Mindfully Modern: A California Castle

At the beginning of our Big Sur roadtrip, we stopped at Hearst Castle, the publisher's former estate off Highway 1 just south of Big Sur. The property is now a state park and a gorgeous museum. It took decades to build, and was designed by Hearst and Julia Morgan, a prolific Bay Area architect who was also the first licensed female one in California. (She also designed a community center right in my neighborhood, no big deal.)

Morgan developed a series of homes and recreational spaces around the main mansion on the land. We got to see clips of some family home videos of family and famous friends enjoying the tennis courts and the exotic zoo on the property. What really got me, though, was the Mediterranean influence on the design and how Morgan weaved classic antiquities brought over from Europe with some modern (for back then) details and materials. Hearst had an anonymous buyer who sought out art from the Old World for him; there are items around the house that are literally priceless since there's nothing comparable on the market. (Our tour guide had a dry sense of humor - "Feel free to touch absolutely nothing.")

The tiles were my favorite element - and I was excited to learn Morgan sourced them from Berkeley's California Faience. It sounds like the Heath Ceramics of the early 20th century but with even more decorative patterns. As much as I love colorful tiled steps, and ocean-view properties, really the most amazing space was the indoor pool which was completely covered in 1" mosaic tiles, including tiles infused with gold. It was also surrounded by statues to watch you while you swam.

I probably won't have a home exactly like this in my future but it was fun to walk the grounds and admire the beauty (and the view). If you are in the area it is definitely worth a tour. Here are some pics from the day: