Casa Bohemia: The Spanish-Style House

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Cas a

f enix

M al i bu

O w N E R S : Jean Craig A R C h I T E C T : Lewin wertheimer P h O T O G R A P h E R : Douglas hill

On a blustery November morning in 1993, the Old Topanga Fire ignited. It’s cause unknown. within 10 minutes it grew to 200 acres and there was no way to stop its rapid progression through the rugged Santa Monica Mountains and all the way to the beach.

This small beach community in Malibu, where Jean Craig’s sweet Cape Cod style house sat perched on an outcropping of granite was in harm’s way. By nightfall, the entire community was razed.

Jean lost everything but some small clay pipes from the fireplace mantel. After a period of disorientation and soul searching, Jean decided to build the house she had always wanted and knew the architect she wanted to work with. She contacted Lewin wertheimer.

Thus Casa Fenix was born of the ashes.

Today, one can sit on Jean’s loggia, 200 feet above a breathtaking expanse of the rich blue and green Pacific waters, scout for whale spouts and pods of dolphin, and look down on passing formations of pelican while fishing boats and paddle boarders pass slowly in and out of view. Jean says that the sea never looks the same two days in a row, and indeed you can watch the winter storms advancing in the distance while the water turns to pewter and white froth. Then as the clouds break apart, the sun sends down searchlights, making brilliant patches of green in the dark restless water.

Jean’s ochre cement plaster home, designed by Lewin as a series of stepping volumes of simple materials and shapes, echoes the Spanish hill towns where he spent part of his youth as well as remind the owner of her favorite times along the Amalfi Coast. The romance of those simple materials and shapes composed in authentic and graceful compositions are a part of his designer’s blood. As is traditional, Casa Fenix’s north-facing street façade has small window

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penetrations and expanses of ochre walls, but the south face opens itself graciously through windowed arches and a groin-vaulted loggia, down patios and terraced gardens to expansive views of the changing Pacific.

Entering the cobalt blue Colonial double doors to the jewel box entry hall with its basket-weave tile floor one finds to the left the combined sitting area, kitchen and dining room. To the right off the entry is the grand salon with daybed nook, and directly ahead is the spiraling stair that leads up to the master suite and office. The staircase was designed after El Greco’s stair at his home in Toledo, Spain.

The kitchen area is a suite of functional spaces: the cooking area with its architect-designed Tree of Life mosaic, hand-glazed by

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Felix Schmeing of Ceramic Concepts. The dining area is anchored with table and chairs that were in the historic home of the Adamson Family, owners of the influential Malibu Tile Factory. Much of the tile of Casa Fenix is influenced by the Malibu style. The small convenienlty situated sitting area is one section of large kitchen space is anchored by a raised tile hearth around a corner fireplace. Built-in tile benches create the perfect place to have coffee and conversation with friends. The large Douglas Fir beams bring scale to the large room and slope down to create the sense of more intimacy over the sitting area.

Large leaded glass transom windows beautifully frame the Pacific and naturally invite one out to the loggia. In spite of its scale, the room is very peaceful. Perhaps it’s Jean’s collection of antique Santos that decorate the mantle or possibly it has something to do with interior designer Christine Vergara’s choice of elegant but comfortable furnishings. hidden in a corner, a day bed; Jean’s favorite place to nap or read with an intimate view of the specimen olive tree just outside her window.

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C a s a

Pom pe o O w N E R : Ellen Pompeo D E S I G N E R : Martyn Lawrence-Bullard P h O T O G R A P h E R : OTTO/Archives—Timothy Street-Porter

This house was built in 1926, and is a fine example of Mediterranean architecture in the true hollywood style. Ellen fell in love with the romance of hollywood’s oldest celebrity commune when she discovered historic whitley heights. She was delighted by the way that hobart J. whitley buit the hill to resemble collective hillside communities. The approach at the top of the hill to the house winds through a garden of olive trees and beds of fragrant Spanish lavender. The sweet, striking aroma of the blossoms of potted orange trees mingle with lavender. The front of the house is adorned with its original stone urns that give an eternal nod to olive harvests. A gravel path encircles the exterior of the house.

The main entrance of the house leads to a small vestibule. The dining room in on the right, and the grand reception room and living area on the left. The living room is a high, vaulted space, with a 20 foot window at the far end that overlooks the terraced landscape, distant hills and swiming pool. Chic pared back iron lets the architecture shine.The living room is furnished with a mixture of antique and vintage pieces, put together in a simple, modern way. Moorish influences can be seen in the styling of the delicately turned columns and small arches that contain the staircase. The table under the staircase is an 18th Century Chinese artist’s table dressed with a Sebast hYPERLINK “http://www.amazonasimages.com/” ião Salgado photograph and African artifacts. A small grouping of simple chairs from Paris heighten the originality of a stunning 1950’s Paris Oswaldo Borsani table. The vintage rug is Indian and carved sofas, and the pillows are from the Martyn Lawrence-Bullard collection, in the Moroccan style. The interior vibe is Côté Sud, southern French country with Moroccon influences. Martyn designed the four mirrors above the fireplace; the ironwork screen and surround were

also custom made. A large photograph by Nick Brandt rests next to the fireplace. A rare white Picasson candlestick sits on the tray table.

These silvered tray tables add an air of luxury.

The dining room is anchored by a 19 C. rustic French farm table. Light from the pierced Moroccan lamps radiate titilating patterns on the ceiling. The flooring is 19 C. reclaimed terra cotta from France. The over-sized mirror is an homage to Moorish design and the extraordinary Bugatti furniture catalogue; from the Martyn Lawrence-Bullard collection. The iron windows look out to the hollywood sign and the hills in the distance at the front of the house.

The family screening room is a draped porch that faces the pool below and the neighboring hills. This is the area Ellen uses to learn scripts. The large screens behind the sofas are designed for use in the daylight to block reflections from the big screen on the opposite wall. Behind the screen is the draped porch that can be seen in the east facing photograph of the house. Martyn designed the screens as well as the extra deep sofes; the pillows are in fabric he designed and mixed with Indian textiles. The black leather ottoman was also a Martyn Lawrence-Bullard design.

The bedroom faces French doors that open to a spacious wrought iron balcony. A c. 1920 Egyptian wall hanging is used as a headboard to a rustic southern French white oak bed. The laquered side tables are 1950’s by Edward wormley. The bed is layered with a raw silk Indian coverlet over a gray knitted cashmere blanket and vintage Moroccan pillows A silver hermes vase holds Ellen’s favorite flowers.

This is modern family living in a historic and classically proportioned casa.

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Z a mbra O w n e r S : rob lewis and Andrew K. natzke A r C h I T e C T : rob lewis, Andrew K. natzke, Interior Designer P h O T O g r A P h e r : ricardo Vidargas

The house “Casa Zambra” was named after a flamenco dance performed by barefoot gypsies in the caves of granada. Many of its influences are similar to belly dancing, and in fact, may be derived from that form. In Arabic the word means “party,” which rob and Andrew both thought was just perfect for their new home. The two are known for their travels and investigations into the cultural intrigues of their host country. Their most favored spot is Southern Spain. And so, they are also familiar with the styles of north Africa. when they began to plan for this house in San Miguel, they agreed that they wanted to no farther south and the Strait of gibraltar. They definitely wanted the “feel” of Southern Spain. rob and Andrew’s first visit to San Miguel was in 1984; and they first bought property there in 1987 in an area at the historical colonial center known as San Juan de Dios. There they built their own first home in the Spanish Colonial style in 1993. The house was later sold, and over the next few years the partnership purchased other properties in the historic center of San Miguel and continued to work in the Spanish Colonial style. They gained

valued expertise in design up-grades for buildings 300-hundred to 400-hundred years old. Soon a clientele for their work in Spanish Colonial and Spanish revival homes, new and restored, grew because of their clients desire to have a home that felt as if it has always been a part of the historic center of this beautiful old town.

Their favorite are the daily adventure of walking the streets, which they describe as a cultural event; people really live in the streets in Mexico. They awake early and walk through the park. when they arrive back home there is coffee and breakfast on the patio. walking through the plazas and gardens, is a visual and auditory sensation. Between meetings with clients or on their way home for lunch, they are walking. Their office is conveniently located the the entry just off the street above their garage. One of their very favorite walks in the house itself is the one from their office back to the main house. The main house and patio pool are at the end of a 40-foot long walkway between stone walls, a beautifully pigmented series of Alhambra-styled arches, a large, old mesquite tree with its delicate foliage, a line of palm trees planted

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