Today’s design inspiration comes from a grand French chateau-inspired residence located within the exclusive guard-gated community of Beverly Park in the lush hills overlooking Los Angeles. The architectural design captures the essence of the fine country estates once owned by the ancient nobility in France. The newly built 40,000 square-foot mansion, designed by architect Richard Landry, interprets the classic European style for contemporary living appropriate to Southern California. The modern layout observes human proportions, with interior design by Joan Behnke, and offers up a restrained sense of luxury. This Beverly Park Chateau was not created to be a show house, but is show-worthy. Let’s take a look!
The home sits back on its lot and spreads out across the width almost entirely. Custom entry gates located on one end of the property open to reveal the residence hidden beyond them. A cobblestone driveway winds across the lawn to the centrally located motor court created before the main entrance. The drive then proceeds, running along the front of the property and either around to the garages situated along the side, or else out to the exit gates located on the opposite end. The estate appears as though it has existed here for centuries.
Great efforts went into creating the time-worn variation and texture for a genuinely old-world finish. Salvaged rubble stone covers the exterior facade with distressed limestone forming the door and window surrounds. Blue slate covers the massive Mansard roof, punctuated with dormer windows and roof spires. Weathered pavers form the path from the motor court, through the formal parterre garden, up to the front entrance creating a scenic procession.
GRAND BEVERLY PARK CHATEAU
The grand double-height entrance foyer, crowned with a glass dome above, ensures a definite sense of arrival and makes a lasting first impression. The vast light-filled, open space gives way in all directions. Visitors pass through a pair of massive wrought-iron doors backed with glass Behnke found in a French antique shop. A 19th-century hanging lantern suspends beneath the dome. Two glass-topped tables with 18th-century French bases arranged on a contemporary silk rug display a pair of vases by Hervé van der Straeten and a Bernar Venet sculpture. Classic and Contemporary designs combine effortlessly for a timeless appeal.
To make the large home more inviting, the architect divided the floor plan into clusters of rooms arranged around their function. The first group off the foyer are rooms for entertaining including the living room, the formal dining room, and the library.
The gracious formal living room features loads of charm and character. The design evokes the style and spirit of an elegant Parisian apartment. A custom created antiqued-furniture finish gives the wood-paneled walls their French gray-green color. The reclaimed antique limestone fireplace came from an old European estate. A notable contemporary painting hangs over the mantle for balance. Antique furnishings and decorative objects spanning centuries gather with new custom pieces bespoke designed by Behnke creating the impression of being accumulated over time. Rich colors and a variety of textured fabrics further enrich the senses. The room arranges on a custom contemporary silk rug. There is a worldly sophistication without being overly formal or stiff as one often finds in large homes. Along the back of the room, multiple sets of French doors flood the room with natural light and open onto a garden terrace.
The formal dining room features layers of rich wood trim and hand-laid herringbone floors composed of reclaimed antique French oak. The rich, saturated colors and contemporary interpretation of traditional design elements remind me of the French Quarter in New Orleans. The wrought-iron doors provide passage to a spiral staircase leading down to the wine cellar. The home includes a specific professional grade catering kitchen to allow the owners to serve any number of guests with ease. The design of this Beverly Park Chateau gives itself to entertaining with style on a large scale.
The library embraces a “gentlemen’s club” version of traditional design with its polished wood-paneled walls, intricate Oriental rug, and navy blue with gold accents. An artist custom created the ceiling designs by applying hand-painted canvases between the coffers. French antiques alongside new bespoke furnishings maintain the warm and intimate atmosphere while remaining completely functional. You are sure to be offered a Brandy, perhaps a Louis XIII Remy Cognac. A contemporary painting by Guy Diehl hangs above the Belgian marble fireplace.
No French country estate would be complete without a loggia with a fireplace. This one has glass walls that slide away to open two of its outer walls to the outdoors. The loggia embraces the best of Southern California’s indoor-outdoor living and gives way to the outer entertaining areas. The multi-purpose family gathering place located off the living room and library has comfortable all-weather wicker furniture. This arrangement of the rooms provides an excellent flow for guests when entertaining.
On the opposite end of the first floor, another cluster of rooms exists for the family and private living. These rooms have a far more casual French Country style. Here we have the family room with rough reclaimed wood beamed ceilings and a warmer color palette. Less formal traditional furnishings give the room the feel of a relaxed country home. It’s a luxe take on rustic!
The formal dining room we saw above and the catering kitchen mentioned are really used for formal entertaining purposes mainly. The home also includes this less formal, open flow family living-dining-kitchen area. This kitchen is where the family prepares their regular meals. The comfortable living area includes a large screen TV where the family really kicks back, and this more intimate, relaxed dining area is the one the family uses normally. The warm French Country vibe created in the adjacent family room carries into this area as well. The kitchen features a large center island topped with striking white-and-gray marble and is complete with a breakfast bar. The appliances are arranged around the island for easy access. The dining table is actually placed in a space that arches out and is lined with large windows which look out onto the back lawn.
The wine storage room on the basement level can be accessed directly from the dining room or from the home’s lower-level entertaining area. The room holds approximately 2,600 bottles of wine perfectly displayed in custom cases. The space includes an inner sitting area separated from the actual wine-storage by glass walls which allow for dual climate zones. This design team leaves no detail untouched. The rough-hewn timber and brick barrel vaulted ceilings paired with the weathered and aged floors give the space the look of an authentic forever old wine cellar whose wines have aged for years.
The home includes a basement level cluster of rooms designed for informal entertaining. The lower subterranean level entertaining area includes a circular sitting lounge with a big-screen television, along with a series of billiards/casino-style spaces complete with a pool table, card playing tables, and other games tables, as well as a full bar. The entire lower level expresses an Art Deco theme which unifies the spaces and gives it an air of refinement.
Also located down on this level is the home’s superb custom theater. The room includes custom mohair upholstered furnishings, silk draperies, and luxe finishes to complement the latest visual and sound equipment. The custom mill-work is all mahogany.
The second floor of the home holds a fully equipped private gym, a home office, and most of the bedrooms suites including (shown here) the expansive master bedroom suite. The master suite includes a sitting room, a generously scaled bedroom with another sitting area, and his-and-her bathrooms and closets. The walls are fabric upholstered and the floors are covered with custom silk carpet. The focal point in the room is the canopy bed with hand embroidery on the headboard and canopy drapes composed of four layers of sheer panels. A cabinet behind the sofa holds a pop-up television to watch from bed.
His bathroom impresses with dark walnut paneled walls and polished golden marble. Her spacious marble and paneled bathroom calms with pale shades of creams and pink. Both feature classic design detailing and both are quite grand and perfect in this home.
Here we see the homeowner’s private terrace overlooking the back lawn. It can only be accessed from the master bathroom making it the perfect place to escape.
These meandering cobblestone paths running between the stone structures of the main residence, guest house, and other outlying buildings appear as though they are part of an old European village and are very charming. Can you imagine? Don’t you agree? The entire Beverly Park Chateau is a wonderful work of art and craftsmanship. Most importantly, it evokes a light heart, cheer, and amusement. The whole point is to not take any of it too seriously. That is the most brilliant point in these details!
That concludes our design inspiration for today, my friend.
For more projects from these great talents, be sure to see:
Beverly Hills Deco Villa: Joan Behnke
Villa del Lago: Tuscan Inspired Estate
BEVERLY PARK CHATEAU DESIGN INSPIRATION
Designing projects all over the globe, Landry Design Group strives to raise the international standards in custom residential architecture. The award-winning design studio was founded in 1987 by Richard Landry. Recognized for designs in a wide range of architectural styles, the team of service-oriented experts collaborate to create residences spanning from classical estates to rural villas and cutting-edge contemporary structures.
Richard Landry has multiple beautiful Architectural Design Books that showcase many of the extraordinary homes created by his firm. If you love exceptional architecture, you must be sure to see these.
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Founded in 1999, Joan Behnke & Associates, Inc. is rooted in the deep belief of interior design as both a fine art and a profound opportunity for self-expression. The firm, now grown to an internationally acclaimed design practice, thrives on working intimately with their clients to transform the spaces they inhabit and infuse them with a deeper kind of beauty that transcends the imagination and continues to flourish and inspire for a lifetime.