Wallpaper on the ceiling? Why not?
“This is probably my favorite,” says homeowner Tracy Skinner, looking up at the black and white linen-like wallpaper above her head.
Because the first paper she chose was very dark, Skinner considered covering only one wall. But Sacramento interior designer Cheryl Holben dissuaded her. “Cheryl said, ‘That is totally trendy. You can’t do one wall.’”
Tucked away near Fair Oaks Boulevard, down a discreet lane of custom homes on lush green lots, is a singular dwelling filled with warmth, originality and old-world charm.
Step inside the extraordinary European-inspired residence of landscape architect David Gibson and artist William Ishmael.
Thirteen-foot ceilings are accented with exposed beams of California Douglas fir. Walls are cream-colored rough plaster. A striking floor of salvaged French oak is stained in seven shades of hardwood. Stacked limestone, typically seen on exteriors, wraps around a dining room wall.
This is how the conversation typically goes: “My friend found a stray cat and took her to the SPCA on Bradshaw.” “You mean the county shelter?” “Isn’t that the pound on Front Street?”
Confusing? Yes. But it doesn’t have to be. Let’s start with the basics.
Bodie bounds onto the well-worn leather sofa and makes himself comfortable, furry head on a blue chenille pillow. The 75-pound German Shepherd with soulful brown eyes and gigantic feet is a long distance from China, where his journey began.
This handsome canine is one of the lucky ones. Found abandoned on the streets of Shanghai, he spent three years in a local shelter before making his way to the United States and his 4,000-square-foot home in Elk Grove with new owners Anna and Dave Kuhn and their other two rescue dogs.
The rooftop bell may not be the first thing people notice when visiting this two-story Spanish Revival in the heart of Land Park, but it is definitely one of the home’s most unusual features.
When husband and wife Kele Dobrinski and Christina Valencia purchased the mission-style home in 2016, the old bell was encased in a flattop structure that “didn’t do it justice,” Valencia says. To add architectural detail, the couple built a curved tower around the metal ringer “so you could see the bell in all its glory.”
Mai and Jeff Townsend have taken the notion of “open concept” to a whole new level in their recently renovated home on a cul-de-sac in Sierra Oaks. A bright orange entryway door leads to an immense light- and art-filled space that encompasses multiple zones for entertaining, cooking, dining and relaxing.
“My absolute favorite thing is the incredible openness of the room,” Jeff says. “I love how we created these self-contained areas.”
The Townsends purchased the 1965 ranch-style home in 2017 from the estate of the original owner. “This property had great bones,” says Mai, who has a passion for interior design. “It was well built. Just very compartmentalized. The main thing for us was to create an open flow and space.”
The renovation took eight months under the watchful eye of Mai, who created the design plans. The couple gutted most of the 2,222-square-foot house, which they called a “time capsule,” leaving the exterior structure. “It’s a brand-new house in an old shell,” Mai notes.
The Townsends moved to Sacramento from San Jose with their son Blaze and yellow lab Parker. In addition to wanting to be closer to Mai’s parents who live in West Sacramento, the couple saw potential in what the area offered.
“We fell in love with Sierra Oaks,” says Jeff, an attorney specializing in mediation work. “It was a whole new amazing life that was opening up to us.”