At Home With Philly and Ron Montbleau

“The whole idea was to bring this in,” says Phyllis “Philly” Montbleau, gesturing toward the San Elijo Lagoon that stretches before us. Philly, her husband Ron, Ranch & Coast Publisher Bob Stefanko, and I are relaxing around the fire bowl on their backyard terrace in Solana Beach, admiring sweeping views of the wetlands below, home to hundreds of plant species and animals including a red-tailed hawk circling lazily overhead. In the distance, we can see waves crash along the Cardiff coast. The couple, who purchased their home in 2017, “took one look at the view,” Philly recalls, “and knew this would be our forever home.” 

The setting for the Montbleaus’ two-story, Hamptons-style home is especially fitting because the couple has long supported Wildcoast, the international organization committed to ocean and coastal conservation. On the day of our interview, there is a buzz of activity as the couple prepared to host Baja Bash on June 14, marking the nonprofit’s 25th anniversary, a major milestone in its mission to protect some of the most important coastlines and ocean habitats on the planet. (The event, held just a week after our interview, featured top sustainable chefs from both Baja and San Diego, as well as tacos, tequila, beer, mezcal, and music.)

“Our home was built to entertain and when Ann Wycoff, Director of Development for Wildcoast and a dear friend, asked if we would host the first Baja Bash four years ago, we all agreed that it was the perfect venue to showcase their mission,” Philly recalls. The fundraiser has grown from about 150 to more than 300 attendees.

The couple also has a heart for local children’s charities including the Make-A-Wish Foundation San Diego, which helps wishes come true for 300 critically ill children each year. Philly is an airport greeter for families; takes part in the “Trailblaze Challenge,” a grueling 28-mile, one-day hike on the Pacific Coast Trail in Big Bear; and serves on the foundation’s gala committee. This year’s “Wine & Wishes” event is set for October 11 at the Park Hyatt Aviara in Carlsbad.

Ron supports North of Boston Cancer Resource in his native Massachusetts, founded by his sister Carol Gamble, and Promises2Kids, which helps foster youth in San Diego County overcome difficulties in the past to ensure a brighter future as adults. Its annual Dream On Concert Gala, featuring Don Felder, a former Eagles lead guitarist, will be held on September 15 at the La Jolla estate of philanthropist Joan Waitt.

Opening their home to nonprofits, as well as friends and family, is the reason the Montbleaus embarked on a 22-month home remodel, completed in two phases. The first phase in 2021 to 2022 included the living room, dining room, master bedroom and bath, and all of the outside areas. “It was a 14-month-long labor of love and we are thrilled with the results,” notes Philly.

The second phase, which began last October and was finished in early June, included the entry hallway, kitchen, media room, and three bathrooms. Still in the works: an expansive wine room dubbed “the wine shrine.” “We are avid wine collectors and wanted a room that would highlight our collection and offer a ‘speakeasy’ feel for sipping some favorite cabernets,” Philly explains.

Remodels are never easy, but the couple was especially prepared for the challenge. Ron, a photographer who studied at the New England School of Photography, worked with the Boston Ballet, and toured with Billy Joel, credits that experience for his ability to visualize design. “The camera teaches you the importance of light, texture, proportion, and scale needed for interior design,” he says. 

He later turned his hobby as a furniture maker into a successful business as founder of Montbleau & Associates, a specialty contractor that focuses on architectural fine woodworking for large-scale commercial and hospitality projects. They include the Fairmont Grand Del Mar, Manchester Grand Hyatt, Apple headquarters in Cupertino, California, Fontainebleau and Aria hotels in Las Vegas, and high-end suites at Sphere, the concert venue at The Venetian Resort. With the infusion of private equity, the company expanded to include Buda Woodworks in Texas and Northwest Woodworks in Washington. Now semi-retired, Ron maintains a consulting business. 

Philly also has a practiced “eye” for design and attention to detail after a career in the hospitality industry, managing the La Jolla Country Club, the Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club, resort hotels, and retirement communities. So together, the couple collaborated on their home remodels. “How did that work out?” I ask with a smile. “It was a process,” they responded, which wasn’t without differences in opinion. But they resolved any disagreements by asking each other “How strongly do you feel about that on a scale of one-to-ten?” when deciding which way to go. They also enlisted the help of a talented team of professionals throughout the remodeling process.

Because they love to entertain, the kitchen and outdoor areas were especially important. Ron designed the kitchen’s custom cabinetry in walnut with counters fashioned from Cristallo Quartzite. The counters are lit from below, casting a gorgeous glow, highlighted from above by spheres of glittering light fixtures. Ann Sneed Architectural Interiors supported the concept design for the kitchen and media room. The centerpiece of the latter is an entertainment console which Ron designed and built from maple burl, California walnut, and ebony.

The exterior spaces are an entertainer’s dreamscape, complete with an outdoor living room and fireplace, bar, swimming pool, waterfall, and slide. In the middle of the spa, an umbrella-topped table seats up to eight. There are also two decks. The expansive “Observation Deck” has a combination pickleball/basketball court. The “Titanic Deck” is named after the 1997 James Cameron film which depicted Kate Winslet’s character Rose and Leonardo DiCaprio’s Jack, their arms outstretched (and also sharing a passionate kiss) on the doomed ship’s bow. “If you sit right on the edge of that deck, you feel like there’s nothing between you, the lagoon, and the ocean,” Philly explains. 

But the Montbleaus’ favorite spot is relaxing around the fire bowl overlooking the lagoon. They call it “the quintessential spot for watching the sunset or after dinner conversation with family and friends” — as a red-tailed hawk circles lazily overhead.