Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Sensational Spaces V - Coastal Casa in Malibu

Am not a fan of Martha Stewart. Never was, never will be.....so I rarely go to her website, and even if I do, I never share anything I see there...maybe I'm jealous of her "perfectness"???? But, I had to make an exception this time when I came across this house on her website's house tours......just HAD TO SHARE! If not for anyone else, for me to drool over every now and then and close my eyes and pretend I live there!!!! And then of course I googled some more and found this out about the lucky owners....

This is the Adamson House built on one of the most beautiful beaches in Malibu in Southern California.  Rhonda Ringde Adamson and her husband Merritt Huntley Adamson moved to California and bought 1,330 acres of Rancho Malibu in 1892 for $10 an acre!!! After her husband's death in 1905, Rhonda, a dynamic woman, (she fought the railroads and sought to stop the building of the Pacific Coast Highway) started Malibu Pottery Factory, which unfortunately burned to the ground in 1931 and never reopened. At its peak it employed over a 10 people and produced decorative tiles which furnish many LA area public buildings and residences, including the Adamson House which was completed in 1930 after 5 years of planning. The house is now part of the California State Park as a cultural and historical icon and a showplace for the craftsmanship of Malibu Potteries.

I present you then The Adamson House....the incredibly gorgeous tilework will make you swoon!
The exterior


The foyer with an eclectic tile table. The blue ceiling and burnished wall which symbolize earth and sky echo the natural vista outside.
 The Persian style "tile" carpet in the loggia. The elaborate pattern which uses more than 670 tiles was created using cuerda seca glazing
Glass doors with a wrought iron grille bring light and ocean views into the hall
 The baseboard skirting has tiny individual tiles in a motif that continues up the stairs
The living room
The dining room with a frescoed ceiling
The kitchen.....if I had to cook here I would never complain!!!!!
The kitchen's Pueblo Deco geometric patterns, and a ceramic clock above the table which was part of the Malibu Potteries Catalog
The Upstairs Hall

Viking and Venetian galleys, an ocean liner and a clipper ship navigate the bright blue tiled walls
 The Girls' bedroom
 Another bathroom, one of the 6 in the house
 The Peacock Fountain outside the loggia captures the colors of the Pacific. Apparently one tile to the left of the urn is set backwards (though I cannot see it), a deliberate error reflecting the Islamic belief that perfection comes only from God!
Images via. And those who think Martha Stewart is a domestic goddess, so be it!

5 comments:

GB said...

Gasp! and swoon! those tiles are to die for!

And yet again, i have to agree with you over Martha. Truth be told I never even knew of her existence till she was thrown behind bars.

The Interior perspective said...

This is a fabulous find,Kamini !! Love the use of colour and pattern. The tiles used are lovely :)

indian yarn said...

colors and the sun streaming in ! vow .looks to me like a house in mexico more than california

Sayantani Mahapatra Mudi said...

breath taking pictures...so so perfect. love that rug tiles...its excuisite.
between congrats on winning the sugar mould at compai.

Sound Horn Please said...

Love those tiles and the turquoise color. And CONGRATS on winning the sugar molds from Compai :)