Hillside Haven

BY ZARA KHAN

BY DAVID LALUSH

SSome things are just meant to be. Pam and Ray Fada did not discover the Central Coast the typical way. They did not have an association with Cal Poly nor an affinity for wine (yet), they just stumbled upon it. While their daughter was working on a service project in Seattle, they decided to turn their visit into a road trip. They flew into Los Angeles and started their drive up the coast. Along the way, they stopped in Pismo Beach and the Fadas immediately knew they discovered a gem. It wasn’t long before their visits became more frequent from St. Louis, Missouri and in 2018 they committed and purchased a parcel of land.

The lot they purchased had been vacant for forty years and was a tricky site to build on due to the steep sloped hillside. It was important to the Fadas that the interior did not have too many stairs to different levels. Their requests were simple, they wanted the interior to capture the views and be easy to live in. The Fadas recognized the advantage in having their architect and builder as the same person—John Mack would not only be able to help them dream up their home, but he would ensure that their vision would become a reality. >>

Throughout the project, Mack remained flexible and worked with them to find solutions to any roadblocks that came up. Even if that meant moving the front door location or changing standard windows into floor-to-ceiling glass, he was as invested in the project as they were and always had creative solutions. Brian Healey, with Pella Windows, helped the Fadas source and place all their windows, which may have been the most important detail. On one side of their lot, they have a picturesque view of the ocean and on the other side of the lot, they are only a stone’s throw away from the Pismo Preserve. The panoramic flow from the dining room with the mountain view to the living room with the ocean view is seamless. Even though they didn’t have the local connections quite yet, they were able to assemble a dream team. They worked closely with Chuck Quinn at Quinn Home to pull together their material selections. Quinn helped them with their cabinetry throughout their home and pushed them out of their comfort zone when it came to tile selections, and his vision was spot-on. Each space has unique tiles, and they were creative with the layouts and trim pieces to add even more visual interest. >>

As we all know, beautiful tiles can only take a space so far, the installation is key and Dustin Bridges and Aaron Newman executed the vision perfectly.

When it came to the guest suites, the Fadas wanted to have fun. They love to entertain and wanted their friends to have a place to come visit. Choosing a theme, they decided to make one of the guest suites capture what they love about the Central Coast and the other capture what they love about St. Louis. The Central Coast bedroom is inspired by local treasures, complete with an ocean view. And in the St. Louis suite they framed architectural sketches of Missouri buildings that had special meaning to their family. They also decided to use tile in the guest bathroom that evokes a similar feeling to old brick. The Fadas worked closely with Jess Onorato at Habitat Home and Garden to select furniture, rugs, and accessories that bridged the two styles together cohesively. They also showcase a mini gallery that features several of the beloved art pieces from Ken McGavin of Just Looking Gallery in San Luis Obispo throughout their living space.

It doesn’t stop at the main house, they worked with Joel Stern on all of the landscape design, which >> not only features beautiful landscaping, but makes their home tasting room feel like an extension of the main house. The Fadas are avid half and full marathon runners and over the years integrated microbreweries into their race weekends. They wanted a space to celebrate their love for beer and to just hang out with their guests. In their home bar (which features a sign out front that says: “Free Beer Today”) you will find on tap beers that they cleverly named to highlight their favorite and their daughter’s favorite beers. A true beer connoisseur would be able to detect that they really are just highlighting the beers made by Dylan Roddick from their dear friends at Oak and Otter Brewery in San Luis Obispo.

The Fadas were able to capture so much of their personality in their new home while still creating a space the feels modern, inviting, and open. They were able to achieve this by deciding early on what was important to them, assembling a team they trusted, and then letting them do what they do best, giving the Fadas the freedom to enjoy life on the Central Coast.