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Kitchen

Living room + dining area

Front door

The home is in near-original condition as Maybeck designed it.

The concrete floors warm the home with radiant heat.

Architect Albert Lanier transformed Kay Sekimachi and Bob Stockdale's Berkeley Victorian into a bright, open-plan residence that holds a treasure trove of work done by the couple and their friends. A small bedroom is tucked in the back of the upstairs aerie.

The main living area features pieces by George Nakashima and Sam Maloof. Japanese tansu cabinets frame the space, each adorned with artwork and souvenirs from nature.

Built in 1922, the Arts and Crafts-style residence at 1194 Cragmont Avenue sits high in the north Berkeley hills overlooking the San Francisco Bay. Clad in wooden shingles, the home blissfully occupies its half-acre lot, which features mature redwoods and a calming creek.

The plant from Printwood is a recent addition, and brought the room to life; the leaves glow in the sun that comes through the shower skylight.

It was hard for the Skobys to find the right cabinetry for the main bathroom. Coyote Custom Woodwork was willing to build the custom vanities in exchange for some of Joe’s art.

The fireplace is a centerpiece of the open living area. The Skobys splurged on the Heath Ceramics tiles on its front; the square hearth tiles are limestone from Ann Sacks. The painting is by artist Philippine des Richemont, and is flanked by some of Joe’s pieces. Joe’s cousin, Evan Chambers, a glassblower in Altadena, made the lamp by the window..

The dining area lies between the open kitchen and the sliding doors to the backyard, which are often left open. The table was a hand-me-down from a friend. She was selling her matching Hans Wegner chairs to go with it; they bought dupes instead. When they had trouble finding a light fixture for the space, Joe made one; it has opened up a new avenue for his art. All of the pottery is by Joe, except for the footed vase, which is by Amikar Palacios Salas.

The stove is by the Italian maker Verona. Cristiana had asked her dad to shop for the appliance in Italy. The company had just done a trade show in Las Vegas and didn’t want to bring the floor models back to Europe, so they offered a big discount. “There’s a lot of Italians helping Italians out there,” she says.

Minimalist wooden kitchen cabinets from Danish company Reform bring warmth to the space. The arabescato cremo marble counter was on clearance—there was just one large piece left.