la Casa de Larga Jornada

Description

2006-06-01T16:06:00.000-07:00

A Cliff May designed rectangular-shaped single story stucco over adobe dwelling and red tile gabled roof with wide beamed overhangs, includes a garage attached by a roofed breezeway. The main entrance to the living area is through a massive wooden door. The interior rooms all open to a large saltillo-tiled central courtyard which includes a swimming pool. Large Doric columns support the patio roof and add beauty. Numerous sliding glass and french doors link the living space with the outdoors. Wrought iron fixtures and window grilles contribute to the Spanish style. A number of stucco chimneys, some with clay pots affixed, a May trademark, emerge from the roof top. Simplicity mixed with the horizontal building lines enables this home to blend harmoniously with its environment.

* Taken from State of California Primary Record, Rancho Santa Fe Historic Building Survey January 1999

Views of the House

SECOND STUDY AND BATH

COURTYARD AND POOL

GROUNDS

MICHAEL TAYLOR FURNITURE

Master Baths

2006-06-01T15:57:00.000-07:00

His Bath

Her Bath

Archive Description

2005-12-31T09:02:00.000-08:00

Views of the House

SECOND STUDY AND BATH

COURTYARD AND POOL

GROUNDS

MICHAEL TAYLOR FURNITURE

Second Study and Bath

2005-12-17T12:55:00.000-08:00

This room was likely intended as a guest room since there is no access to it from inside the house but rather from the interior courtyard.

Closet space of second study

Pullman

Shower

Michael Taylor Furniture (page 2)

2005-12-11T09:20:00.000-08:00

Master Bedroom

Mirror 47" round $8000 (metal like material)

Fossilized Stone Top Desk 29h x 85l x 41w SOLD

Fossilized Stone Top Nightstand (2) SOLD
25h x 53w x 25d

Rectangular Stone Planters (2) $300

Rattan like top, wooden based bench $300
17h x 44w x 22d

Upholstered top bench
17h x 59w x 27d SOLD

Leather Chairs (2) SOLD 33h x 32w x 22d

Fossilized stone top round table
40" round SOLD

Fossilized Stone Table Lamps
32h x 13 diameter and
32h x 11 diameter BOTH SOLD

Collection of three matching rugs (10.5 x 11.25 and two 4.5 x 5)

Upholstered ottoman $500.00
17h x 25w x 22d

Draperies covering large french doors (match upholstered bench and ottoman) $500

Study

End Table with fossilized stone top $500.00
27h x 47w x 35d

End Table with fossilized stone top $300.00
27h x 36w x 36d

Coffee Table with fossilized stone top 17h x 68w x 30d SOLD

Partner's Desk with fossilized stone top $3,000.00
30h x 79w x 51d (stain has been touched up on legs since this picture was taken)

Striped Couch w/2 round throw pillows $1,000.00
32h x 104w x 46d

Mexican Chairs w/cushions to match couch (2) $300 each
33h x 39w x 27d

Seisal rug in golden tan $500.00 15' x 8 3/4'

Draperies (match pattern on couch) $300

Lamps (2) BOTH SOLD

Lamp SOLD

Michael Taylor Furniture

2005-12-11T08:21:00.000-08:00

Interior designs by the late Michael Taylor (www.michaeltaylordesigns.com). The interiors were featured in the July 1986 issue of Architectural Digest in an article called "Courting the Sun, Light Touch for a California Ranch House". The house was sold with most of the furnishings, many of which are for sale (prices and dimensions below). All furniture is c. 1980's (around 1983-4) and much of it was custom made by Mr. Taylor for the house. Contact Candice at 858-759-7353 to purchase any pieces.

Kitchen

Round Wooden Pedastal Table 62" round $2,000.00

Wooden Chairs (6) 44h x 19w x 17d $200 each

Great Room

Planters without plants (2) - 36 x 34 x 24h $1000 each

Aegean Sea Olive Press 88h x 57w x 29d contact for pricing

Close up of Olive Press

I found the following links about olive presses. They all look very old, just like the press pictured here.

http://www.dim.com/~tib/Vacations/Israel2004/Day04.html

http://www.christusrex.com/www1/ofm/san/BET08mid.html (scroll down to middle of page)

Two piece Sectional with four round throw pillows 32h x 100w x 44d and 32h x 173l x 44d SOLD

(Recovered by owners within the last three years)

Large patterned rug 24' x 14' $800

Two upholstered swivel chairs with throw pillows 35h x 42w x 42d
Upholstered Ottoman 17h x 37w x 42d
SOLD

Coffee Table with fossilized top 17h x 70 x 78 SOLD

Ottoman (2) 19h x 36w x 27d SOLD

(Recovered by owners within the last three years)

Occasional Table with fossilized top 48" round x 24h SOLD

Chairs Only (4, I believe are left)

Guest Room

End Table with fossilized top 29h x 51w x 28d SOLD
Twin headboard SOLD

Metal bedframes, box spring, matress SOLD

Foot Stool SOLD
Small Mexican Chair $50

Window Coverings 2 sets
Mexican Chair (2) SOLD
Ottoman SOLD
Floor Lamp 65h x 12 diameter (2) (one has a loose top) SOLD

Wooden table taken by previous owners

King's Chair 58h x 29w x 21d $500

Large clay ribbed planter with plant $800

Large stone planter (not including purple flowering cacti) $800

Rectangular Stone Planter (with plants) $400

more Michael Taylor furniture...

Grounds

2005-12-11T08:10:00.000-08:00

Backside of arched entry and driveway

Street Side of House, there is a 3 foot wall on other side of lawn to further block the house from the street

Chimney with clay pots affixed

Organic garden

Iron grill on door leading from front side of house to courtyard

Walkway behind pool area - the large window in the center slides open (although it is painted shut right now)

Master bedroom patio and path

Pathway

Master Bedroom

2005-12-11T08:00:00.000-08:00

I like the original shutters on the window.

Study and Bath

2005-12-09T13:06:00.000-08:00

Before

During

All the walls have been repainted, most with lime wash. The darker colors show the limewash more. The great room and halls are more subtle because it is a cream white color. But you can see how the lime wash "blooms" here. Custom built-ins were created for both offices. All interior doors were replaced. The old ones were not solid wood (foam core?). The closet doors were replaced as well with solid wood doors.

Guest Bath

2005-12-09T13:04:00.000-08:00

Guest Room

2005-12-09T13:02:00.000-08:00

Laundry

2005-12-09T10:59:00.000-08:00

The laundry room connects the breezeway to the garage and the kitchen. Again, all original like the kitchen except for the cabinet paint (changed from a painted - not stained - brown to white). I love the size of the room and the fixtures.

Kitchen

2005-12-09T09:31:00.000-08:00

The kitchen sits just off the entry and great room. It is all original except for the cabinet color. The Simon's painted the cabinets white when they purchased the home.

One interesting feature of the cabinet facing is that they are made so that the middle section can be replaced easily with glass and or wire inserts if wanted.

All of the appliances except the dishwasher are original and in very good shape because I don't think they have gotten much use since 1983. I plan to replace all the appliances.

The island counter is a single full slab of 70's style honed marble which I will likely replace because I would like there to be an overhang for stools and it is too thin for my tastes.

Courtyard and Pool

2005-12-09T08:21:00.000-08:00

Before

View of left side of courtyard

View of right side of courtyard

View of courtyard from great room

Roof and tile detail in courtyard

Example of screens and doors which lead to courtyard

Courtyard fixture

Pool

View of courtyard area from pool

Pool bath pullman

Pool bath shower

During
Fountain was replaced with firepit, took out large planter that was off-center in courtyard, redid pool. Courtyard tiles were fixed and refinished.

Trim was repainted, because the trim on the house was not the original trim color. Mrs. Youngblood said it was originally a dark brown, but we couldn't find a dark brown that would now transition from in and out of the refinished beams in the great room. So instead we chose a gray color that almost looks brown from a distance. And the transition of the beams from inside to outside makes sense.

Great Room

2005-12-08T12:40:00.000-08:00

Before

The small entry opens up to a large great room featuring beamed and grapestake ceiling and large central column holding an off-center beam with a wall of windows (sliding doors) leading to interior courtyard. The soffit in upper right was an addition done by Cliff May in the mid-eighties as the owners were having trouble with the radiant heat in the floors (leaks) and wanted to add air-conditioning. May also added the fans to move the heat downward.

Standing in great room looking back at small entry and opening to kitchen area on right. There is a pocket door in the center wall that closes off kitchen area if needed.

More of the great room showing central column

Central column in great room and aegean press

More detail of the fireplace area. The fireplace opening looks very similar to "Wappo Hill", the personal residence of Robert Mondavi and designed by Cliff May.

During
Update 12/1/07! Close to being finished, all ceilings have been redone. We took the paint off all the large beams, took out all the grapstake, ran new phone and electrical, plus security system. All the insulation was replaced (thankfully, so much more healthy). The beams have now been stained, and after splitting the grapestake to expose the wood, the grapestake was put back up. We also removed the paint from the fireplace mantle and stained it. The soffits where the water ran through at the ceiling edge for heating and cooling was covered in stucco and blends much better with the house. The floors have all been refinished. Shutters were added to the windows.

I didn't publish a good picture of the large sliding glass doors for before. But suffice to say, they were extremely difficult to open and since I wanted to take more of the house back to Cliff's 1930's hacienda style, while retaining the modern components of the skylights, I opted for these custom very open french door designs with side lights on each side of the french doors and transoms over the top. They retained as much as we could of the look and open feeling of the glass sliders. The stucco beams between the doors were enlarged a bit as well. And here you can see a better shot of the soffit above the doors that was stucco'd over to blend more nicely with the feeling of the house.

House Entrance

2005-12-08T09:00:00.000-08:00

Pilasters at entrance to paved portion of driveway. Need to either match existing fixture (hidden behind plants) or get two new ones

Paved portion of driveway, garage and entrance to house

Detail of garage roof tile

This massive pepper tree sits to the right of the entrance and is outside the window of the guest room

Walkway to front door

Front door (panels are similar to Sunset Magazine office entrance - Cliff May also designed the Sunset Magazine offices)

History

2005-12-08T07:31:00.000-08:00

James and Agatha Youngblood, Detroit natives who relocated to Southern California, hired Cliff May in the early 1970's to plan their hacienda style home. Mrs. Youngblood, inspired by California Ranch style houses depicted in California movies and influenced by May designed residences in La Jolla as well as the Estudillo adobe in Old Town, the home of May's ancestors, wielded a hand in the planning of this stucco over adobe dwelling. The structure strongly resembles May's West Los Angeles residence, "Mandalay". Large, low interior rooms open to an airy central patio area which includes a swimming pool. A number of fireplaces warm rooms in addition to May's heated tiled floors which incorporates electrically warmed water running through subterranean tubes. In 1983, Allan and Stefani Simon purchased the home, added air-conditioning, and made minor bathroom changes under the tutelage of Cliff May. The house represents one of the best of May's Southern California designs.

* Taken from State of California Building, Structure, and Object Record, Rancho Santa Fe Historic Building Survey January 1999

Articles and Awards
Architectural Digest July 1987
Lily Award for Historic Preservation 2000

Street Entrance

2005-12-07T09:02:00.000-08:00

The entrance to La Casa de Larga Jornada. The building is approximately 10 feet deep. The right side contains a stable room which opens to a small pasture. The left side contains a small storage room.

"La Casa de Larga Jornada" is written in tiles on the left side of the entrance.

The arched entry is fashioned after the entrance to the Robert Mondavi Winery also designed by Cliff May.
From Robert Mondavi's autobiography Harvests of Joy: "When we arrived at To Kalon, Cliff and I walked along together, marveling at its beauty and sereity. Suddenly Cliff stopped me and said, 'This is the site.' In his mind, there was no question; To Kalon was far superior to the others. The aesthetics were perfect. Immediately he visualized the completed winery complex, set back against the foot of the Mayacamas Mountains. Then he took out an old nine-by-twelve-inch manila envelope and with a pencil he began sketching on the back. he first drew a large archway. 'This will be the entrance,' he said. 'For a mission style, you'll need a tower, like a bell tower.' And he drew a modest but distinctive tower to the right of the archway. Then he sketched a V spreading back from the archway, like the wings of a graceful bird in flight. 'You can have your production on one side,' he said, 'and your hospitality and visitors on the other.' After that, Cliff pulled out his camera and took photos of the grounds from various angles, so he could later elaborate a more formal architectural plan. But it was from that rough sketch on the back of an old manila envelope that the unique design and feel of the Robert Mondavi Winery was born."

The arched entrance to the winery is featured on some Mondavi wine labels.

Looking at the backside of the entrance from the gravel driveway which is lined with olive trees.