FEATURE 002 | 10457 vinemont street

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The Sadler Residence is one of a kind.  Hidden behind walls of bamboo and fencing, only the main part of the structure, the A-Frame itself is visible.  I remember the first time I saw the home after seeing it on a Ju-Nel list somewhere, I made the turn on to Vinemont and was immediately awestruck.  At once I wanted to know if the A-Frame was floor to ceiling or if it was hiding two layers of living spaces.  If I'm honest I was hoping for floor to ceiling, and it is not.  However, the manner in which Jack & Lyle filled the A-Frame construct creates both dramatic views and incredible spaces.

Wilson & Rowley delivered privacy to the first floor of the residence with a fence that spans the West side of the front elevation.  It offers the viewer an unexpected array of straight and angular lines.  The original plans do not exist, at least to my knowledge.  You can imagine Jack and Lyle sketching the front elevation with the massive triangle resting over the horizontal lines created by the first floor living spaces and privacy fence.  Did they get it right the first time or was the profile an evolution?  I'd guess it was an evolution and the men spent hours considering how best to incorporate the shapes and spaces within the building envelope.  It is too exceptional to think that the first drawing was the final product.

Typical Ju-Nel hallmarks including Mexican Adobe brick, T-111 type siding used for the fascia (more on that later), glazing framed with 1x1 strips, Redwood decks (sadly they no longer exist), brick pavers in the entry and hallway, and an incredible fireplace with adobe brick and small format tile.

During the eight years of the Henry family ownership, there was an addition to the living room on the Southeast corner.  The footprint as drawn on the building permit did not include the space and a careful examination of the living area shows the extension of the original beams to the South.  Only the concrete piers (formed with coffee cans) are all that remains of the redwood deck accessible from the living room sliding doors.

The fireplace is the one piece of the house that really intrigues me.  The original adobe brick and tile is gone, possibly torn out when the new black brick was installed.  We don't know for certain, but I believe there is a possibility that the brick and tile were not removed, but rather covered with the black brick.  If this is the case, it would be first on my restoration list.  

Seen in some Ju-Nel homes, cedar 1x6 boards cover the walls of the original living room but were at some point painted along with the original plywood panel ceilings.  I would leave the material as it adds depth and interest, then find a color to blend with whatever the new design ethos might be.

The main entry is positioned facing the courtyard on the eastern side of the property, creating a very private space and no direct line of sight to the street.  The door and adjacent reed glass is not original, but the decorative glass in the adjacent family room / dining room is.  All the pavers inside look to be original, and outside of some wear in a first floor half bath they are in wonderful condition.  Ty and his sister Rene grew up in the home and recall their mother taking a razor blade to the pavers in order to remove old coats of wax so she could apply fresh coats when needed.  They are some of the best preserved I have seen in any Ju-Nel home.  The staircase in the main entry is open, and while it does have a railing it appears to float above the pavers.  While the stringers have been painted, the steps have not.  It would be a big job, but I would be inclined to remove the paint from the stringers to bring it back to its original appearance.

Ju-Nel bedrooms aren't usually much to talk about, but this is a different case altogether.  The two upstairs bedrooms are incredible and they bring the A-Frame feeling to the home.  In the North bedroom, the view is of the backyard and pool with original aluminum sliders opening to allow for an unencumbered view of the pool.  The original redwood balcony is long gone and I would replace it with as designed redwood or another durable species.  The south bedroom faces the front of the house and has a view out the A-Frame windows from a rather large opening overlooking the family room.  The original tracks remain which likely held fabric or wood panels for privacy.  Between the two bedrooms is a sliding door to the roof of the living room and this space also had a redwood deck.  

Perhaps the most interesting exterior detail is the angular fascia below the ends of the A-Frame roof lines.  I have never seen this detail in another Ju-Nel home.  The T-111 material appears original and much of it is in good condition.  The layout of the home within the lot provides private spaces adjacent to the entryway and off the living room sliders and both spaces are protected from view by fencing and bamboo.  They are a blank canvas, and with careful planning would be one of a kind, intimate exterior spaces free from public viewing.  The backyard which is mostly pool and decking, is also protected with bamboo screening for privacy.  Another blank canvas, ready for careful planning to bring out the best of backyard living and entertaining by the pool.

I have only seen this hinges in Ju-Nel homes and this is the first I've seen unpainted.  If I were acquiring this home I would remove the paint and re-install every one of them.  The pavers inside are in terrific condition outside of a couple places.  Mrs Sadler was committed to maintaining the wax finish and was so dedicated to their appearance that she would scrape the old wax with a razor blade before applying new wax.  Detail from a tread/runner of the magnificent staircase.  I can't tell if this is a wooden cap for a steel dowel or the end of a wooden dowel.  There are two of these sconce fixtures in the living room, both in terrific condition.

The Sadler Residence represents an opportunity not only to acquire an important, mostly original Ju-Nel, but the opportunity to continue the story of this fantastic house with appropriate updates and renewed landscaping.