Address: 1478 W. Cypress Avenue
The Doll home is part of the 2025 YMCA Holiday Home Tour.
After retiring from careers in technology sales, Jake and Suzanne Doll decided to plant roots in Redlands. In 2019, they found the perfect house – a well-maintained wood shake Craftsman in West Redlands with lots of room, including an attic playroom for the grandchildren, and spectacular views. Most important, the already updated kitchen could be easily transformed to suit Suzanne’s needs.
“She loves to cook and entertain,” Jake said.
Built in 1909, the 4,500-square-foot house has four bedrooms, four bathrooms and former maids-quarters. It sits on two acres, with plenty of room for the pool the couple plans on adding later. There are two garages, the newer one is the three-car garage, built to match the style of the house.
The home is among six houses featured on the Redlands YMCA Holiday Home Tour, Sunday, Dec. 7.
Craftsman style details are throughout the home, beginning with the exterior’s wood shingles and wide front door with two full length sidelight panels. Most of the windows have overhanging eaves as well as exposed rafters. In back, off the kitchen, a wraparound deck with wood railing offers a great outdoor dining space with mountain and city views.
Inside the front door, the dark wood beamed ceiling spans the width of the reception and living areas. Three sides of the room have windows, including one a window seat. Wood paneled walls and wood flooring are throughout. And, there is a stone fireplace, flanked by built-in glass door bookcases.
The wood paneled dining room is behind the living room, Key features here is the window overlooking the backyard and the large built-in buffet. A den is to the right.
“I like all the glass built-ins in the house,” Suzanne said. “I’m able to enjoy my glass collections. I’ve never had that.”
Pocket doors are found in several first-floor rooms.
Furnishings throughout the home are largely either Gustav Stickley originals or replicas, said Jack.
For an early 20th century era house, it has a surprising number of closets and cubbies. “Many are cedar lined,” Jake said.
The prior owner built a two-story addition to the back of the house, providing more room for the larger kitchen with custom cabinets along both walls, new laundry area, the upstairs primary suite and dressing area and the back deck.
In the kitchen, Suzanne traded a retrofitted period range for a professional range topped with a copper trimmed stainless vent. That required reworking some of the cabinetry. Luckily, they discovered the name of the cabinet maker the prior owners used inside one of the units. The Dolls also installed new appliances, fixtures and countertops.
“What Suzanne and I love is being in the kitchen with its great view,” Jake said.
A long Stickley style dining set is at the back of the kitchen.
Second Floor
A bow window provides light to the stairway, which can be entered either via the reception area or near the kitchen.
All four bedrooms are on the second floor. Another room is a converted sleeping porch.
Future Projects
The couple has plans to turn a room on the east side of the house into a family room. That space appears to have been a coach entrance to the property. “Coaches would drive to the back and turn around and come back through,” Jake said.
Suzanne would like to enlarge the front porch to provide a better sitting area. “I like sitting in the front,” she said.
Those projects, the pool and back of the lot landscaping got sidelined when the couple decided to open their popular wine bar and restaurant, “Uncorked on State” in 2023.
Property History
While the couple has the home’s original blueprints, little is known about early owners, said Suzannne.
“We couldn’t find anything at the library,” she said.
After connecting with the cabinetmaker the prior owners used, the Dolls met Terry McDuffee, the former husband of the woman who sold them the house.
The McDuffees bought the house in 1989 from a family Terry thinks was named Roxema. “It was a fixer upper with a lot of problems,” McDuffee said. He spent a year restoring the inside: tearing out old carpeting on the ground floor, patching damaged wood flooring, painting, turning a closet into a serviceable bath and much more. “We built the two-story addition to the north side that is faithful to the style of the house in 1990,” Terry said.
Terry built the small garage for a workshop.
As for the land, he called the back property “tumble down fallen garden. One area was caving in. I had to have it leveled off.”
“I’m happy for the Dolls,” Terry said. “I like the three-car garage and circular driveway around the front.”
YMCA Home Tour & Boutique Weekend
Dec. 6 and 7
General Tickets: $45
Patron Brunch Tickets: $110
Tickets available online at ymcahometour.org or at the Redlands YMCA
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