At Home
At Home with the
Cumifords Story By Rachel Trigueiro | Photos by Lifestyle Staff
From young love in junior high to a custom
doors together. The tower doors lead into the
home on the lake, Visalia natives Chris and
tower porch area and were the first thing we
Chelsea Cumiford built a life they don’t need
bought for the home. We built the house around
an escape from.
these doors,” Chelsea says. The couple stored
With a striking, eclectically-styled home, the Cumifords squeezed every inch out of the
them for five years until the build was complete. Similar to their youthful love story, Chris and
interestingly-shaped 9,500 sq ft property.
Chelsea’s shared appreciation for design also
Tranquil views of water surround their
began at a young age in their childhood homes.
4,000 sq ft modern industrial home. Chelsea
“Home was always important to us,” Chris says.
says, “We built it with strategic window
“[It was] the most basic and central part of our
placement showing off its best views...the
family. My first home was one of Visalia’s oldest
pond in front...and the lake behind.”
houses, a large Victorian downtown, built in
The house is inspired by a mix of Chris and Chelsea’s life experiences plus historic time periods, and it shines with elements of modern industrial design. Throughout the home, beautiful, curated vintage pieces tell a rich story. “About a month after we bought the lot, we went to an antique store in Sacramento and saw these Oriental, historical doors. They are over 100 years old with square nails and a wood piece sliding the two
1899. My parents fixed it up and restored it to its Gilded Age glory.” Chris recalls his parents filling the home with antique furniture and playing old classical music on the Victrola. Although they moved when he was around age four, “[That house] was the beginning roots for my love of history, ambiance, and home,” he says. Chelsea says of her own childhood home, “My parents built and designed their own custom
