When John and Janice Bergmann of Scottsdale, Arizona, decided to build their Coronado dream house, that dream included plenty of room for extended visits from their four children and five (and counting) grandchildren, plus assorted brothers and sisters and their families.

They also longed for the Craftsman- style heritage of their Buffalo, New York childhood. Was it possible to have a light and bright beach house in this popular early 20th century style? Oh, yes.

The Bergmanns have been happily ensconced for a year now in their new family “compound” that includes a main house that, practically speaking, is three stories, and a 1,400 square-foot two-story guesthouse above and adjacent to a fourcar garage (two cars deep by two cars wide) on the rear of the property. Together, the homes provide nearly 4,900 square feet of living space, united by a spacious common area with spa, fire pit and barbecue. The houses’ seven bedrooms and seven baths are laid out in three self-contained living areas – each with sitting area, kitchen and laundry room. “We wanted our family to spend good lengths of time together and be able to spread out, not tripping over each other and getting on each other’s nerves,” Janice explains. “It’s worked out beautifully!”

Looking upon the house from the street, one would never guess it was a three-story structure. Passersby are more apt to assume that the “twostory” classic Craftsman has been there for decades, perhaps dating back to 1918 – albeit maintained in impeccable condition.

Like many Arizonans, the Bergmanns began a longtime love affair with Coronado that grew stronger year by year. The couple had moved to Arizona 30 years ago, following family members who headed there to escape the frigid temperatures of upstate New York.

Talk about extremes. Janice remembers enduring the entire summer that first year in Arizona. The following summer, they joined their fellow Zonies on the annual exodus to California. “We went to Disneyland but on our way home spent a day in Coronado,” Janice remembers. “We even stopped at Spreckels Park where the kids played for awhile.”

John picks up the story. “We walked down Loma Avenue and the Craftsman homes there reminded us of the homes back in Buffalo,” he says. “Then we started glancing in windows of real estate offices and got sticker shot – the homes were selling for $100,000 and up!” John chuckles at that figure now.

“We knew we couldn’t afford it, but a house in Coronado was always in the back of our minds.”

As the kids grew older, the Bergmanns had more time to vacation. Plus, John’s silk-screening equipment manufacturing business had grown to be the second largest in the world, and his eldest child would soon take over the reins for good.

That’s when the Bergmanns decided to test the Coronado waters, first by renting a small house on D Avenue, staying during the hot summer months and making trips over on schools breaks. Soon they purchased their first home in the 500 block of C, a home built by Bill Lyons, who was also, along with wife and business partner Kari, their next-door neighbor and good friends. “While we liked the C Avenue house, our growing extended family meant we’d soon need more than three bedrooms,” said Janice.

Then Bill Lyons called with a golden opportunity: a home had come on the market with a unique 190-foot deep lot and a 16-foot downward slope – perfect for a main house and guest house. Lyons hooked up the Bergmanns with architect Dorothy Howard, an expert in Craftsman design.

The Bergmann’s house was the first “test case” for the new rules of the Coronado Historic Resource Commission, a group that reviews and approves (or disapproves) the demolition of any house of 75 years or more. “Dorothy and I spoke to the Commission,” said Janice. “We told them we wouldn’t max out the lot, that the new home would fit the scale and character of the neighborhood and that the Commission would be proud of their decision to approve our request. Dorothy’s exquisite elevations clearly demonstrated our vision of a classic Craftsman but with modern amenities.”

The approval was granted unanimously.

To meld “Craftsman” and “Beach House,” Howard took classic forms – flat casings, wide baseboards, plate-rail height recessed-panel paneling, box beam ceilings and built-in “Mission Style” cabinetry – and married it with a light palette. “Classic Craftsman homes typically have small rooms, and that worked well for the Bergmann’s, who needed many bedrooms and individual gathering areas,” said Howard. Reflecting typical Craftsman layout, the main house features a front sitting room of natural vertical grain Douglas fir and opposite the central hallway, a traditional dining room with the same ceiling, paneling and builtins, this time featuring painted white wood. “Many residents of the period grew tired of dark wood, so they painted it,” she said.

Throughout the interiors, the Bergmanns had fun with beach themes: murals of sea grass and sand dollars highlight the guest house’s “great room” and its chandelier and kitchen backsplash are bedecked with seashells that Janice personally applied. Bedrooms take on themes, too – there’s a surfer room with stripes, seahorses stenciled on walls and surfer gear, and the Miami room – complete with flamingos and South Beach colors. Janice says, almost apologetically, that each time she makes the trip from Arizona to Coronado, she brings a car filled with stuff. “I keep finding things in Scottsdale that are perfect for the beach and things in Coronado to bring back to Arizona.” This time, she brought swim fins shaped like mermaid’s feet – they’re now hanging at the entrance to the twin’s mermaid bedroom.

Back in Scottsdale, John and Janice Bergmann live in a gated golf course community, where living is oriented towards the backyards and families enjoy spectacular golf course views. But there are no sidewalks, and it’s a mile-long drive to the main gate.

In Coronado, it’s the reverse, Janice says, with neighbors, shops and the beach all close by and a nearly flat topography that promotes walking about town. “It’s just the opposite of the desert and we do love both lifestyles.”

For all the accoutrements inside their two houses, the Bergmanns agree on their favorite place and pastime: sitting on their front porch swing and getting acquainted with their neighbors.

“People walk by and say hello all the time,” John says. “That’s what makes Coronado special.”