Escapism in Escondido
For Lars Romberg, the living room of his home in the rolling hills of south Escondido is a “perfect sound room. If you play something grand, particularly organ music like Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor, it’s like being in a church.”
For his wife, Solveig, at night the room “feels like you are floating in space.”
Both descriptions reflect what Wallace E. Cunningham had in mind when he designed this singular home for Warren Wexler and his wife in 1994. Cunningham, who was once a student at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin Fellowship and in January 2004 was named one of Architectural Digest’s top 100 architects and designers, notes on his website that he “tries to tap into the psyche with unexpected manipulations of form and light, which are intended to be as sculptural as they are architectural.”
The Rombergs were captivated by the outside of the house, which is located at the end of a secluded street just a few miles from downtown Escondido, two years before they were able to purchase it in 2004. The couple are not shy about going after what they want: They’ve owned 15 homes, eight in their native Sweden and seven in San Diego County since immigrating in 1981.
Cunningham’s style is evident from the street, with the home’s sculptured roof and crisp, clean lines. Inside, each room is linked to the next by windows or glasswork -- instead of solid walls -- to let the light in. This extends to such unexpected areas as closets; even the garage has a wall dominated by floor-to-ceiling glass strips.
Many of the rooms are octagonal, and Cunningham played with geometric shapes in different areas, including the bathtub and shower. Oak flooring unifies the linked rooms, which have a sleek, modern feel and are connected by a very long hallway -- “You really get your exercise,” Lars Romberg says. The kitchen is a full-service working area, yet appliances are hidden behind solid wood cabinets down to the food warming drawer and the Asko dishwasher. The Rombergs have spent $600,000 upgrading the house.
But the piece de resistance is the octagonal living room with its soaring sculptured ceiling, fireplace and dramatic windows that look out over the landscaped yard and views of distant hillsides.
The windows are a departure from Cunningham’s design, which called for six small balconies with glass doors; instead, the Wexlers opted for solid-glass windows that flood the south-facing room with light in the morning.
Listing agent Karen Schwan says she has a difficult time finding comps for potential buyers. “It’s a unique property, artistically designed.” That said, a more traditional, similar-size custom home one block away is listed for $1.225 million.
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To submit a candidate for Home of the Week, send high-resolution color photos with caption and credit information on a CD and a detailed description of the house to Lauren Beale, Real Estate, Los Angeles Times, 202 W. 1st St., L.A., CA 90012. Questions may be sent to homeoftheweek@latimes.com.
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BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX
Lux in the hills
Location: 2441 Cross Creek Lane, Escondido 92025
Designer: Wallace E. Cunningham
Asking price: $1.75 million
Previously sold for: $930,000 in January 2004.
Size: There are three bedrooms and 3 1/2 bathrooms in about 4,088 square feet on nearly an acre.
Additional features: Three-car attached garage with circular driveway; kitchen has granite countertops, Italian hood by Milano, Dacor cooktop, Sub-Zero refrigerator; built-in sound system with speakers in many rooms; separate guest suite with a kitchen, bath, sitting room and patio; exterior lighting.
Around the neighborhood: 226 pre-owned single-family homes were sold in the 92025 ZIP Code from January through October, according to MDA DataQuick. The median sales price was $350,000. In 2007, 210 pre-owned single-family homes sold at a median price of $500,000. There were 210 homes listed for sale last week in 92025, according to Realtor.com, with prices up to $1,999,000.
Agents: Karen Schwan, Brush Realty, Escondido, (760) 473-7172; Boris Buecker, Value of Architecture, San Diego, (858) 245-0909
