Casa California: Spain Meets Guangzhou

At the other end of the children’s pool, bronze turtles carrying ducks on their backs form handrails for the steps leading into the pool.

One of a fat family of geese squawks in a shallow pond near the swimming pool.

In the footsteps of Dr Seuss, this fanciful bird is hatching an eager-mouthed chick.

Our rendering of two angry geese squaring off against each other.

A detail of the granite mural on the wall of the pool shower.

Water gushes into the children’s pool from the mouths of five granite fish.

Soaring above the children’s pool, these duck totem poles provide some shade as well as create white noise to mask the sounds of traffic on the streets below.

Inspired by the children’s game of leap frog, these bronze figures dribble water down the stepped wall of the tennis courts.

I liked Putu’s drawing of Chinese farmers tending their rice fields so much that we used it on the back of our calling cards for many years.

We even had fun with the duck head handles of the pool showers!

This 13 feet (4 meter) high carved sandstone sun emanates warmth and light in the breezeway below one of the residential towers.

A Bensley Design Studios’ drawing of the fanciful peacocks that we made for the front entry steps. The finished peacocks are cast in bronze and are over 3 feet (1 meter) wide.

Half-gate half-window, this detail designed by Brian Sherman is really more folly than function. Using the Nepalese method of repoussé, the doors are clad with copper sheets hammered over carved wood into the images of plump fighting cocks.