The 1937 Spanish Revival-style duplex in Land Park is the perfect place for retired architect Peter Saucerman and his wife Susan Twining.
The house features an owner-occupied unit of 2,200 square feet and another 1,100-square-foot rental. The owner’s side has three bedrooms and two bathrooms on two floors connected with a curving staircase, plus a two-car garage.
Local architect Leonard F. Starks designed the property for himself and his wife Eleanor. One of the city’s most prolific architects, Starks designed the Elks Tower, C.K. McClatchy High School, Downtown Post Office and Alhambra Theatre, the latter demolished but still missed.
Starks lived in the home until his death in 1986 at age 94. Saucerman bought the property in 1995 after it sat for nine months and was nearly repossessed by a bank.
Saucerman was smitten the moment he walked in and saw the luminous windows and wood-beamed living room ceiling. “The details were just amazing,” Saucerman says. “The light was so interesting since it came from various directions.”
He was stunned when he realized the connection to Starks. “I found that Starks had been a founder of the architectural firm Nacht & Lewis, where I once worked. But I had never met Leonard. I remember that architectural partner Dick Lewis used to visit him and look out for him.”
Saucerman was in no rush to update the home, but that changed when he and Twining married in 2003. The couple started with a kitchen remodel that honored the architectural heritage. Later they remodeled the upstairs bathroom with the same respect for history.
The kitchen remodel opened the closed, dark space to the dining room. The dining room ceiling beams have the same stenciled designs as the living room.
“Before and after our wedding and honeymoon, we were busy finishing all the cherry cabinets in the kitchen by hand,” says Twining, a retired nurse. “We had the cabinets custom made but we were very particular about the exact finish.”
The home faces Riverside Boulevard and has a tiny yard. The couple turned the yard into an outdoor patio. They built a painted brick wall to match the home’s white exterior, added concrete pavers and a semi-circle fountain to extend the planter detailing.
Lush landscaping with climbing vines and sago palms creates an interesting green backdrop. A seating area for dining and relaxing highlights the area.
“Getting the duplex onto the Sacramento Register of Historic Resources in 2022 was a pandemic-era project for me,” Saucerman says.
He was encouraged by his friend and neighbor Curtis Popp, a designer who did the same for his Art Moderne home down the street. Saucerman worked with Don Cox and Paula Boghosian, a husband-and-wife team who owned Historic Environment Consultants.
“This home always represented an opportunity for us, but also a responsibility to preserve it into the future,” Saucerman says.
Starks helped with the historic registration process. He left a trove of drawings and photo albums dating from 1915. The treasures showed people and projects from the architect’s life.
“On many occasions I referred to his original drawing to make decisions on things to restore,” Saucerman says. “Susan and I act more like curators than anything else. We never felt a need, or even really a reason, to do any great remodels or big changes to it. Painting, repairs and HVAC upgrades are really all we’ve done. Even the windows are mostly original.”
Now in their early 70s, the couple plans to age in place as Starks did. “We have a small bedroom and full bath on the lower level if we ever need it,” Twining says. “Otherwise, we can easily accommodate a chair lift on the staircase. And right outside our door is a bus stop to get anywhere.”
When it’s time to pass along their perfect place, Saucerman says, “We hope the next owner will continue to honor the magnificent history of this home. And love it as much as we do now.”
Cecily Hastings can be reached at publisher@insidepublications.com. To recommend a home or garden, contact cecily@insidepublications.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento.
