La Jolla Shores
Spanish Colonial
La Jolla Shores, California
Architect Fabio Rigo de Righi's remodel of an early 1970s La Jolla Shores Ranch-style home. The meandering Santa Barbara/Spanish Colonial floor plan, designed around three courtyards, it is as graceful as the landscaping with sloping hillside garden with its purple haze of lavender, the bright magenta bloom of bougainvillea, the light greens of agaves, the striking burgundy-black hue of cordyline and a contrasting smatter of white roses. This is the vernacular of Southern California, simple elegance with expanses of thick stucco walls with openings and deep recesses. Decorative face tiles on stair risers framed by retaining walls with reclaimed terra-cotta caps. Each room uses different wood with varying finishes lit with statement lighting fixtures that are ambient focal points — it is a great family home.