Ranch & Coast Magazine

February 2023

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knew exactly what they wanted. "Our dream was to have a light, modern house, elegant but comfortable, unburdened by extra frills or decorations," says Natalie. "It was important for us to make the house an extension of our natural surroundings, weaving in warm, natural colors, borrowing the color palette from the Southern California landscape and using it to paint the clean, modern lines of the structure." e eight-acre property was initially covered with hundreds of dead eucalyptus trees and dried brush that posed a fire hazard in the neighborhood. "When the trees were cleared out, our hunch that there would be an ocean view from the future house was confirmed," Barry notes. "We were so excited!" To carry out their vision, the couple hired Houston-based architect Robert Griffin, known as a master of modern architecture, who had designed a home for Barry's brother John Moores, former owner of the San Diego Padres. In the original concept statement to the Rancho Santa Fe Art Jury which needed to approve their plans, Griffin proposed low horizontal structures for the main house, a separate guest house, and a three-car garage that would "complement and blend into the existing topography." He called for courtyards and terraces that would weave interior and exterior living spaces. Griffin also recommended muted colors for exterior plaster, wood siding, and ledger stone walls to harmonize with Rancho Santa Fe's existing architecture and natural environment. e plan included an informal arrangement of native and drought tolerant plants on the property's perimeter "acting to buffer and screen the residence from the road." After many meetings, the Rancho Santa Fe Art Jury issued its approval. "We were fortunate to have what any successful project requires," Griffin notes. "Great clients, a building contractor with superb craftsmen, landscape architects, and a successful working relationship with the Rancho Santa Fe Art Jury." e couple enlisted the help of Sweig Construction. "Building a modern house requires a special skill because the lines are so exact and any imperfections would stand out," says Barry. "So, it took a seasoned builder like Jim Sweig to make this house the beautiful reality it is today." e Mooreses also turned to longtime friend and interior designer Maria Barry, co-owner of Le Dimora in Carmel Valley. "Natalie had very clear ideas about what each living space should look like," notes her husband. "Maria took those ideas and artfully helped select the vendors and materials to bring them to life." Maria Barry was enthusiastic about the challenge. "e Mooreses' project was especially exciting for me because the construction style was very modern," she says. "ere were not many new homes being built in the Ranch that were contemporary or as special as this. Most new construction was Tuscan, Mediterranean, or Old-World style. Barry and Natalie were ahead of their time, and I was very excited to push the envelope with them." and Barry Moores BY ANDREA NAVERSEN PHOTOGRAPHY BY VINCENT KNAKAL >> The pergola, reflecting pools, and a pedestrian bridge leading to the entrance "provide a transition from exterior to interior and visually connect the residence to its site," says architect Robert Griffin @ranchandcoast RANCH & COAST MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2023 55

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