Top to bottom: The front door opens up to a rug and stair runner from REED FLOORS ; Lizzie and Andy Tobias with their three daughters—Holly and twins Grace and Lauren. Previous pages, left to right: A custom inset Zillij mirror with a cantilevered wood shelf hangs in an OUTDOOR HALLWAY ; iron gates welcome guests into the COURTYARD of this Mediterranean hilltop HOPE RANCH home.
review and interior design elements. After construction, Christina Rottman joined the team for interior furnishings and as Andy says, “to put the icing on the cake.” “The ‘dream team’ as Peter put it was chosen by their willingness to be collaborators and work with our vision,” says Andy, a consumer product designer. Together, the skilled group combined their engineering expertise, creative ideas, and historical design knowledge to create something major, while stopping frequently along the way to assess the volume and feel of each space as they more than tripled the size of the home. Adding a second story and a tall stairwell within a tower was no easy feat to pass with the city, but since the grand home cannot be seen by any neighbors, they were able to proceed with a clear and gridlike path on how it would be done. Taking in these layers is enough to put someone on sensory overload. Once past the castlelike exterior’s ivy and gates, guests step into the entry courtyard, with underground radiant heat and a welcoming fire lit in the outdoor fireplace. Inside, a bold bar with playful lighting and rattan stools invites guests to the real heart of this home, positioned right off the entry hall, living room, and sunroom with the ocean
Feature “The most tranquil,
interesting series of High on a hill at the far end of Hope Ranch sits a slice of Old Europe that was thoughtfully recreated. Owners Andy and Lizzie Tobias came to California via England and South Africa and had precise ideas of what they envisioned living in with their three daughters. Ultimately, they found it in a 3,000-squarefoot ranch home that promised panoramic views if they built it up. Now, at 10,000 square feet, their Mediterranean masterpiece is open, airy, and surrounded by lush gardens and ocean vistas, with design details that recall the south of France and welcome a steady stream of houseguests through the door. Armed with mental and physical photographs of everything they loved from their previous homes and international travels, Andy and Lizzie took their “borrowed ideas” to the late architect Peter Becker and hired him and business partners Tom Henson and Jacob Niksto on the spot. Next, Becker recommended his “dream team,” which consisted of Mike Fahrenkrug of Fahrenkrug Construction, Eric Nagelmann landscaping, and Randy Franks for architectural
green spaces seem as if they’ve been there forever.”