Mikie's Fun House Version 4.5
The Fortress of Solitude.
The Epicenter of Good Vibes.
The Hedonist/Hermit's Hideaway.
Welcome to (Fast)Mikie's Fun House, version 4.5, in Del Mar, California... Click to play the video above for a quick tour. The Fun House is always a work in progress! This current remodel was substantially finished late in 2011 as part of the complete re-invention of Michael McCafferty, also a continual work in progress... To see the "before" photos (version 4.0) Click Here.
(That's my old Waco biplane, "The Spirit of Adventure", flying over the beach in Del Mar) Condo associations are restrictive on what you can do when you remodel, and one of the big things that you can not do, is to change your front door in any way. Everyone's front door has to look exactly the same. Boring. But Mikie's Fun House needed a special front door! After much thought, and years of planning, my cunning scheme has finally borne fruit. My original front door remains intact, just as the home owners' association requires. However, I have constructed an additional front door, about 8' inside the original front door, which stays open when expecting guests. The space between the two doors, an area of about 5'x8', creates a vestibule to welcome those people who are privileged to be invited to the Fun House Visitors are welcomed into this private space filled with plants, water, candle flame, and soft music from hidden speakers.
The stained glass image is a custom original design by Tamara
at Cast Glass Images of San Marcos, CA
and perfectly crafted by Michael, the owner and artisan extraordinaire.
 The refrigerator is one of my favorite toys. It's a SubZero model 650G, (7' tall, 3' wide) with a glass door, which offers the ultimate proof that the light DOES stay on when the door is closed. It also gives the kitchen that homey "7/11" convenience store ambiance.
The Kitchen. The refrigerator is just to the right, out of the photo.
 The sink in the guest bathroom, The faucet is completely automatic. Just reach out and the water will flow. There is no need to touch it at all, as the water temperature is preset to a comfortable warm, and the flow is ample and it shuts off automatically. Faucet by WaterDecor, more info here. To the right of the faucet there is an automatic dispenser of anti-bacterial hand soap. Simply hold your hand under the spout, and a pre-measured amount of soap will fall into your palm. The counter top is Travertine slab, cut and fitted by Frank Sciarrino, an old world artist with stone. He did a lot of work on the Fun House in the desert. All of the cabinetry, and even the shower curtain rod, is solid cherry, built by Armstrong Woodworks in Carlsbad.
The Big Guy
One of my favorite toys at the Fun House is my Grandfather Clock. Every quarter hour the chimes take me back to my days as a child as these were the sounds that accompanied my play around the house and even later, when I was long moved away, would greet me when I came Home. Each time it rings out the hour, I am reminded of "Home", and my parents, who, like the clock, were always there to guide me.
This particular clock was manufactured by
Charles R. Sligh company in 1992,
in Zeeland Michigan, from mahogany solids and crotch mahogany veneers.
It bears the inscription "Mikie's Fun House - 1993" on the face of the clock.
It is a Centennial 200, number 0200-2-CM,
Next to the Big Guy hangs another of my favorite timepieces, a Geochron, Executive model. I enjoy watching the ever changing lines of sunrise and sunset as the earth turns and moves through the seasons.
 The Super Shower is a real treat. The BainUltra Thermo-masseur over size Jacuzzi-style tub allows fully reclined, fully immersed bathing. The ceiling mounted rain shower head, at 7' high, provides a downpour on demand. The Grohe Sensia Hand Shower massage head gets to all those hard-to-reach places. For extra fun and good health, there's a Roma' steam unit. All fixtures were provided by European Bath & Kitchen. Ask for Suzi Banks! Once inside the shower enclosure, I can still easily and safely control (including dimming) all the condo's 40+ lights and fans, using the X-10 remote control system. I simply put the control unit in a plastic baggie! The entire shower area is done in a very light ivory/taupe Italian Crema Marfil marble. The 18" squares are set diagonally on the floors and stacked on the walls. It's very nice stuff, and I got a great deal on the material. The same material is used for the floors in the entry, hall and kitchen.
 Master bathroom, hand crafted Roman style sink, created out of a solid block of stone, polished on the inside, rough-hewn on the outside.
 The library annex, periodical department, with built-in magazine rack and loo. The rack also holds clock, telephone, note pad, pens, and remote controls for lights, heat, TV, fans, etc. The loo itself is a Toto, with SoftClose feature "to eliminate that annoying Toilet Seat Slam". The same unit is used in the Guest Bathroom. The magazines are: Wired, Fortune, Fast Company, National Geographic, Billiards Digest. The mirror was custom built by Walter Lilly. The magazine rack was custom built by Steve Armstrong. This daytime photo clearly shows the amount of light entering through the two SolaTubes that easily provide enough natural light for the many plants. The rocks were collected one at a time on many beach walks.
This version (4.5) of Mikie's Fun House is the latest in a long line of Fun Houses. I have been living in this particular space since 2003. I completely remodeled it before moving in, and that was version 4.0. Click here to see what that looked like before I remodeled it again in 2011 to get the place looking like it does today. In the remodel of 2011 I left the kitchen and bathrooms the same, but changed everything else, including hard wood floors, bull-nosed edges, removal of crown moulding, changed baseboards, new built-in office space, all new furniture including 3 large-screen TVs, and many other upgrades. Click to learn about all the other past Fun House Versions
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