Living Portfolio

Cevan’s garden is an intensely private sanctuary. Here, water meets stone, secular encounters sacred and nature adorns the manmade. The understanding that this is not your typical suburban garden begins on the street; formidable walls and patinaed iron gates announce his love of privacy, tell the tale of his travels throughout the Near and Far East, celebrate his fascination with use and reuse, and showcase his appreciation of the native and the exotic. His home and gardens not only reflect his sense of the mysterious and playful but also demonstrate his skill in combining diverse symbolic objects – stone urns and animal troughs, deities and chains, giant ceramic vessels and delicate woodcarvings.

Like an ambassador from some fantastic far-off land, Cevan has crafted a maze-like retreat that feels much larger than it actually is. Among ancient ruins of China and early California, stone paths, crenellated screens and bamboo groves, he has magically formed from these material objects the sensation of venturing into space outside of time. Lush plantings and solid materials evoke his personal approach to the California outdoor lifestyle while reflecting his unique incantation of beauty.