Post-Modern Renaissance Man Cave Observation Post

Today I had the privilege of visiting a one-of-a-kind Renaissance man cave-observation post. This unique structure located on a hill in the Santa Ynez Valley near Los Olivos is being created by entrepreneur. I was the guest of my friend Kevin Mikelonis of Pasolumination, the lighting design expert for this project who was on-site today moving things along. What follows is my feeble attempt to photographically capture the sense of space within this place.

The man cave went in before the mansion that will occupy this lot... which in my bachelor world-view is how it ought to be done.

The location of this structure features an awesome view of the Santa Ynez Valley from within the valley itself.

I found it hard not to think of a hobbit hole when viewing this place a few angles like this one.

Apparently, these lights will be changed to satisfy the county building inspector.

For those of you who don't recognize what you are seeing, those are wine bottle racks on the wall at right.

Art will hang on the wall at left.

The black racks were manufactured elsewhere while the rust-patina-ed racks were made locally following the same design.

This small change replete with skylight bisects to the two oppositely-curving segments of subterranean hallway.

The main gallery awaits.

Looking back towards the entrance.

View from the main gallery back down the hallway.

Kevin designed this light fixture....

....and the spider leg patterned lighting elements lining the domed ceiling.

Up-close the center looks like a wagon wheel.

As good as this looks it will look better once the colorful artwork destined for these walls is in place and interacts with the lighting seen here.

For coolness one cannot beat the combo of subterranean man-cave and observation post atop a hill replete with fireplace.

The Pasolumination command post at center.

Once the heavy curtains are opened the space changes in appearance and feeling quite dramatically.

I've never before seen an elevated view of a valley from within a cave.

The valley oak atop the man cave.

The highest point of the cave-containing hillock.

View to the west.

View to the south with Santa Ynez Mountains in the distance.

View to the southeast.

View looking to the north.

The design lines of this structure are quite pleasing to the eye.

View looking to the nortthwest.

Those are real stones, NOT concrete poured into casts shaped like stones as is so common nowadays which I find disgusting being a rock lover.

These steel members come from oil drilling operations.....

..... and are used here to a rather pleasing visual effect.

These steel members will only look better as they acquire a more rusty patina.

View looking to the east.

I love the visual effect of parallel arrays of lines running at 90 degree axis from each other.

A light lens like an eye ball.

View looking to the north with the San Rafael Mountains in the distance.

View from atop the man cave hillock looking out over the Santa Ynez Valley with Los Olivos at left in the middle foreground. All photos by Kim Patrick Noyes (all rights reserved).