A California home designed by John Carden Campbell and Worley Wong

9/14/2025 02:58:00 PM

OLD-FASHIONED VERANDA large enough for buffet suppers and summer parties is an imaginative asset of this decidedly contemporary house near the California coast. Porch roof is partly open to allow sun and light to reach the interiors. In summer, a gay sunshade of bright green, gold and blue canvas is stretched across the uncovered rafters.

You can see the fruits of imagination in almost every detail of the design and plan of this house which is built on a secluded knoll among tall oak, pine and eucalyptus trees. One of the most satisfying results is the way the house nestles into its site and takes ad- vantage of the spectacular views on three sides. And the affinity of the house for its surroundings is emphasized by the exterior colors-greens, ochre and silvery buff borrowed from foliage, earth and tree trunks. Other imaginative highlights include a garage built partly be low ground so as not to obstruct the view; a dramatic glass-walled hall leading from entrance foyer to living room; a kitchen which is really two kitchens in one; a family room carefully planned for the specific activities of the family who live there-a family of four with a teen-age daughter and a six- year-old son.

The family has developed a deep affection for the house and with good reason, for the imaginative plan provides individual privacy and tranquillity for everybody. The children's bedrooms and their parents are in the same wing, near enough to each other for parents to answer nighttime hurry calls, yet comfortably separated by a study. Outdoors, too, the decks and terraces are marked off for the undistracted enjoy- ment of various age groups. And to top off these delights is one few families can claim all the storage they need.

The versatility of this imaginative house is eloquently expressed in the contrast between the living room, above, and the family room, opposite page, each of which includes a dining area. The quiet elegance of the living room is emphasized by rich fabrics curtains and wallcovering of yellow-green silk, sofa upholstery of silk and linen. And the high ceilings and large windows looking out on distant views give the room greater scale than the more intimate family room which looks out on the front terrace. Nut-brown mahogany paneling and a variety of built-ins and other conveniences give the family room an atmosphere of contained comfort.

THE FAMILY ROOM is imaginatively planned to take care of everything the family likes to do there. Set into one wall are a hi-fi speaker, a TV set, a pass-through for wood for the prefabricated fireplace. Since the small boy of the house uses the room as a playroom, there is storage for toys, a school desk for drawing. Dining area, right, normally opens to the hall but may be closed off by folding doors. There is also a door to kitchen-pantry.

It takes imagination to plan a kitchen that is compact enough to serve a single worker efficiently yet roomy enough for two. In this house, the trick was turned by the joint inventiveness of architects and owners who had studied and profited by time-and-motion saving principles. The result is a two-part, 21 foot long kitchen that includes one self-contained food preparation area and a pantry with auxiliary kitchen facilities-sink, refrigerator-freezer, oven-broiler as well as storage and laundry appliances. Thus, extra hands can help with large parties and not be in the way of the major-domo. In addition, the kitchen is full of small conveniences such as a drawer for trading stamps.