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FeedA Labor of Love
A 6,000-square-foot work of art started life as a circa 1959 ranch house.
(page 6 of 6)
The color palette for the furnishings was influenced by the natural setting. The soothing blend of sage, olive, celadon, and gold has accents of russet and orange. The master bedroom, which opens onto a private terrace, has a wash of pale mint green and features luxurious slate blue Fortuny bedding.
Last year, the decoration of the library was completed. This cozy, dark room has been given an Asian theme with mahogany-stained bookshelves and appropriately chosen artifacts. Cynthia says her family and guests love spending time there. “It’s ironic because we have all these wide-open spaces, but I think humans like to gravitate toward a cave,” she says.
The home is an ongoing project: The vertical-grain Douglas fir on the exterior is sanded down and repainted every year, for example, and the teak garden furniture is refinished annually. “It’s like a boat, rather than a house,” says Cynthia. While acknowledging that it’s a high-maintenance home, she wouldn’t have it any other way.
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Tracey Taylor is a freelance writer based in Berkeley.
