Overview

Interior Features

The creative architecture of the main house was designed by Jay Evart. He blended craftsman style with vaulting ceilings and open layout. Large glass areas allow views of the garden and surrounding hills. The interior and exterior layout facilitates flow of guests when entertaining. Additional structures include guest quarters, brick deck with cantilevered sun shade and gas grill, hot tub off the master bedroom, and four ancillary buildings including a cedar English summer house overlooking the extensive gardens. Cedar is also used for the greenhouse as well as the historic-design fence.

The total living space is 2181 square feet with 1731 ft2 in the main house and 450 ft2 in the guest quarters over the workshop/garage. The main house has 2 bedrooms and 2 bath, with the remaining bedroom and bath in the guest quarters.

Exterior Featuures

The master gardener designed garden has seven different planting zones with color throughout the seasons. There are 23 fruit trees and a uniquely designed raised kitchen garden. The house has very large glass areas to view the garden and there is an English summer house in the garden with Brazilian walnut (Ipe) deck. The garden is watered by gray water and rain water. A climate controlled green house with attached tool shed host citrus trees over the winter.

The garden has places to linger: benches in hidden niches and a weathered cedar swing. A wooden bridge passes over a dried river rock creek bed. A Boole course gives one a chance to spend a relaxing hour with the only sound being the click of the balls. The English summer house imbedded in the garden, gives a superb chance to enjoy the garden while sipping tea or wine. The greenhouse is a place for the gardener to work in comfort with all their accoutrements at hand. Tropical plants can winter here and then be placed out in the spring.

Descripton

This unique mountain retreat home and garden are located in the mountains east of San Diego with a four season climate. Sandwiched between the Anza-Borrego desert and the metropolitan San Diego area, there are six major public recreation areas nearby. Just down the road lies the historic village of Julian which hosts shops, restaurants and five wine tasting rooms. The driving time to the international airport is 70 minutes.

This inspired combination of a creatively designed home with a beautiful garden in a near-zero energy home is a home of the future but holds on to the charm of the past.