John Crosby Residence

John Crosby had tender feet; so when selecting flooring materials he wanted a sample big enough to stand on, then he stood on it barefoot. Mark Drum was my consultant for telephone, TV, and sound system. He got excited when I told him my client was the SFO Director, so Mark brought a pair of $30,000 speakers to show him. John hated recorded music – if it wasn’t live he didn’t want to hear it. John decided to have no sound system – just his small handheld unit that he was forced to listen to when a singer applying for a role sent him an audition recording. The three-car garage was for his Cadillac (the everyday car), the Rolls Royce convertible, and a 1941 Jeep that he drove across Europe in 1943 (restored but not glorified).

The pool is the heart of the home, the entertainment center, the refreshing spot in a thirsty land, and his one form of exercise. We plastered the interior of the pool gray to avoid that pool-turquoise color and to better reflect the mountains and clouds. John so loved his Santa Fe home, he was in the process of selling his winter home in Palm Springs, and had an addition on the drafting board so he could live here full time (he wanted an indoor pool). The building permit process was fun because all the inspectors knew and respected John and were eager to assist.

– Adrian

For more information about this property, contact Lila.