SURPRISING REVEALS
Among the home’s more striking features is a free-standing wood wall at the end of the living room. The wall does not reach the exterior walls or the ceiling, teasing what might be hidden behind it. A walk to the other side reveals the dining room, featuring a custom marble table that seats 12, modern art and a sculptured glass chandelier. The wood wall, it turns out, reveals to be the backside of a stylishly efficient display of modern cabinetry.
The house has four bedrooms, with one serving as a workout room and art studio for Debbie’s contemporary painting. Several of Debbie’s works adorn the walls, along with pieces she and her husband purchased over the years. While the decor features exquisite touches, there are few knickknacks or photos on the counter spaces—another clue revealing the couple’s modernist preferences. “That’s just me,” she says. “I don’t like the clutter, and we love having little grandbabies free to run around the house.”
As Debbie walks the house, she is quick to point out a special luxury in the kitchen—one designed to make it easy to entertain guests. “This is the one thing I love—a scullery,” she says. “Any time we have events here, the caterers are back here. There’s an extra sink, refrigerator, dishwasher and ovens. Also,
I didn’t want guests to see or smell the kitchen.”
THE GATHERING SPACE
While the scullery is best suited for behind-the-scenes, the Robbins’ outdoor space delivers the wow factor for guests. Tall sliders open the living room to the back yard, where pods of comfortable furniture surround a serene, rectangular pool. A magnificent corten steel sculpture created by California artist Charles Sherman anchors the southern corner of the backyard. “I love the outdoors. Fireplace, TV, heaters,” she says. “I live out here a lot. When we have events, I open up these windows all the way back.”
The Robbins’ brought just three furniture pieces from their previous house—so there were plenty of purchases to make before move-in. Seated on one of their matching couches, Debbie says, “Once we did go shopping, I wanted to sit on it. I didn’t want to just order it.” And when it comes to agreeing on the furnishings, Debbie lets out a little chuckle about her husband Larry’s role in the process.
“He pretty much knows that I pick it out and it’s correct,” she says. “I knew exactly everything I wanted because I always know. It’s a yes or a no. That’s me.”
