Josh Herman, kitchen
Tomoko Matsubayashi
Acclaimed ceramicist Josh Herman was toying with glazes when he stumbled upon green hues for the tabletops at Paradisaea, the hotly anticipated Bird Rock restaurant set to open this fall. Herman’s tiles play a starring role in the tropical-modern project, from the onyx-and-gold foyer awash in his signature volcanic glaze to the tactile, oversized pieces framed in the wood dining tables. Paradisaea will be just about the only place in the world people can see the artist’s tiles, with the exception being down the street at the Herman family home.
Herman, whose amorphous sculptural pieces turn up in collections of celebrities too A-list to namedrop, isn’t a tile-maker by trade. But when he and his wife (and studio coordinator) Rachel were shopping backsplash options for their low-slung ranch house, they had an epiphany: What better way to showcase their midcentury-inflected aesthetic and taste for saturated colors and texture?
Josh Herman, portrait
Tomoko Matsubayashi
“When we started, it was not my intention to do a house full of Josh Herman ceramics,” he says. “But I don’t always know where things are going to go. It’s organicity, natural, and unfolding. It’s a principle I subscribe to in my life and my ceramics, and it carried over into the house.”
The first step: Find the area’s top talent. The Hermans collaborated closely with Cheryl Carnation of Carnation Construction, who elevated classic ranch stylings with contemporary amenities, including a state-of-the-art kitchen and an 11-foot glass slider. David Skelley, owner of Little Italy’s Boomerang Modern—which carries Herman’s work—was enlisted to curate art and furnishings. Outside, landscape architect JC Miller of Palm Springs-based Miller Studio created a modernist Shangri-La.
The laundry room is punctuated with custom tiles and volcanic-glazed vessels
Tomoko Matsubayashi
A Herman collaboration with Made Lumber
Tomoko Matsubayashi
Herman’s tile-making experiment started in the kitchen—the couple’s favorite place to hang out with their two teenage kids. The geometric tiles, fired in a turquoise glaze with a painterly quality, are paired with walnut cabinetry and a wood-clad ceiling. The tiles were such a hit that he turned his Barrio Logan studio into a full-time Herman-home production factory for the next eight months.
Creatively charged, Herman got bold with shapes, finishes, and colors, from punchy primary classics to dramatic inky shades. In the laundry room, a swath of yellow energizes a minimalist white workspace. A sexy guest bathroom features a dark navy design with an infinity sign, and even the pool and outdoor areas are covered with one-of-a-kind tiles.
The home’s pièce de résistance surrounds the living room fireplace, a three-dimensional, large-scale “mural” of white organic forms speckled with black lava glaze. Along with walnut built-ins and a paprika Saarinen womb chair and ottoman, the space looks so midcentury-chic it could land the cover of an Architectural Digest circa the late ’60s if it weren’t for the flatscreen TV.
The floor plan of the main living space features maple ceilings and big-picture windows on the hillside where Herman is a constant gardener
Tomoko Matsubayashi
Framed by a wall of windows, the half-acre backyard rivals destination botanical gardens.
Miller’s poured concrete steps and curved planters filled with greenery and petite trees define the outdoor living spaces, while an eclectic mix of San Diego-friendly exotic plants dot the landscape. At the top of the hillside, Herman planted 25 fruit trees, all pruned with his meticulous artist’s eye. He also collects bonsai and crested succulents (the mutated plants resemble his own sculptures).
“When you come into the living room and look at the hill, it’s like a painting,” says Herman. “In spring, the fruit trees bloom and in winter, the succulents are flowering. It’s constantly developing and changing.”
Josh Herman, pool
Tomoko Matsubayashi
A favorite compliment from Herman’s mother-in-law: “When people are over, the house just works.” Filled with art, high-end but easygoing, it accommodates any situation comfortably, from teens chilling poolside to a hundred guests mingling.
Herman credits collaboration with a dream team for the results. Call it another win for San Diego’s design scene, just like Paradisaea, a group effort helmed by world-class interior designer and part-time La Jollan William T. Georgis. Housed in a glamorous historic Art Deco building, the restaurant feels more Beverly Hills than Bird Rock, thanks in part to Herman’s work.
“One thing that Bill wanted was to have Southern California and local artisans be an integral part of the design,” says Herman. “I am continually amazed by the caliber of the artists and craftspeople that I meet on design projects here.”
Josh Herman, bathroom 1
Tomoko Matsubayashi
Josh Herman, vases
Tomoko Matsubayashi
Josh Herman, bathroom
Tomoko Matsubayashi
Josh Herman, patio
Tomoko Matsubayashi
Tomoko Matsubayashi
