Vista Dhome: A Monolithic Dome Dream Home
The swooping curves of the three-domed Vista Dhome with its new octagonally shaped Sky Lounge.
Firefighters and neighbors alike were stunned to see Vista Dhome survive the scorching flames of a California brush fire in 2002.
Vista Dhome is a 4500-square-foot Monolithic Dome home in Yucaipa, California. It sits on the ridge of Black Mountain in the foothills of the San Bernadino Mountains. The original owners, Al and Ruth Braswell, built Vista Dhome to be their forever home, and it was a dream come true for them. The iconic home survived the 2002 Bryant Fire and was featured in local newspapers during the aftermath.
This dream dome home famously featured a rooftop glass geodesic dome called the Sky Lounge, which has been replaced with an octagonally-shaped structure. Even though it has a new look, the spirit of the Sky Lounge remains, where the drinks are always “on the house.”
Vista Dhome was constructed in 1999 by the Braswells’ son, Barry, and Al’s brother, John, after the three attended a Monolithic Dome Builders Workshop. It comprises three interconnected, undulating domes—one 50-foot diameter dome flanked by two 40-foot diameter domes. There are three bedrooms, four bathrooms, a dining area, a living area, and a large kitchen with a breakfast table. The second-floor loft has a kitchenette and bathroom and features a generous balcony.
The modern interior of Vista Dhome is warmed up by the original chandeliers.
There are two ornate winding staircases and custom railings that feature musical notes and lyrics to “Home on the Range.” One staircase leads to the loft, and a second leads to the rooftop Sky Lounge.
After 56 years of marriage, Ruth died in 2007, followed by Al in 2012. Vista Dhome found new stewardship in the Braswells’ son, Barry, and his wife, Kimberly, who were married there a year before Al passed away. Barry and Kimberly have remodeled the famous dome house and created a decade’s worth of new memories there. Now, they have decided to turn the page and write their next adventure away from California.
The second story’s floor is a big circle, half inside as a loft and half outside as the deck. The cresent-shaped window wall is a show-stopper.
The pool of this Monolithic Dome Home is shaded by a urethane foam and stucco faux rock wall created by Barry Braswell.