Cliff May, father of the California ranch, left behind an indelible impression on California tract homes, including Paul and Kathy Day’s. Within the home’s framework, Paul and Kathy layer in impressions of their own through their impressive variety of collections.
Like Martha Stewart, Paul and Kathy Day believe you really can’t have too much of a good thing. For them, good things include vintage midcentury pieces like an Eames DCM chair with original red aniline-dye finish, Danish modern furniture from Paul’s youth and a reupholstered Nelson marshmallow sofa. But then there are ’30s French Deco pieces, Japanese tansu chests, 1920s Hawaiian koa wood souvenirs, pre-Columbian sculptures, fly rods, Scottish tartans, Danish teak serving pieces—well you get the idea.
Outside they have a Japanese teahouse; 50-year-old bonsais; a 1971 Vespa winnowed down from a larger collection; surfboards, both vintage and modern; and a 1963 Shasta trailer that they renovated inside and out. Their ’55 Dodge pickup is awaiting a rebuilt engine. It comes as no surprise when Kathy reveals that Paul’s family calls him “phase boy.”
And then there’s Lucy, their English bull terrier puppy, the second in a collection of distinctive dogs who’ve gotten to share the Days’ 1954 ranch house and its rarified furnishings. If the idea of not one but now two puppies teething on a Hans Wegner chair or romping past the chest with the Dale Chihuly Macchia piece sitting on it gives you pause, you haven’t met these dogs—or the Days.
Discovering Cliff May
The classic look of the Cliff May ranch house is a coveted look for house hunters in California. Learn the story behind the Day’s lucky discovery and see their transition to their new Cliff May house in part 2 of this house tour.
