The stone on the interior and exterior is a Utah limestone that has been individually cut and fitted to give the appearance of a tight mortarless look.

All of these materials and techniques enhance the sense of an aged appearance to the home. Although difficult to produce without looking contrived it was done very convincingly and to the great satisfaction of the Owner.

Architect: Don Edson Architects

Interior & Exterior Designer: Don Brady Interior Designs

Situated on the Pacific Ocean in La Jolla

this home encloses over ten thousand square

feet of living space on three levels. Designed

in the French-Normand style and using many

vintage materials, this home feels like it could

have been built in the nineteen hundreds.

An African thatch roof dominates the circular

entryway at the front of the home. Craftsmen

from South Africa were located that could

furnish and install the African Savanna Grass

traditionally used for thatch roofs that have

lasted for decades. The grass was shipped

from Africa and the craftsmen arrived for the

two-week installation process.

The flat raked clay roof tile used for this home

was reclaimed from a 19th Century library in

Atlanta Georgia that was recently demolished.

All the natural cement grout on the ridge tiles

was color tinted by hand to match the unique

color of the roof tile.

All the exposed timbers in the project are reclaimed fir timbers, many from old bridges and trestles with bolt holes and steel washers still embedded in the wood. In many cases, these were left in the finished work and added a great deal of authenticity to the work. All the exposed trusses and beams are a structural part of the construction of the house and not just "for show". This created a unique challenge because of California Building Codes requiring steel connections for earthquakes that would be unacceptable if left exposed. This problem was solved with knife plates being used that are entirely hidden within the beams. This process of hiding the hardware is very difficult and time consuming but gives the home an old world look while still meeting current codes.

Many examples of hand carved limestone were used throughout the home. All the fireplace surrounds, the stove surround in the Kitchen, the Barbeque and cook stove in the breakfast nook and all the "hand planed" limestone flooring throughout the project were produced by the stone artisan/craftsman on the project.

All the doors in the home are unusually thick, some up to 5" and none less than 2-1/4". Many of the doors have hand forged iron strapping and combined with their thickness are remarked about by almost all guests.

The Library, which is made entirely of select cherry lumber, is certainly one of the highlights of this unique home. The Library was planned and built entirely by our in-house cabinet and mill shop. From the hand bent door surrounds to the custom designed cherry heating registers the craftsmanship in the room is truly spectacular.

Every effort was made to hide all the technology controls, which include computer, controlled lighting, stereo system in the whole house, and radiant floor heating. This project was successful in incorporating all the latest technology into an old world look.

It is impossible to tour this home without appreciating the attention to detail and craftsmanship apparent throughout. Thomas J. Taylor Construction feels privileged to have managed this project although we are at the same time aware that the Owners, in particular, and all the other participants are what have made it such a success.