Inspiration and ‘Amish days’ transform an Alta Heights bungalow
SASHA PAULSEN Napa Valley Register |Posted: Friday, May 27, 2011 4:28 pm | (1) Comments
Most people look at a spoon and see a spoon. It’s the artist who looks at a spoon and sees a butterfly’s antennae.
These spoons attached to old plow disks and vividly painted to become giant butterflies are only one of the inspired ideas two Napa artists, Lisa Splendid Jacklich and Jeff Jacklich, brought to their Alta Heights home. There, army ants made from railroad spikes and old forks climb up trees, plow share mushrooms sprout in the garden, and a creek-like fountain, created from concrete molded on a corrugated steel roofing, runs along side the house.
“From the beginning, we wanted this house to be a backdrop for our work,” Lisa said.
When the three-bedroom bungalow went on the market 13 years ago, the Jackliches knew it was the house for them. It was the neighborhood they wanted for themselves and their 2-year-old son, Cooper; it was a quiet corner lot, and it had a swimming pool, an unusual but appealing benefit. In addition to being a metal artist, Jeff is a tennis pro teaching at Napa Valley Country Club; and Lisa, a Napa native, and metal and glass artist also to teaches fitness classes.
The house and garden, she said, were “nothing like it is today. The yard was oleander bushes and crab grass and old railroad ties. But the house had such great bones.
“We were going to be here five years,” Lisa said. “That was our plan. But then we started working on the house.”
To begin with she said, “I just walked around with a sledge-hammer. I sledge-hammered everything I could … It really jumpstarted our work.”
For major projects, she said, they worked with neighbors on collective efforts they called “Amish Days.”
“We were friends with two other families who bought houses in Alta Heights at the same time,” Lisa said. “We decided to once a month do an ‘Amish day.’ We’d get together at one house and work on a project all day. The first project we did was we converted part of the garage into a gym.”
Over time, Amish days also helped them renovate the master bedroom and bathroom and build a walled courtyard that opens off the bedroom.
“It was neighbors helping neighbors,” Lisa said. “One of the best things about this house is the neighbors. It has been such a blessing.”
They also transformed the old kitchen into a gourmet’s work space, ripping out old linoleum and laying a pine floor that Lisa stained striking red. They added new appliances and butcher block counters. Lisa also sanded and repainted the cupboards.
“They were solid wood but they were dark,” she said. Now they are pale green with accents of red and yellow. Lisa created an illusion of tiles on the backsplash using sponge printing, and Jeff made the built-in copper island.
When her mother came to stay with them, Lisa said, she created more space — with her sledgehammer again — knocking a hole in the ceiling over one bedroom to create a private loft for Cooper. It turned out to be a favorite retreat for a teenager. They also built a work place off the kitchen where Lisa could do her jewelry and glass work.
Outside, they collected boulders to make retaining walls, poured a concrete patio and added a fireplace to create an outdoor nook just outside the glass French doors they installed off the living room.
Everywhere are the artists’ touches — from the sculpture sheep made from old propane containers to the metal wall sculpture — named after their business Monkey Business — that greets visitors at the front door.
“Jeff and I are very resourceful,” Lisa said. “We’ve done our best to be creative and resourceful and make things. With everything we’ve been able to do, we’ve incorporated our artistic side. But I’ve done metal work, construction — even plumbing.”
They haven’t run out of ideas, Lisa said, but the Jackliches, including Cooper, now 15, and Tank, the family dog, have decided to move out to her family property on First Avenue, where they will consolidate their projects. These include Lisa’s newest venture, VerseTag, a growing business that imprints bible verses on small tags that can be worn like necklaces. VerseTag donates 40 percent of its profits to Christian ministries, Lisa said. The former VerseTag location was at 301 Post St. in Napa.
“Last year we raised $25,000 for ministries, one tag at a time,” said Lisa, adding, “There are more than 31,000 bible verses.
The decision to move has prompted the family to put the house on the market.
“We’ve loved this house,” Lisa said, “and we are sure who ever lives here next will be special and love it too.
There are still a lot of projects the new owners might want to do, she added. She’s taking the sledgehammer with her, however.
The Jacklich house is listed for $499,000 with Napa Realtor Mike Bolen (mikebolen.com), who can provide more information about the property. Additional information about VerseTag is available at versetag.com .
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