Meandering along an elevated site high above Pacific Palisades, celebrity designer Jae Omar’s latest luxury dwelling—dubbed ‘Dragon’—is a breathtaking and deeply spiritual 11,500-sq-ft composition of Japanese-inspired charred shou sugi ban wood and black steel cladding. The 7-bed, 9-bath home, creat

In 2008, the renowned architecture firm Predock Frane built a pair of nearly-identical houses in the Marquez Heights neighborhood of Pacific Palisades. Sited adjacent to each other within an environment of conventional Mid-century homes on a wooded, sloping lot, they were dubbed the Twin Houses; one

Set on a compact lot behind a picket fence, this idyllic Eagle Rock compound is centered around a classic stucco bungalow seamlessly remade in 2011 by architect Barbara Bestor. The 4-bed, 3-bath property came on the market last week and includes a free-standing casita plus a studio/office in lovely,

Completed in 2021 by Fabien Lannoye, the design principal at Nova Designs + Builds, in concert with San Francisco interior designer Cindy Bayon, this 4-bed, 4.5-bath Napa retreat is a luxurious composition of wood, stone and glass, with spectacular interior spaces closely linked to the outdoors and

Long regarded as a wonderful place to live, the classic Palm Springs neighborhood of Deepwell Estates possesses a heritage of exceptional Desert Modern residential architecture and a history of celebrity residents; a place valued both for privacy, its proximity to Downtown, and mountain views.Origin

Created in 2009 by the renowned landscape architect Garett Carlson, The Boulder House was conceived visually as a large boulder rising beneath a hillock– actually a turf roof– becoming one with the landscape and almost invisible from the road.  Set in a magical, drought-resistant and sympathetically

With an aesthetic evoking the California mining camps of the 19th Century, this recently completed 2-bed, 2-bath, 10-acre property by Paul and Wendy Hadley near Pioneertown has just come on the market. Nestled into its high-elevation site (and not unlike its mining camp predecessors) the property op

Since the 1980s, Venice has been the locus of cutting edge residential design, where architects have been looking at ways to deconstruct and reconstruct the gritty low-rise vernacular landscape using industrial materials in new applications, perhaps best exemplified by the Dennis Hopper Residence, w

At Rancho Mirage’s famed Tamarisk Country Club, the design/build firm Studio Veren has completely re-imagined a classic 1959 desert dwelling by architect Val Powelson. Eschewing the standard all-white interiors so common in renovations, they’ve employed deep tones and wood paneling while honoring th

Framing distant views of the San Gabriel mountains, this handsome 1959 Post + Beam, originally built by Buff, Straub + Hensman in Pasadena’s San Rafael Hills has been beautifully reinvented by designer/developer Stephani Gan. Serenely paying homage to the firm’s innovative work of that decade and In

Sited on three private acres in one of Rancho Santa Fe’s most desirable neighborhoods, this newly-listed home (known to architecture scholars as the Marshall House) was originally created by Richard Neutra, one of Southern California’s most prolific influential Modernist architects. Elegantly expand

New to the market, and hovering gently over its pristine 38-acre site, this superbly executed Wine Country estate is the work of Swatt Miers, the San Francisco based architectural firm known for creating sweeping, elegantly detailed homes.With a mandate from the clients to minimally intrude upon the

Over the course of a year, we look at dozens of properties on the market. All have unique architectural and design pedigrees, some are newly built, some renovated and others have been rescued from neglect and the effects of time, but their creators all have one thing in common—a passion for Californ

A milestone event in the history of northeast Mission Bay continued on Feb. 15 with the demolition of one of the last abandoned, and dilapidated mobile homes onsite celebrating the long-awaited clean-up of De Anza Cove.Michael and Jacob Gelfand of Terra Vista Management, which operates Campland on t

Ever wondered what it would be like to have a fancy cocktail in a high-class, decorative nautical bar? Now you can.Captain’s Quarters at 910 Grand Ave. in Pacific Beach is open for business accepting online bookings and limited walk-ins aboard its speakeasy-style sophisticated bar offering nightly b

Jack Ryan and Ethan Silber, standout athletes at Mission Bay High School, have been chosen to represent the United States as part of the American Football Worldwide Elite Team. Ryan, a 5 feet 8 inches tall, 155-pound safety/slot receiver/holder, and Silber, a 5 feet 8 inches tall, 160-pound quarterb

By ANNIKA WESTERMission Bay High School’s premier jazz ensemble The Preservationists have been holding concerts throughout San Diego to raise funds for their anticipated trip to Japan in April. With help from the Sea Monks, a band composed of Mission Bay students and alumni, who held a concert at Ti

SD TapRoom marked its 16th anniversary in Pacific Beach the weekend of Feb. 24-26. Twin brothers and co-owners Kevin and Kyle Conover celebrated their craft-brew bar and restaurant in style, tapping a keg of Pliny the Younger, a seasonal, award-winning Triple IPA from the Russian River Brewing Co. i

Ruth Stout (1884-1980), the American gardener and author, once wrote, “I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose I would always greet it in a garden.”That’s what happened on Friday, Feb. 17. More than 55 students met at Pacific Beach Middle School to provide an early greeting to spring. The sixt

Since January, the City, spurred by ongoing heavy winter rains – and more storms this week – has conducted an “all hands on deck” approach to addressing problematic potholes under the direction of Mayor Todd Gloria.In a matter of weeks, work crews have repaired more than 14,000 potholes citywide, dr