Above: This ADU is currently under construction in North Park. The client wanted a granny flat and veggie garden but didn’t have space for both. Architect Ramiro Losada-Amor and his firm Modern Granny Flat solved the problem with this design.
As every San Diegan knows, our city has not been keeping up with the demand for housing—and the demand just keeps growing. The city of San Diego is expected to add another 150,000 residents in the next 10 years. By 2040, the county population is due to surpass four million. That means we need to build more and build faster, but we also have to be clever about it.
“We have to address housing in the same way we address the future of medicine, the way we eat, the way we dress,” says Jorge Ozorno, a professor at NewSchool of Architecture and Design. “We cannot design houses the same way we did in the last 30 years, because demographics have changed.”
Millennials are marrying later and living with roommates. There’s the gray market, there are DINKs, and housing will need to solve problems not just for groups or generations of people, but for animals too. “In some buildings there are probably more dogs than people.”
Here are a few predictions for San Diego.
Your home will be customized via app and 3D printed.
Before Ikea, there was Sears. Between 1908 and 1940, Americans were able to order “kit homes” from the Sears catalog and then assemble the parts once they arrived. It seems that history is repeating itself, at least in terms of homes made-to-order. “There are so many experiments going on right now where buildings are being assembled faster,” Ozorno says. “The customer can buy software and say, ‘I always like my bathroom like this and my bookshelves like that.’” A 3D printer using a mixture of lightweight soil and straw and sturdy concrete will create the walls from scratch in no time, leaving space for traditional doors and windows. “The future is defined by 3D printing.”
A rendering of a Binishell housing development in Rosarito
We’ll return to nature (sorta).
“At a time when it seems all other industries are reinventing themselves in new and exciting ways, why is the construction industry lagging technologically?” asks architect Nicoló G. Bini, president and CEO of Binishells, who says the last major development in efficient building was the invention of industrial prefabrication (e.g. the steel frame and the glass curtain wall). Over the past 10 years, Bini and his team developed the Binishell, an egg-shaped structure that can be erected three times faster than traditional construction, using about half the material and labor. They’re also safer and greener. “From a structural or safety standpoint, the beam-to-column connection is the weakest connection possible—that is why there are no right angles in nature,” Bini says. “By contrast, a thin shell is the strongest—that is why nature puts its most precious babies in eggs. Binishells are safe in floods, fires, earthquakes, and high winds.” Currently there are no Binishells in San Diego County, but there are a few in LA and Mexico that will be completed this year.
A rendering of the project that will replace Riverwalk Golf Club’s 27 holes in Mission Valley
More people will be living near transit, perhaps on a former golf course.
Right now, developers are hammering away at transit-friendly projects like Bayview Plaza, a mixed-use complex with 156 residential units on Morena Boulevard (next to a future trolley station at Clairemont Drive). Riverwalk Golf Club’s 27 holes in Mission Valley will give way to “San Diego’s first true transit-oriented village,” according to developer Hines. That includes thousands of rentals, retail, office space, a 100-acre park, and a new trolley station. Hines anticipates the first move-ins will start around the second half of 2022.
You could have three residential units on your lot.
New state legislation, as of this year, allows for two accessory dwelling units on a single-family lot—essentially, you can build a triplex. “It was just one word they added,” says Sean Canning, principal architect at Ten Seventy Architecture. “A companion unit and/or a junior unit.” (A companion unit can be freestanding; a junior unit is attached to another unit, and it can share a bathroom.)
Right now the cost of construction is high, but consider that the city is waiving the impact fees (which usually amount to $40,000–$50,000) so it’s a good time to think small infill development. Canning’s firm is focusing on areas like Logan Heights in Southeast San Diego, which lies in an Opportunity Zone, an IRS-designated area where investors can enjoy a tax break on capital gains after 10 years. Read more about ADUs.
Co-living will happen.
Last April, a company called Common announced a $300 million expansion into four cities—Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, and San Diego. They were going to bring new “all-inclusive living” to San Diego, where every tenant is called a “member,” and the bedrooms are private but the kitchens, living areas, and some bathrooms are shared. Everything is furnished; there’s free laundry on-site and weekly cleaning of shared spaces. This kind of arrangement has come to be known as “co-living.” Common still hasn’t quite debuted in San Diego, but the property management company is working with local developers, so expect to see them in the near future.
Future of Housing – Micro-Apartment
Andy McRory
Your kids will live in a micro-apartment or tiny house.
A microunit is a studio as small as 200 square feet, sometimes outfitted with space-saving design and furniture, such as a Murphy bed or a coffee table that can rise and expand into a dining table. San Diego’s first microunit building, Nook (pictured below), opened in March 2019 in the East Village. The 91 units measure 250 to 300 square feet, include a bathroom and kitchenette, and with utilities and internet come to $1,300 per month. (A typical studio downtown costs about $2,000 per month.) The microunit is revolutionary in that it allows someone who doesn’t make six figures to live independently. “Our tenants are millennials, seniors, and they’re almost always single,” says David Allen, whose firm, Trestle Build, brought Nook to life. He specializes in “naturally affordable housing,” aka workforce housing. Other microunit offerings include Studios435 downtown and a swanky Jonathan Segal building in Little Italy called The Continental.
Welcome to the inaugural San Diego Magazine Home + Design Awards, where we celebrate the brilliance of local interior designers, architects, landscapers, craftspeople, builders, and home service experts within San Diego’s vibrant home design scene.
These awards are a celebration of the creative forces shaping the aesthetics of San Diego and its surroundings. Like brushstrokes on a canvas, we aim to bring attention to the talent and services that turn spaces into living masterpieces.
Your submission is your invitation to step into the limelight. The winners will be featured in the April Issue of San Diego Magazine and posted online. San Diego Magazine is read by more than 164,700 readers each month, and sandiegomagazine.com receives more than 403,000 monthly page views. Your nomination is an opportunity to captivate our affluent readers who turn to San Diego Magazine for insight into culture, food, arts, and the latest in home design.
To Enter
You can nominate a business or tradesperson whose work and physical business is located within San Diego County. Please provide the name of the business and tradesperson with their contact information. In addition, please include your name and contact information with your entry.
For Transformation entries, provide a high-quality before and after photo to be eligible for the Reader’s Choice vote. We’ve set up an easy-to-use Canva template for your convenience here.
Reader’s Choice Voting
Rally Your Troops! After your masterpiece is nominated, it’s time to gather the votes! From January 8 to 15, unleash the power of your design community. Share, shout, and let your network know that your creation deserves the Reader’s Choice Award, and ask them to vote for your entry.
Important Dates
Nomination Period: December 4, 2023 – January 12, 2024 12 PM Reader’s Choice Voting: January 12, 2024 3 PM – January 19, 2024
Winners will be announced in the April issue of San Diego Magazine and online at sdmag.com
Nominating Categories
Best Interior Transformations (Before and After) Bathroom Bedroom Closet Dining Room Game Room Garage Home Gym Kids Room Kitchen Living Room Nursery Office Stairs/Staircase
Best Exterior Transformations (Before and After)
ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit) Backyard Landscaping Conversion to water-wise landscape Exterior Home Renovation Front yard landscaping Garden Patio + Porch Sheds Swimming Pools
Best Home Businesses + Services
Appliance Store Architect Carpet/Flooring Cleaning Services Closet Remodeling Door + Window Electrician Escrow Company Furniture Store Gardener General Contractors Handyman / Repairman Heating, Cooling, and Air Home Remodeling Home Security Interior Designer Landscaper Lighting Stores Nursery / Garden Center Painters Pest Control Pile + Masonry Plumber Pool Services Real Estate Agent Real Estate Company Roofing Solar Tree Services Turf Upholstery
Homes of the Year
Interior Categories
Bohemian Coastal Contemporary Eclectic Green Industrial Maximalist Midcentury Minimalist Modern Multifamily Residence Rustic
Exterior Categories
Beach Home Multifamily Residence Contemporary Craftsman Green Mediterranean-Style Midcentury Modern Mountain Home Ranch Style Spanish-Style Suburban Home Tudor-Style Urban Home Victorian
Inside the remodeled 1970s craftsman of local pastry chef and Extraordinary Desserts owner Karen Krasne
Photo Credit: Zack Benson
By Ashtyn Douglas-Rosa
The similarities between baking a cake and remodeling a home might be slim in the minds of most. But to renowned pastry chef and owner of Extraordinary Desserts Karen Krasne, paying attention to detail when decorating anything—be it a gorgeous wedding cake or her 2,200-square-foot house in Mission Hills—is the recipe for a tasteful design.
Krasne began remodeling her 1970s craftsman into the dynamic, contemporary space it is today with the help of local architect Aaron Anderson nearly 15 years ago. “We started with this custom gate, actually,” Anderson says, pointing to a large, suspended steel-and-glass opening at the entrance of the Krasne residence.
Photo Credit: Cole Novak
Past the gate, guests step into the front courtyard that serves as an outdoor dining room. Beneath a custom steel canopy filtering sunlight into the space—an effect inspired by the oak trees of San Diego County—sits a grand stainless-steel communal table topped with zebra quartzite stone. Along the north wall, a smoky gray mirror magnifies the space.
The intimate courtyard brings the outdoors in, while the architecture and design of the house spill outwards.
Photo Credit: Cole Novak
“Both Karen and I grew up in San Diego, so the house is heavily influenced by that sort of outdoor living,” Anderson says. “But the interesting thing about Karen is her travels. What she does, as a chef, is heavily influenced by her international travel, so we also brought all that influence into the house. It’s anchored in San Diego, but it has all kinds of international flourishes.”
The south wall of the courtyard is a striking cement fiberboard privacy screen that’s been pierced with an intricate design. “The very first day I met Karen, she brought these Moroccan lanterns she bought on a trip to Marrakech into my office and she said she wanted the front part of the house to be about these,” Anderson remembers. “I had [the lanterns] on my desk, and we just thought about unrolling them and cutting out the design onto a piece of slim fiberboard. The piece is backlit so, at night, this side glows just like a lantern does.”
Photo Credit: Cole Novak
The old-world, international influences don’t stop in the courtyard. Inside the home, Krasne’s love of traveling is reflected in every room. A hand-carved wooden Moroccan cabinet has been repurposed into a bathroom door. Ornate candle holders from Bali adorn the master bathroom countertop. And in the living room—which expands into a second, bamboo-flanked courtyard through massive stacking glass doors—a feature wall was inspired by traditional azulejos tile Krasne once saw in Spain.
Photo Credit: Cole Novak
“We tried to take all these different influences—Morocco, Bali, and Paris, where Karen went to culinary school—and balance them with the edgier, modern stuff,” Anderson says. “It’s really hard to take a craftsman house and modernize it without it looking terrible, so I think one thing we all did well was elevating it without overtaking it.”
Photo Credit: Zack Benson
The kitchen, where Krasne spends most of her time while she’s at home, was renovated last. A large island topped with a Japanese-inspired lithograph on natural quartz sits in the middle of the sunlit room, nearly always covered in a food spread for Krasne’s family and friends. Floor-to-ceiling, built-in cabinetry is coated with a self-healing gray Fenix laminate, giving the space a calming atmosphere.
Photo Credit: Cole Novak
“Those,” Kranse says, gesturing to ornate, art-deco chandeliers hanging over the kitchen table, “are from an old opera house in Austria. I had them sprayed silver to match the sconces, which all came from the same opera house. I also wanted to bring in French Champagne buckets—I really wanted the space to be about us drinking wine and entertaining.”
The Champagne buckets line a shelf hung above built-in lounge seating. Next to the lounge is an in-wall desk with a stack of her favorite cookbooks on display. There, Krasne researches and experiments with new recipes.
“I have a huge office at my restaurant, but I can’t think straight there,” Krasne says. “You feel the frenetic energy, you hear the tamping of the espresso machine and the phones ringing.” It’s here, in this calming, creative space (and in her personal gym downstairs), that Krasne finds inspiration.
As we exit Krasne’s kitchen and step back out into the front courtyard, she jokes with Anderson that she recently came up with a landscaping idea for the front entrance while on a trip to Puerto Vallarta with her husband.
“I know, with Karen, there’s actually a good chance that it’ll happen,” Anderson laughs. “Karen knows more about construction and putting a house together than any other client I’ve ever worked with. We actually get to a detailed level of thought and design. That’s super rare.”
Lisa Franco didn’t plan to become an interior designer. She and her husband, Luis, met while working in biotech. But when the couple’s daughter, Samantha, was a year old, she was diagnosed with a genetic disorder called Angelman syndrome. Lisa left the industry to focus on Sam full-time. And when the Francos bought their first house in San Diego shortly thereafter, Lisa—armed with a more flexible schedule and a hunger to explore her innate love of design—decided to take the reins on the interiors.
The Francos had tapped Mark Morris of Oasis Architecture to refresh the home. He was skeptical; homeowners who go the DIY route usually end up regretting it. But Lisa’s knack for design was apparent. She pulled samples, chose colors, sourced finishes, and visited showrooms, and others in the industry treated her like a fellow pro. “I just started calling myself a designer, and other people believed me,” she laughs. “My career was in science. Science is problem-solving. Interior design is, too. It’s solving a problem, and making it look good.”
Photo Credit: Auda & Auda Photography The sliding doors to the deck can fully retract, making the view the star of the show
When Morris walked through the finished product, he said, “‘You need to come work for me,’” he recalls. Soon after, she did. Their first project together won Bathroom of the Year in San Diego Home/Garden Lifestyles magazine.
As Samantha, now 24, and the couple’s son Ethan, 21, got older, the Francos set out to find a forever home—one that could accommodate a future live-in caregiver for Sam. In 2017, a La Jolla Heights gem jumped out from a listing in the paper: an Old Hollywood–inspired, 1960’s home, once owned by an oil baroness. The Francos bought it, and Morris signed on to bring the build into modern day. The bones were good, and “the house had the perfect entry—grand, yet understated,” Morris says.
Photo Credit: Auda & Auda Photography The colorful wall behind the sapo table is made from recycled skateboard decks.
The inside, on the other hand, needed work. Full of small, closed-off areas, it had level changes at every turn, like step-downs into bedrooms. Morris and the Francos modified the floor plan with two goals in mind: to create a seamless flow for family time and entertaining and to make the layout safe for Sam to have as much independence as possible.
They leveled out the floors, opened up the once-enclosed staircase for visibility, and installed pocket-door gates to block rooms and stairs as needed. Though the layout changed, “Lisa loved that house and wanted to respect it,” Morris says, so they preserved some original elements: crown molding, light fixtures, closet doors, built-ins.
Today, once you cross the threshold, you step directly into the main living space, or the great room. Just past the L-shaped couch is a million-dollar view: La Jolla’s hodgepodge of terracotta rooftops, the coast, all the way to Mexico.
The home’s primary palette is one of soft gray and white walls with chocolate-brown wood floors. But the Franco house is anything but muted. Lisa’s style is bold, colorful, happiness-inducing. In the great room, velvet pillows add pops of pink, blue, and ochre to the couch.
Photo Credit: Auda & Auda Photography Lisa, an avid cook, designed her spacious kitchen with dinner parties and gatherings in mind.
The great room flows into the kitchen, separated only by a peninsula. When Lisa and Morris design a kitchen for a client, they ask about their everyday routine—and that’s exactly what informed Lisa’s own space. Daily essentials receive priority; open shelves hold flour, sugar, oil, and tea, while a full butler pantry around a corner offers hidden storage.
The most innovative feature is a pass-through cabinet between the kitchen and dining room. Dishes and glassware are accessible from either side, and the configuration lets the dining room borrow the kitchen’s natural light.
The Francos wanted an additional space to unwind with friends, so they tucked a bar into an alcove off the great room. “Sometimes we have a couple come over, and we just want to hang, but our dining room is big,” Lisa says. “So this is an intermediate. It’s cozy.”
The couple pulled the blue from the kitchen island and incorporated gold and stone accents. The wire accents on the bar island are both aesthetic and functional—no need to worry about scuffs from guests’ shoes. Closed cabinets hold their collection of wine and spirits.
Photo Credit: Auda & Auda Photography The Francos’ home bar uses darker, moody hues to align with its purpose as an evening hang-out space
On the other side of the great room is Lisa’s office, easily the most colorful space in the house. Her desk is framed by a bay window overlooking the courtyard, while a pendant light fixture, original to the home and refreshed with deep teal paint, anchors the room. “I love whimsy,” Lisa says. The owl-print wallpaper was a touch she couldn’t resist. Luis was skeptical until he saw it installed. “That’s why she’s the designer,” he laughs.
Right across the hall is Sam’s media room, furnished with durable pieces. It’s near the kitchen and dining room, so Sam has her own space but is still in the mix. A mother-in-law suite, which can eventually function as a caregiver’s room, is next-door.
Photo Credit: Auda & Auda Photography Lisa’s décor is an eclectic mix of estate sale finds, original art, and budget-friendly pieces from retailers like Target and Anthropologie
The great room might be the heart of the home, but the lower level is where the fun happens.
A mural of Lisa’s late brother, Michael “Howie” Mandell, who she calls “the life of the party,” is front and center, smiling with arms outstretched. The local artist they commissioned tagged the names of Howie’s loved ones around him, and band posters harken back to Howie and Lisa’s shared love of music.
In the corner is sapo, a Peruvian game (also called “toad in the hole”) that Luis grew up playing. The objective: Throw a gold coin into the toad’s mouth or the nearby holes. The sapo table was a gift from Luis’s mom, who transported it in pieces via plane.
A far wall holds a candy bar, stocked with guests’ favorites, and a mini kitchen with a pink SMEG fridge and toaster. The oversized sliding window opens up onto the grill, the outdoor dining space, and the pool area.
Photo Credit: Auda & Auda Photography The original arched beams over the pool were constructed with pressed wood; it’s a similar process to crafting a ship’s hull
It’s a stunning pool, considering it was once surrounded by green carpet. “It was like going into a football locker room,” Morris says. “The pool itself was spectacular, and we didn’t want to lose that character.” The Francos kept the exposed beams, opened the ceiling and walls, and wrapped the columns in dark brick. “During the day, it feels like you’re outside,” Morris says, “but at night, all lit up, it really feels like its own room.”
Morris and Lisa treated the outdoor space like an extension of the home, creating “rooms” for different functions: grilling, playing, resting, entertaining. A fire pit at the farthest point is an ideal spot to sit and reflect. Lisa designed a “rug” made from tiles that frames the outdoor dining area. They added a ping-pong table for Ethan and his friends. And in the polished, turfed yard, which mimics the shape of the pool, there’s always room for an impromptu game of soccer.
Photo Credit: Auda & Auda Photography Lisa’s playful style is on full display in her home office
Looking up from the backyard, you can see the family’s gathering spots—great room, basement, kitchen—framed like vignettes through the windows. “Being a good architect is not about bringing your sense of style to the table,” Morris says. “It’s about being sensitive to the environment, the existing [house], and the client’s interests. And if you can cohesively pull that together into a beautiful design that feels like home, you’ve done your job.”
Stake Chophouse & Bar isn’t your average steakhouse. Blue Bridge Hospitality’s Coronado outpost is a modern interpretation of a big-city steakhouse nestled in the heart of the small coastal community. The team at Stake has reimagined the whole steakhouse experience. By prioritizing a seasonal farm-to-table sourcing philosophy, a personalized guest experience, and unique service touches, like a formal steak presentation and a bespoke knife selection process, Stake distinguishes itself in a sea of steakhouses.
Exceptional steaks, including Wagyu from Japan, Australia, and the U.S., and fresh seafood flown in daily form the core of Stake’s culinary identity. The menu features a five-course omakase-style steak experience highlighting house favorites, plus an array of cuts, and classic steakhouse staples—think a wedge salad, baked potato, or pasta carbonara—refined for a contemporary palate without losing their traditional appeal. Stake focuses on seasonal sourcing from the region’s best family farms and specialty purveyors, and incorporates intentionally unexpected touches to create something truly unique.
“I challenge our chefs and myself to take it a step further in sourcing,” says Chef Ronnie Schwandt. “It’s important to us to highlight different farms, unique one-off farms—whether it’s cattle, strawberries, a local fisherman or from anywhere in the United States, we’re always trying to find that niche.”
Beyond the menu, Stake emphasizes outstanding service, says Vinny Spatafore, Director of Hospitality Operations. Staff maintains detailed notes, allowing them to remember guests by name, recall previous orders such as a favorite martini (also memorable for the customer since it’s served in an extra tall, distinctly-shaped glass), and celebrate special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries.
“When you have those points of topic that you remember about a guest, they appreciate that,” he says. “Our servers are really good with that—we have a couple servers who have been here since the beginning and they’ll remember somebody from years ago, their name, their kids’ names, where they live. I’m really thankful to have a great front of house staff.”
Award-winning wines, rare whiskeys, special events, and a complementary black car service that provides transportation for guests throughout Coronado add to Stake’s appeal.
Schwandt stresses that Stake offers more than a meal; they aim to give patrons something unforgettable.
“It starts when you walk up the stairs and are greeted by the hostess—that sets the tone for the night. Then you’re greeted by a server, who may know you by name, and can guide you through the menu and curate as they get to know you,” says Schwandt. “Most people leave kind of blown away; they leave feeling like they just had an experience. That’s the goal, right? Whether you’re serving smash burgers or high-end steak, you want somebody to leave thinking, Wow, that was awesome.”
This month's selection includes pool toys for grown-ups, natural deodorants, and decadent Italian furniture
Natuzzi Italian Couch San Diego
By Jennifer Ianni and Will Riddell
Aperol Sits
If it seems like you’re the only one who didn’t spend their summer sunning on a yacht off the Amalfi Coast, now you can get a taste of Italy right here in SD. Rest your bod upon a made-in-Italy sofa or bed from Natuzzi Italia, a luxury design and furniture brand that recently opened a storefront at UTC in La Jolla. They carry a wide range of sleek furniture for every room in your house. Hey, it might not be sipping an Aperol spritz surrounded by breathtaking views of Capri, but their stunning sofas make being a couch potato something to aspire to.
Finding the Curie
When San Diego–based Sarah Moret was looking for natural beauty and body products that actually worked, she became frustrated by the lack of effective deodorants without aluminum and other potentially harmful ingredients. This (smelly) gap in the market sparked the entrepreneur to start her own line of natural body care. In 2018, she debuted aluminum-free deodorant (available in varieties like coconut nectar, white tea, orange neroli, and unscented for the purists out there). Since then, she’s taken her line to Shark Tank, where she struck a deal with Barbara Corcoran and Mark Cuban, and expanded to offer more products, including body spray and hair freshener. Curie products can now be found in stores like Anthropologie, Walmart, and Nordstrom.
Water Wars
Move over donuts, pizza slices, and alligators. Kids’ swim is over. It’s time for the adults to hop in—and we’re bringing our own toys. Float Factory offers two different styles: one a race car, the other a tank. The tank, a.k.a the Pool Punisher, invites party-goers to engage in high-stakes buoyant battles. The toy comes equipped with a water cannon capable of blasting targets up to 50 feet away. Talk about punishment.
One of the city's top plant designers turns a historic Golden Hill bungalow into a free-range plant sanctuary
Tomoko Matsubayashi
By AnnaMaria Stephens
leafing home, living room
Tomoko Matsubayashi
For in-demand botanical designer Britton Neubacher of Tend Living, greenery is a must. As an accent. As art. As a scientifically proven mood lifter and health improver. So when it came to finding her dream rental, plenty of places to “put a plant on it” naturally topped her short list of asks.
“The three things I really care about are my plants, my artwork, and my music,” says Neubacher whose designs have appeared everywhere, from avant-garde galleries to the elegant rotunda of the San Diego Museum of Art. “If you can have those things, you will have a happy home.”
She didn’t have to look far. Nestled in Historic Golden Hill, a six-block neighborhood pocket of historically designated properties, the charming 1914 Spanish bungalow was the first she toured. “It truly feels like San Diego,” says Neubacher, who shares the spacious digs with her cat Biggie Smalls and boyfriend Rick Froberg, an artist and singer/guitarist for the iconic local bands Drive Like Jehu and Hot Snakes.
Throughout the light-flooded bungalow, which features original floors, tile, and brass fixtures, verdant life graces every gleaming wood built-in, wide window ledge, and cozy nook. Including her extensive collection of exotic air plants, Neubacher cares for more than 100 houseplants. And that’s not counting the outdoor ones.
Neubacher and Rick Froberg, a singer/guitarist for one of San Diego’s most brutal and beautiful hard rock bands, Hot Snakes.
Tomoko Matsubayashi
“Much of my art reads like a well-worn punk fanzine; imperfect cut and paste collage that’s been overly xeroxed and handled,” she says. “It doesn’t get much more Wabi-Sabi than that.” Floor pillows by Mr. Blue Skye, art by Billy Sprague and Klassik.
Out front, her potted greenery complements a delicately fragranced English garden planted by “Mum,” the previous British resident, who filled the yard with roses, jasmine, daffodils, and citrus trees. Green-thumbed Mum also built an orchid house, which now serves as Neubacher’s specimen house and plant hospital. (Talk about a bonus room.)
Neubacher’s eclectic aesthetic feels custom-made for the airy interior, as well. “My house is a mix of Japanese, Moroccan, and Californian,” she says. “I think I style with sensual hands. I like organic but different and interesting. I like things that are edgy but beautiful.”
Her art collection showcases local talent, including ceramics by Josh Herman, sculptures by her longtime friend and collaborator Jason Lane of JXL Studio, and several large-scale collage-based works by former San Diegan Billy Sprague. “His pieces are like coming home aesthetically for me,” she says. “They’re warm and soft but punk.”
Vintage Eames shell chair prototype, never produced, surrounded by an eclectic mix of sun-loving cultivars. “My houseplants are free-range. I let them go where they want and learn a lot by watching their movement.”
Tomoko Matsubayashi
The Phi Vortex plant portal created by Neubacher mesmerizes with “the healing rhythm of nature fractals.”
Tomoko Matsubayashi
A neutral palette provides visual rest, while textural Wabi-Sabi art brings interest and warmth. “Much of my art reads like a well-worn punk fanzine; imperfect cut and paste collage that’s been overly xeroxed and handled,” she says. “It doesn’t get much more Wabi-Sabi than that.” Floor pillows by Mr. Blue Skye, art by Billy Sprague and Klassik.
Tomoko Matsubayashi
“I think one of the coolest tenets of healing space design is the Prospect/Refuge principle: try to have a vista (view) in front of you and protection (enclosure) at your back,” says Neubacher. “Plants can make a space feel expansive and cozy at the same time.” Textured Marakshi rugs and pillows sit in conversation with low- to-the-ground Japanese elements, including Neubacher’s Shou Sugi Ban-inspired charred tree sculpture. Table lantern by Isamu Noguchi.
Tomoko Matsubayashi
Elevated “thriller, spiller, and filler” plants draw the eye through the entire space. “Simplicity drives me but when it comes to plants, I’m an unapologetic maximalist,” says Neubacher. “These days I’m more interested in a home full of loved things and living things, than a museum of perfect and constrained things.” Vintage pottery by Gainey and USA. Pendant lamp by George Nelson. Space Age Gollypod sculpture is by JXL Studio for Tend. Organic clay forms are from her Morocco travels.
While glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agents have been used to treat Type 2 diabetes for more than 20 years, their recent emergence as weight-loss wonder drugs marked a new frontier in medicine. But their effectiveness has left some patients wondering what to do once they’ve reached their goal. Stopping the medication could mean regaining some, if not all, of the weight. A Scripps Clinic internal medicine physician recently conducted a small study of whether GLP-1 patients who had reached their goal weight could maintain that weight by taking their regularly prescribed injection every other week instead of weekly. Spoiler alert: 30 of 34 patients did. Read more about the study here and what that may mean as pharmaceutical companies roll out oral GLP-1s.
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