SWEETENING the POT

FROM TOP TO BOTTOM, A SAN DIEGO-AREA HOME RECEIVES A GLAMOROUS MAKEOVER, RIGHT DOWN TO A NEW CASINO-LIKE LOUNGE.

BY MAILE PINGEL

INTERIOR DESIGN: ANITA DAWSON, DAWSON DESIGN GROUP

ARCHITECT OF RECORD: MARK MORRIS OF OASIS ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

CONTRACTOR: STEIGERWALD-DOUGHERTY

PHOTOGRAPHER: JIM BRADY, BRADY ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY

Stepping through the front door of this hilltop home overlooking San Diego Bay, one might think they’ve been transported to a luxury hotel on the French Riviera. Its vivacious glamorous spirit matches the vibrant personalities of the homeowners, who, like happy hoteliers, now welcome their friends to an impeccable destination.

“This home belongs to a couple who love travel, music, fine wines, and games,” says designer Anita Dawson. “They’d been living in the home for some time, but maintenance issues facilitated a renovation, which gave them the chance to make this house their own.”

With a wish list that included redoing nearly twothirds of the home (only the guest wing remained untouched), Dawson set about rethinking the main floor’s public spaces. “The clients were tired of the dated scheme and wanted to refresh everything,” she explains, noting the help of local architect Mark Morris. Work began with photographic renderings so that the clients could “see” what the rooms would look like. “It’s an expensive process and it takes time, but it helps you find opportunities, and it’s fun to envision everything early on.”

The living room and dining room, which flank a marble-floored hallway that flows from the front door to the rear of the house (and those extraordinary ocean views), were given a new palette of soft, warm reds and gold tones. Dawson repurposed many of the clients’ traditional furnishings but brought in modern accents for a more contemporary feel. She also opted for a trio of big, overscale chandeliers above the dining table to add drama. “One fixture wouldn’t have been as interesting,” she says. “These clients like showstopper pieces.”

Dawson also transformed the blackpainted kitchen into an airy, eat-in space, opening one wall with retractable

The mainfloor wine room houses the owners’ collection of American wines windows to create a pass-through to the patio. “All of the main spaces really needed to be opened up and to take better advantage of natural light,” she adds. The owners also requested a nearby wine room that they could devote solely to American wines.

Upstairs, Dawson gutted the couple’s bedroom suite, which, like much of the home, had been painted black. “Now it reflects their outlook: bright and elegant,” she says. The room, as well as its newly redone bathroom, his-and-hers closets, and hair salon (“I’d never done a salon before,” she says) features a palette of creams and bronzy grays, with gold accents that create a visual tie to the downstairs spaces. “Gold runs through the whole house,” says Dawson, who brought contrast to the suite with dark and light furnishings and “fluffy and silky” textiles. Crystal lighting pieces “add to the hotel look,” she notes.

But it’s the home’s lower level that pushed Dawson to think outside the norm. “It was an underused area with just a television and a really dark, scary wine area, so the homeowners let us go wild—and it was such a blast!” she says. The challenge was to make the 8-foot-ceilinged

IF YOU’RE LOOKING TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT WITH YOUR HOME, DON’T HESITATE TO EXPLORE IDEAS—HOMEOWNERS WHO ARE UNAFRAID ALWAYS END UP BEING MY HAPPIEST CLIENTS, SAYS DAWSON

DINING ROOM

Furniture: dining chairs

- A. Rudin (PDC, West Hollywood, CA)

KITCHEN

Appliances: cooktop, warming drawers, microwave (subzerowolf.com); dishwasher, co ee system - Miele (mieleusa.com)

Furniture: counter stools - Century Furniture (Hickory, NC)

PIANO ROOM

Furniture: chairs, sofa, ottomans - A. Rudin (PDC, West Hollywood, CA)

Rug: Kravet (PDC, West Hollywood, CA)

PRIMARY BEDROOM

Furniture: accent tables, chairs, ottomans - Baker (PDC, West Hollywood, CA)

Lighting: sconces - Boyd

Lighting (San Francisco, CA)

PRIMARY BATH

Lighting: chandelierZia Priven at A. Rudin (PDC, West Hollywood, CA); vanity - Boyd Lighting (San Francisco, CA)

PRIMARY CLOSET

Cabinetry: custom - Clyde Turner (San Diego, CA)

Lighting: ceiling fixture - Best & Lloyd (Smethwick, England)

GAME ROOM

Furniture: armchairsA. Rudin (PDC, West Hollywood, CA)

POWDER ROOM

Fixtures: vanity, customJean de Merry (PDC, West Hollywood, CA)

THEATRE & CANDY BAR

Appliances: refrigerationSub-Zero (subzero-wolf.com); cooktop - Wolf (subzero-wolf. com); dishwasher - Miele (meileusa.com)

Furniture: seating - CINEAK (Hollywood, CA)

Lighting: ceiling lightApparatus (Los Angeles, CA); optic ceilingStarryNight

BASEMENT LOUNGE AREAS

Appliances: ice machine - Scotsman (scotsmanhomeice.com); beer dispenser - Perlick (perlick.com)

Lighting: bar lamps - Felix Lighting (La Mirada, CA); specialist - LightWorks (Los Angeles, CA)

Furniture: barstoolsA. Rudin (PDC, West Hollywood, CA); wine room chairs - Eric Brand (Burlingame, CA)

BASEMENT POWDER ROOM

Fixtures: vanityNeo-Metro (Industry, CA)

Glasswork: walls - Pulp Studio (Gardena, CA) space feel inviting, which Dawson resolved with barrel-vaulting that gives the illusion of greater height. She also divided the space into focused areas: a theater with a candy station, a billiards table, a wine cellar (this one for the couple’s collection of European wines), glass humidor cases, a spirits bar (“It’s a commercial bar—another first for me!”), and the husband’s music room. Adding to the historic European feel are redvelvet draperies and antique wood floors custom fit to the space.

“If you’re looking to do something different with your home, don’t hesitate to explore ideas—homeowners who are unafraid always end up being my happiest clients,” says Dawson. “This house is all about entertaining and how much this couple truly enjoys having fun with their friends.” ■ lncuded on the home’s lower level is a cellar solely for European wines

The powder room’s illuminated vanity furthers the floor’s clublike feel

Comfortable lounge chairs and a commercial bar make entertaining easy