e

ven popularity can have its dow n side. Ask San Francisco-area

arch itect R obert Sw att. H e w as so busy designing w h at he calls

“livable m o d ern ” houses for clients that, for years, he pushed aside

his dream o f building a hom e for him self, his wife, C ristina, and

th eir th ree children. “By th e tim e w e bought this lot, I’d th o u g h t so

m uch about w h at o u r hom e w ould look like th at th e design ju st

flew from my pencil to th e paper,” R obert says. “I com pleted my

plans in ju st four days.”

T he result is a contem porary red cedar and stucco house w ith a panoram ic view of

the su rro u n d in g hills. “But w hile m odern in every way, this house is not an ice cube,”

R obert says. W hite w alls and spare furnishings in the open living/dining room m ay

look like ingredients for m odern austerity, but natural m aterials keep th e space from

looking stark. Fir beam s, m ahogany w indow fram es and doors, birch cabinetry, and a

com bination o f oak, slate, and terrazzo floors radiate earthy elegance. “W here th ere

are natural m aterials, th ere is natural w arm th,” R obert says.

COLOR MATCH

Cristina Swatt’s

infusions of color

include the red glass

pendants over the

dining table and a

curry-orange accent

wall in the front entry.

The terrazzo floors

are a nostalgic nod to

her childhood home

in Venezuela. ‘They’re

also durable and

beautiful,” she says.

70

MARCH 2009 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS