Pedro de Lemos House, Spanish Colonial Revival residence in Palo Alto, United States
The Pedro de Lemos House is a residential dwelling designed in Spanish Colonial Revival style, featuring stucco walls, decorative ceramic tiles, and a rectangular courtyard positioned at its core. This central court space connects the various living areas and creates an open, inward-facing floor plan typical of the revival style.
Construction took place in the early 1930s through the following decade, with Byzantine Revival pillars salvaged from Stanford Chapel after the 1906 earthquake incorporated into the design. These architectural elements from another era were skillfully integrated into the Spanish Colonial scheme.
The house carries the name of Pedro de Lemos, who served as director of Stanford University Museum of Art for decades and filled the rooms with handmade tiles collected during his family travels. These ceramics reflect his global taste and give the spaces a personal, travel-inspired character.
The property sits within a quiet residential neighborhood on a generously sized lot with ample space around it. Visitors should allow time to discover and appreciate the many details throughout the indoor and outdoor surfaces.
The interior showcases carved wood elements and ornamental wrought iron work distributed throughout various spaces and corners. These artisanal details also come from different sources and travels, echoing the approach taken with the ceramic tile collection.
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