feels like stepping into an aviary or lighthouse. The slanted shed roof starts high on one end and drops to below eye level. The coziness of the low end emphasizes the grandeur of the tall side. When you stand at the window of the cantilevered fl oor, you can’t help but marvel at the greenery of the adjacent parcels—also Walburg property, all landscaped by the artist himself.

A wall-sized Nelson CSS (that’s Comprehensive Storage System for those unfamiliar with the Herman Miller catalog) defi nes the top fl oor’s kitchen area, and a pristine Executive Home Desk, complete with typewriter cabinet, stands on the corner of a truly epic Persian rug.

“It wouldn’t fi t in the house we lived in,” Deborah says. “When Jerry bought that rug, I knew I was doomed to move!”

Zack Sherzad can be reached at zacksherzad@gmail.com. To recommend a home or garden for Open House, contact Inside Sacramento at editor@insidepublications.com. More photography and previous columns can be found and shared at InsideSacramento.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @ insidesacramento. n

ACROSS 1 Many are mown 6 Loud kiss sound 11 Arthur of

“The Golden

Girls” 14 Sneeze sound 15 Body of authentic works 16 Not even 17 Car named after a beachfront city 19 Outdoor goods retailer 20 Bigfoot’s cousin 21 “___ we having fun yet?” 22 Large wading bird 24 Japanese dish with panko crumbs 28 Tart citrus cooler 31 Pinball violation 32 “What ___!” (“This place needs cleaning!”) 33 Sweet way to raise money 37 “The Chi” network, for short 38 Word before

“accent” or

“angle” 40 Identifier that isn’t the same as gender 41 “What did you think of that test?” 44 Practical application 46 Still having a chance 47 “___ of nothing ...” 49 One may include a sidecar 53 Heart parts 54 Egyptian snake 55 Attention- getting sound 59 Revolutionary

Guevara 60 “Crazy Rich

Asians” star 64 Dress edge 65 Admission of defeat 66 “Salt, Fat,

Acid, Heat” chef Nosrat 67 Important time 68 Beelzebub 69 Japanese cartoon genre

DOWN

1 Like some delicate lingerie 2 Massage target 3 Stimulate, as an appetite 4 Beginners 5 Kind of sauce in sukiyaki 6 Few and far between 7 Rami with a

Best Actor

Oscar 8 “32 Flavors” singer

DiFranco 9 Corn on the ___ 10 Finger joint 11 Sacha Baron

Cohen persona 12 Perfect places 13 French farewell 18 ___ of honor speech 23 “Darn it!” 25 Chooses to order 26 French for

“state” 27 Athletic shoe brand 28 Mascara target 29 Texter’s “If you ask me ...” 30 Kitten’s comment 33 However 34 “On the double!” 35 Toy company with “Star

Wars” sets 36 Former partners 38 Where Kobe and Kolkata are 39 ___ Field (Mets’ ballpark) 42 User-edited site 43 Tums product 44 Coffee server 45 Andy Warhol exhibit holder? 47 Dutch beer brand 48 Salt-N-___ 49 Private stockpile 50 Treat as different from oneself, in modern lingo 51 Espresso foam 52 Classic Indian drink hidden in this clue 56 18-wheeler 57 Do laps in the pool 58 Melody 61 “Bravo!” in

Barcelona 62 Thanksgiving mo. 63 Org. whose middle letter stands for

“Security”

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