Cathedral Home
A Custom Fit Home
by Katy Berry | Photos by Matthew James
Valerie and Stephen Saccone first built their Stockton home in 1978. As a building contractor, Stephen has been constructing high-end custom homes for years, so when it came time for the couple to remodel their own abode in May of 2003 they were well prepared from years of note taking.
They expanded the square footage from 2,400 to 3,500 and chose each detail to carefully balance their design needs. As avid travelers, they wanted to incorporate memories from their trips around the globe, especially Stephen's impressive taxidermy collection from his hunts through South Africa, North America, and New Zealand. They also wanted a home with traditional European charm. Using their discriminating eye for detail, Stephen and Valerie were able to find a happy medium, creating a truly unique living space that is both impressive and welcoming.
Guests enter into an expansive living area with sixteen foot-tall cathedral ceilings and exposed beams. Adjacent to the kitchen, the communal space is great for entertaining and was designed to display the roughly sixty animals that cover the walls, each one hunted by Stephen himself. The Saccones say that before being preserved, the animals were used to feed the local villages, and their meat was donated to nearby homeless shelters. The collection includes deer, moose, mountain goats, and even a full-sized African lion and leopard. A real zebra skin rug lies on the floor, but the focal point is four African sheep arranged in a diamond on the largest wall. Stephen says every animal has a special memory attached to it, but his favorite is the Desert Sheep, prized for its rarity.
From a design perspective, Valerie says competing with the animals is hard, but carefully chosen details and elegant accents make the home comfortable and welcoming. With an orange bouquet of flowers on the wrought-iron breakfast table, silver pheasant sculptures by the stove, and lemons sitting on the granite countertops, the kitchen takes you out of Africa and into Tuscany. The custom cabinetry was painted a buttery yellow but given a "latte wash" to create an antiquated, country look. The stacked molding which fills the would-be empty spaces above the kitchen cabinets adds thoughtful detail and makes the house feel less expansive. Across from the kitchen is the dining room that boasts beautiful white boxed ceilings, a classic detail that brings traditional sophistication to the room where Val says they host many a holiday dinner. The ceilings are also made of Venetian plaster, adding a shine that looks similar to mother-of-pearl.
The continuity of the rooms is maintained through Valerie's choice of a consistently neutral color theme. Sticking to a soft, natural palette allows the Saccones to easily update the home simply by changing colored accessories and accents. The walls are not painted, but made from tinted plaster which is mixed and applied to create an effect similar to suede, adding warmth throughout the home.
The backyard has a charming patio with a working fountain, sprawling white iceberg roses, white azaleas, and red geraniums. Valerie says she does all the gardening herself, and this is no surprise as the couple made their remodeling project a hands-on venture, building many of the details themselves including the molding and boxed ceilings (put in by Stephen). Both agree that the end result was well worth it, and the Saccones now enjoy their custom home where the whole family often gathers to visit, eat, and enjoy the many memories of their travels together. [SJM]
