With the change of season into autumn I can’t help but feel the nesting instinct come over me. Cooler weather, the changing colors of the trees, and farmers markets introducing autumn’s bounty incites images of interiors bathed in golden light and a crackling fire on a brisk morning. When I opened the October issue of Veranda and my eyes fell on this Marin County, California, home designed by James Huniford I felt I had arrived at the autumnal home of my dreams.
The home and its interiors are an expression of the California Craftsman Shingle-style house in the true sense: hand-crafted spaces utilizing natural materials, honest construction methods, and unfussy decor. Yet, once you step inside, you could easily be in the English countryside of Edwin Lutyens. With an artist’s eye Huniford composed layered rooms devoid of the usual suspects. You won’t find suites of Stickley furniture or amber stained-glass lamps here. Instead, Huniford crafted comfortable and homely spaces with a collector’s eye that celebrates the rich heritage of the Arts and Crafts movement without reproducing period rooms. The interiors are lighter and brighter, finished out with natural and painted wood surfaces and layered with antiques culled from England, Italy, France, and the United States. The results produced a gracious and comfortable home that connects with the natural beauty of its surroundings.
For the full story subscribe to Veranda here. From the October issue of Veranda. Photography by Max Kim Bee. James Huniford can be reached here.
