For Lars Romberg, the living room of his home in the rolling hills of south Escondido is a "perfect sound room. If you play something grand, particularly organ music like Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor, it's like being in a church."
For his wife, Solveig, at night the room "feels like you are floating in space."
Both descriptions reflect what Wallace E. Cunningham had in mind when he designed this singular home for Warren Wexler and his wife in 1994. Cunningham, who was once a student at Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin Fellowship and in January 2004 was named one of Architectural Digest's top 100 architects and designers, notes on his website that he "tries to tap into the psyche with unexpected manipulations of form and light, which are intended to be as sculptural as they are architectural."
The Rombergs were captivated by the outside of the house, which is located at the end of a secluded street just a few miles from downtown Escondido, two years before they were able to purchase it in 2004. The couple are not shy about going after what they want: They've owned 15 homes, eight in their native Sweden and seven in San Diego County since immigrating in 1981.
Cunningham's style is evident from the street, with the home's sculptured roof and crisp, clean lines. Inside, each room is linked to the next by windows or glasswork -- instead of solid walls -- to let the light in. This extends to such unexpected areas as closets; even the garage has a wall dominated by floor-to-ceiling glass strips.
Many of the rooms are octagonal, and Cunningham played with geometric shapes in different areas, including the bathtub and shower. Oak flooring unifies the linked rooms, which have a sleek, modern feel and are connected by a very long hallway -- "You really get your exercise," Lars Romberg says. The kitchen is a full-service working area, yet appliances are hidden behind solid wood cabinets down to the food warming drawer and the Asko dishwasher. The Rombergs have spent $600,000 upgrading the house.
But the piece de resistance is the octagonal living room with its soaring sculptured ceiling, fireplace and dramatic windows that look out over the landscaped yard and views of distant hillsides.
The windows are a departure from Cunningham's design, which called for six small balconies with glass doors; instead, the Wexlers opted for solid-glass windows that flood the south-facing room with light in the morning.
