Cliff May

Cliff May (1903–1989) was a building designer (he was not licensed as an architect until the last year of his life) practicing in California best known and remembered for developing the suburban Post-war "dream home" (California Ranch House), and the Mid-century Modern

The Ranch-style house Interior of a mid-century ranch-style house designed by Cliff May, c. 1960s May built Monterey-style furniture as a young man. As a residential/building designer, May designed projects throughout Southern California, including the regions around Los Angeles, San Diego, and Santa Barbara, California. He is credited with creating the pitched-roof, low-slung California Ranch-style house in 1932.

During his career, May designed over a thousand custom residences; numerous commercial structures; and from model house prototypes, more than eighteen thousand tract houses had his imprint. Robert Mondavi chose May to design his winery in which he incorporated features found in construction of California Missions.

In 1932, May's first house sold for $9,500. His work drew attention and the second home he built was featured in Architectural Digest in 1934. He continued to build 50 additional houses in San Diego before moving to Los Angeles in 1935. Many of his 1,000+ houses were built in Southern California, however some were built as far away as Switzerland, Australia and Ireland. Oakmont House (1939), in Brentwood Park, Los Angeles, California House Beautiful's Pacesetter House (1947), in Los Angeles, California Sullivan Canyon Ranches (c.1941-1948), in Los Angeles, California Prefab House (1951), in Phoenix, Arizona Sunset Magazine headquarters (1951), in Menlo Park, California Cliff May Experimental House (1952), in Los Angeles, California Tanglewood House (1952), in Lubbock, Texas Rancho Rinconada (April 1953) present eastern Cupertino, California - Cliff May pre-fab subdivision of "around 900 homes (per May) (built with Stern & Price) Lakewood Rancho Estates (700+ homes) (1953-1954), in Long Beach, California Prefab Homes (1954), in Tucson, Arizona Lakewood Prefab Homes (1954), in Lakewood, Washington Casa View Oaks Prefab Homes (1954-1955), in Dallas, Texas Charleston Heights Prefab Homes (1954-1955), in Las Vegas, Nevada Harvey Park Prefab Homes (1955), in Denver, Colorado 2 Prefab Homes (1955), in Odessa, Texas Cherokee Village Prefab Houses (1955), in Cherokee Village, Arkansas Castle Hills Prefab Homes (1955), in San Antonio, Texas Maywood Hills Prefab Homes (1955), in Salt Lake City, Utah Fish-Baughman House (1955), in Millcreek, Utah, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016 Cliff May House "Mandalay" (1955), in Brentwood, Los Angeles, California Cliff May pre-fab homes (9) in Medford, Oregon. (with J.T. Hight builders) Cliff May prefab homes - (1956) Santa Maria, California (with builder George Pabst) Overdale House (1956), in Columbus, Ohio Vientos House (1963), in Camarillo, California Ocotillo House (1963), in Tucson, Arizona Oxblow House (1968), in Solvang, California Private Residence (1969), in Phoenix, Arizona Charles House (1973), in Fresno, California El Vuelo House (1973), in Rancho Santa Fe, California Gerald Katell House (1978), in Rolling Hills, California Cliff May tract-housing (79 units, 1956), Westridge Manor, Bishop, California (with Marburt Homes, Inc.) Bell Canyon, California 1970’s Equestrian Center, Community Center, Custom Home. https://pin.it/3Q3jsrA4q

Personal life May grew up in San Diego, California. On his mother's side he is related to Jose Antonio Estudillo, one of the founders of San Diego. His father's side of the family held a lifetime lease on the old Los Flores Rancho in San Diego County.

May was also a pilot; he made many trips in his plane to Mexico during his lifetime.