Walnut floors and buttery gold walls provide a smooth transition throughout the rooms of the Spanish-style home of designer Susan Wesley. “Continuity with colors is important to me,'’ Wesley said. Earth tones with accents of gold and red create a palette for the 3,000-square-foot Coto de Caza home.

Color plays other important roles in this designer’s showcase. It ties furnishings together, adds warmth to the decor and creates a focal point in key spaces.

A brilliant gold Asian screen and faux-painted fireplace lend an exotic feel to the designer’s formal living room. A painting by local artist Csaba Marcus situated above the mantel works with the screen to create an impressive focal point in the room.

“The gold in the screen picks up the gold in the painting,'’ she said.

In the kitchen, mocha maple cabinets combine with a Jerusalem gold limestone backsplash. Custom-colored tiles in an art nouveau pattern add a decorative accent. Granite countertops anchor the design.

When it came to color selection, the second-floor master suite needed special treatment. Wesley chose deep chocolate brown to enhance the walls in her sumptuous bedroom, which features panoramic views of Saddleback Mountain.

”The room gets a lot of light, so by using a dark color it adds a warm quality to the room and makes it feel more intimate,'’ she said. `”The whole room has an amber glow to it.'’

Furnishings in the room include traditional silk draperies and rattan accents, which add texture to the space. An antique French armoire and two antique Asian chests, which flank the bed, enhance the décor.

”My style is eclectic with a mix of Asian and French antiques,'’ said Wesley, who is the communications director for the local chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers this year. “It’s important for the theme to flow throughout the house,'’ she said.

Antiques are sprinkled throughout the home without overpowering individual spaces. Asian influence is introduced at the entry with a wooden statue of the mythical figure Kuan Ti, which dates from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Two intricately carved ivory statues of an emperor and empress on thrones adorn an adjacent walnut table. Wesley purchased the 100-year-old, carved walnut table from an antiques dealer in Long Beach who had acquired it from the Doheny estate.

Wesley purchased the new home built by Lennar in 1999 and customized the plan to include an interior design studio and office space on the first floor.

Landscape architect Mark Gennaro of Laguna Hills designed the exterior hardscape, pool and spa to blend with the Mediterranean-style architecture of the home. The Tahoe Blue Pebble-Tec finish gives the pool an inviting blue hue.

Wesley chose wrought-iron furniture with fabrics in earth-tone colors to complement the design. Large outdoor area rugs add comfort to seating areas.

“It’s an entertainer’s home,'’ Wesley said. “I have gracious patios for entertaining or for just enjoying a nice Sunday afternoon.'’

The yard wraps around the house on three sides. A grassy area was included for her dog, Bailey, a 3-year-old red English cocker spaniel.

Flowering tropical plants and succulents enhance the landscaping. Wesley, an experienced gardener who acts as a judge for the American Rose Society, includes roses in the design.

“My gardens are very important to me, so come springtime, they are in full bloom.'’

source : www.ocregister.com