Nasalroads’ an adventuresome stop on Homes & Art Tour of Santa Paula

A wide picture window in the family room evokes the feeling of being perched on a cliff overlooking the Santa Clara River Valley, with “to the ocean” views that must be seen during a rare opportunity to visit the adventuresome abode of Nancy and Gary Nasalroad. The Nasalroads’ and other distinctive homes will be open for the Santa Clara Valley Hospice/Home Support Group’s (SCVHHSG) 25th Annual Homes & Art of Santa Paula Tour, April 27 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nestled at the bottom of a cozy cul-de-sac, the Nasalroads’ 2,800 square foot hillside home (756 Montclair Drive) features a mammoth bird of paradise opposite a limestone and mosaic tile veranda. A fountain offers soft sounds of welcome, and frogs - whether cast in metals or fashioned from terra cotta or ceramic - peek out at visitors with bemused smiles.Inside the entryway, gleaming Travertine tile is the result of a recent remodel, an ambitious project undertaken in various areas of the four bedroom, two and a half bath home.A rich teal dominates the living room - with mirrored wet bar - to the left and the dining room to the right, where Nancy’s collection of fine crystal, china, serving pieces and decorative Belgian plates, a gift from her grandmother, catches the eye. The grouping is topped by Native American baskets, a touch of the Southwest beloved by the couple.Straight ahead is the family room, offering views of the entire Santa Clara River Valley and, on a clear day, the Anacapa Islands, behind leather sofas fronted by teak tables holding aspen pots. A wide mirror over the gleaming white fireplace - its mantle holding a variety of small Native American pots, Acuma, Zuni and Santa Clara signed by the artists - reflects the view outside.That the Nasalroad’s collect art and artifacts from their many travels is evident, from a roadrunner sculpture from Tucson to a wooden cow from Switzerland to New Zealand kiwis to a rooster from Portugal and bowls from Mexico and Italy. Collected closer to home is a ceramic wine service by Otto and the late Vivica Heino of Ojai.A rare Larkin desk acquired at an antique show is handy to the newly remodeled kitchen. “And we use it,” notes Nancy.A large balcony overlooking the one-acre property shows a cactus and succulent garden, the “one thing that we grow out there” besides the rosemary left by the home’s former owner, says Gary. The Nasalroads have brought in or dug up literally tons of rock to build walkways and areas to anchor plants on newly created slopes.At the top is a small rose garden, and elsewhere on the property is a dazzling array of colorful daylilies, rock roses, yuccas, aloes, agaves, Mexican marigold, purple sages, salvia, bird of paradise, flax, dusty miller, cotoneaster, grasses, Mexican and Jerusalem sages, kangaroo paws, butterfly bush, lion’s tail, lavenders, cat mint, oleander, natal plum, an assortment of succulents and cacti. Crepe myrtle and California redbud are just a few of the variety of trees dotting the property, carefully trimmed by Gary “so you can see the limb structure.”Back inside, the Nasalroads’ master bedroom and bath feature walk-in closets, spa, Travertine, and paintings by Norman Kirk and Douglas Shively.Downstairs, a door under the staircase leads to what Gary calls “my own personal wine cellar,” created by his love of utilizing what he refers to as “wasted space” and now the couple’s favorite feature. “A day without wine is like a day without sunshine!” reads the plaque over the door. Inside there’s a collection of horse brasses and a wine bottle cork wreath. The wine cellar offers natural draft ventilation: “The room stays cool year-round,” Gary notes.