Rancho Santa Fe Diaries

In the realm of Rancho Santa Fe, a quintessential part of San Diego we have staged many charming homes in the last decade. From Tuscan Villas to remodeled contemporary estates and ranch style homes Rancho Santa Fe is unique and diverse.

The history of Rancho Santa Fe started with The Santa Fe Railway Company purchasing the land which is currently Rancho Santa Fe in the early 1900s to develop a eucalyptus tree farm for railroad ties — a plan that ironically failed due to the wood’s poor quality.

In the 1920s, the Santa Fe Railway then hired architect Lilian Rice to design a planned residential community. Rice created a Spanish Colonial Revival style village with a focus on natural landscapes and harmony with the environment — ideals that still shape the area today. Over time, Rancho Santa Fe became known for its strict architectural codes, rural ambiance, and high privacy standards. The Rancho Santa Fe Covenant, established in 1928, set rules for aesthetics and land use that preserve its character.

Today, it remains one of the wealthiest zip codes in the U.S., home to celebrities, entrepreneurs, and equestrian enthusiasts. Despite its luxury, it retains a quiet, low-density charm with rolling hills, citrus groves, and horse trails.

Here are areas we keep in mind as we build a strategy and plan to stage shomes in the magnificient Rancho Santa Fe

SCALE

Make it stand out

The large sprawling estates of Rancho Santa Fe deem scale as one of the most vital aspects of staging a home. Smaller scale inventory has no place in the large homes of Rancho Santa Fe.

For instance, for this study we curated a large 90 inch plus desk, unique chairs and a majestic main chair set the stage to position this space luxuriously. Each piece for the shelf was curated to highlight its charm.

ARCHITECTURAL GLORY

With so many architectural features in each home ranging from wood beam ceilings, preserved fireplaces to unique rooms, highlighting the architectural strengths of each home is a prime goal. The contrast and softness blend showcases the ceilings and the historic fireplace here.

This pub style booth was sourced by the owners from London and was a key part of this home’s charm.

WARMTH

If one were to pick one ingredient and one emotion vital to create in most Rancho Santa Fe homes, it is Warmth. Layering textures is a key part of making that happen. Wood ranging from Acacia, mango wood, rattan and other material make this happen.

Evolving with the times the homes of Rancho Santa Fe still retain their stories, design and timeless charm. As we stage these unique homes, telling each one’s story with seamless design is something which evolves over the years as well.