Julia Hunt Morgan was a world-renown architect born in 1872 and died in 1957. She designed over 700 structures in California. But the work for which she is most famous involved numerous major structures in the famous Hearst Castle in San Simeon, California.
To sum up her life’s work simply, it is wholly unique with a focus on soaring and complex rafters and exteriors. That, of course, is inadequate to describe her work. So we took a look at a home she designed in Lake Tahoe.
All photos are used with permission from TopTenRealEstateDeals.com
Built in the late 1920s, this home follows in the style most popular among high powered executives at the time- namely, the log cabin style. The home encompasses 2,720 square feet, features open beam vaulted pine ceilings, three bedrooms, four bathrooms, and has an 864 square foot guest house. It is currently listed for sale at a cool $8.9 million.
The picturesque home faces the waterfront just a few yards distant from the shore with a broad, rustic, wood dominated face. Remaining true to the log cabin theme, it is built predominantly with large, round beams cut from the trunks of ancient trees- which the forests of California are known for.
A simple, functional lawn looks perfect for children to play on and wraps all around the exterior of the house. Between the edge of the lawn and the thin strip of beach, there is a small border of hedges. These were small when we viewed them but could be grown into an impressive hedgerow with time if the owner wanted privacy from the active lake-fairing community of Lake Tahoe.
Off to the side of the yard stands a pier for small watercraft to tie up and a few examples of the great pine trees that the area is known for.
Inside things get even more interesting as visitors come to stand beneath vaulted ceilings so grand that they feel like a rustic version of a European cathedral. Truly, the admixture of the log cabin aesthetic and the soaring effect of an ancient church is stunning. It would appear to be an artistic statement of sorts, making the claim that man’s relationship to the great outdoors is not something to be discounted as primitive.
The main living area features the style of complex, exposed rafters that Morgan is so well known for. They support an impressively open structure with enough space to fly an RC airplane around in comfortably. The walls, naturally, are all exposed wood and shine with heavy lacquer.
The furnishings are simple, beautiful, and functional- though they are hardly the focus of a look at any of Julia Morgan’s outstanding designs.
Turning our gaze down the long living area, we find the far end of the room dominated by a massive stone fireplace that crowns the entire structure beautifully both in a thematic sense and functionally.
Source: www.chaseinternational.com
