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Rebecca’s quest for rusticity led her to Santa Fe, New Mexico, where the
family has an adobe-style getaway. While visiting a giant lumberyard, she
handpicked the antique timbers that would eventually grace the living room and
bedroom ceilings of their Palo Alto home. “They shipped them out to us in a big
flatbed truck that took up the entire street,” she recalls. “Our neighbors
thought we were crazy.” She was also adventurous when it came to the
backyard. Smitten with camping as a child, she continues to enjoy the outdoors.
Drawn to grand lodges such as the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite and safari lodges
in Africa, she and her husband, Mitch, wanted a stunning outdoor rock fireplace
that mirrored the feeling of a national park. Luckily, the firebox holds plenty
of wood, because a lot of chatting takes place around the fire with kids
Matthew, 24, and Madeleine, 20.
(8) In the kitchen, backsplash tiles were
handpainted to resemble a mosaic. (9) Chairs crafted by fourth-generation Kenyans
complete the backyard’s outdoor living room feel. (10) Rebecca is a fan of black
crows (the birds, not the band).
(11) A
cottonwood zebra carving takes over Shaba’s shift guarding the front entryway. (12)
Comfy sea grass chairs make the front porch a room in itself. (13) The Out
of Africa motif in the master bedroom was inspired by a holiday safari.
While Rebecca longed to give her home an organic, bohemian essence, Suzanne
played yin to Rebecca’s yang, adding sophisticated custom and vintage pieces to
the mix. The two women, who co-own Thistle, a global goods boutique, also travel
together with their families.“Suzanne helped add a layer of refinement
without making it feel too precious,” Rebecca says. “I don’t want a house where
family and guests can’t collapse on the couch—that’s not me.” Although she’s
tried to edit her growing cache of treasures, she now accepts that she’s a
collector. “But it’s not just about acquiring stuff. I’m drawn to objects for
the learning experience: Who made this? What purpose did it serve?” Anything old
and indigenous has special appeal, including Navajo rugs that were created by
Native Americans. “They had such integrity. I hope my home exudes the same.”
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