Tag: Richard Landry

Villa del Lago: Tuscan Inspired Luxury Estate

Today for our design inspiration, we are taking a look at a grand Old World Tuscan inspired estate designed for modern day luxury living. Villa del Lago is set within a dramatic rural setting overlooking a beautiful lake in Southern California. The 23,000 square-foot residence is designed by Los Angeles-based architect Richard Landry in a style that is reminiscent of the rural villas on the hillsides of Tuscany.

Villa del Lago is situated on four acres on a private bluff with gated access points. The Tuscan inspired estate nestles against an Oak studded hillside overlooking Lake Sherwood in Thousand Oaks. A linear floor plan allows for views of either the lake or the Santa Monica Mountains from every room. The architect collaborated with Los Angeles-based interior designer Joan Behnke to create interiors that are warm, inviting and personally scaled within the large magnificent space. The home is finished to the highest of standards with most furnishings and finishes being either custom created or imported from Europe for authenticity.

VILLA DEL LAGO DESIGN INSPIRATION

A rustic stone façade combines with reclaimed wooden beams and a roof covered in Coppi tiles handmade over a century ago in Italy. These carefully sourced elements create a time earned patina of age and imbue the structure with old world charm. Italian cypress and olive trees placed along meandering ponds and waterfalls complete the setting.

The stone walls continue inside Villa del Lago here in the 28-foot-high Tuscan inspired entrance hall. Natural light floods the giant room through the massive skylight created above it, from which Behnke has suspended a large hand-forged chandelier by Gregorius Pineo. Several lighting sconces obtained from Paris during shopping trips for the house also line the walls. The entrance hall functions ideally for receiving guest when entertaining large crowds, a priority for the homeowners.

The entrance hall leads into the soaring double-height great room. The vast open chamber provides a series of intimate seating areas which you can see in the opening photo. The photo above focuses in on the sitting area gathered around the antique fireplace surround. The painting displayed on the wood paneled walls above the mantel is by Ned Evans. A custom rug from Martin Patrick Evan defines the conversation area, while a custom iron chandelier by Paul Ferrante illuminates the room from above.  Suzani by Donghia draperies frame the tall windows and doors which provide the room’s best feature, the beautiful views.

Here we have the spacious covered loggia and the family room. Landry designed the rooms so that they all flow one into the other. Instead of using real walls to separate and define each room, glass accordion doors serve in their place. These glass walls fold and stack to the side removing all barriers to open the rooms completely, creating one continuous flow of space throughout. A space that opens entirely to the outdoors. The forever-old reclaimed antique wood beams and ceiling planks came from Europe. Also, the 17th century Dalle de Bourgogne stone flooring came from an abandoned chateau in France.

The formal dining room features a barrel vaulted ceiling created with bricks recovered from historic buildings on Chicago’s South Side. The wooden columns were handmade by local artisans in Southern California. On the side of the dining room are a wine room and a Tequila bar. Every room in Villa del Lago has a story.

Part of Behnke’s design process for her very wealthy clients is not to just fill their homes with the finest things from around the world. She insists on taking them with her on the shopping excursions so that they can personally experience the process and have a first-hand awareness of each item’s provenance. Along the way, the clients get to create beautiful memories and form emotional experiences to attach to each piece. Also, the trips provide hours of conversation with which to entertain guests.

The family room flows into the large kitchen which includes a La Cornue range. The homeowner’s wife said that she just really wanted one, even though she doesn’t cook much. Here in the kitchen, the details that are most impressive are those that you don’t notice right away; the surface of the drawers, the edges of the counters and the hidden conveniences.

The home theater is located right on the main floor near the master bedroom suite per the homeowner’s request. Landry created a sense of motion with the distinctive design of the backlit onyx-and-walnut ceiling. The walls are upholstered in a fabric by Larsen with the draperies in Clarence House. The sconces are from Porta Romana.

The master bedroom’s placement ensures prime views of the lake, and it opens onto the rear terrace. Bergamo draperies frame the windows and canopy bed. All the window treatments throughout are of bespoke design by Behnke. Hand embroidered bedding dresses the bed. A custom leather cabinet with nail-head trim at the foot of the bed holds a pop-up television. The antique crystal chandelier came from Paris, obtained on one of the shopping trips. On either side of the bed, individual floor sensors trigger low-level lighting that leads to the bathroom

The master bathroom features bespoke designed cabinetry by Behnke. A free-standing Devon & Devon bathtub is positioned so that the views can be enjoyed while soaking. The chandeliers and sconces are from Paul Ferrante.

In addition to the guest rooms in the main house, there is also a 2,000 square-foot guest house with additional accommodations.

Landry designed the stone-walled stairwell which spans all three floors, completing it with a domed ceiling and a custom hammered-wrought-iron banister. A spiral chandelier by Paul Ferrante suspends down from the top while sconces by Gregorius Pineo line the walls along the way.

The homeowner is a car enthusiast and an avid collector. For his new home, he wanted a proper place to hold and display his sizable collection. A 7,500 square foot subterranean garage in the basement level of the home serves this purpose well. Bricks recovered from historic buildings and reset in place by hand line the ceiling and columns. Car-friendly tile from Ann Sacks covers the floors. Behnke brought in chandeliers and sconces by Paul Ferrante. The garage opens through a pair of barn-style doors onto the driveway.

Here we have the dramatic view of the rear facade. The Tuscan inspired architectural details continue in the stone tower with the ocular window, design elements found in traditional Tuscan villages. Landry also spanned a series of Italian inspired arches from the loggia down to the guest house. An expansive rear terrace stretches nearly the full width of the house providing plenty of outdoor living space. The design of the infinity edge pool reflects the shape of the ocular window. The terrace leads out to the open lawns created as part of the landscape design. The outdoor furnishings are from Janus et Cie.

Here we can see another outdoor living space created around the fire pit before the guesthouse.

Here we have a beautiful view of the house from the lake. Villa del Lago isn’t just charming to behold. It is also conscientious. The Tuscan inspired estate incorporates several environmentally friendly elements. Solar panels provide energy for the home. An on-site water well, recirculated water systems, gray water reclamation, LED lighting fixtures throughout, and high-efficiency heating and cooling systems are just some of the many efforts in place here. The stone used for the facade was all locally cut, and much of the design includes reclaimed elements.

The result is a home that is comfortable to live in and easy to maintain. One that blends beautifully with its surroundings and promises to age well. Villa del Lago is ultimately timeless in its blending of old with the cutting-edge new.

That concludes our design inspiration for today, my friend.

Be sure to check out my other articles on collaborations between the architect Richard Landry and interior designer Joan Behnke:

Beverly Park Chateau

Beverly Hills Deco Villa: Joan Behnke

VILLA DEL LAGO LUXURY DESIGN

Architecture: Landry Design Group

Interior Design: Joan Behnke and Associates

Photography: Erhard Pfeiffer

Robb Report’s Ultimate Home of the Year Award winner!

Thank you so much for reading along with me today. I hope you enjoyed this lovely Tuscan inspired estate. What do you think of Villa del Lago? I look forward to hearing from you in the comments.

Have a great day!

August 25, 2016
Beverly Park Chateau

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.

***

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.

Architecture: Landry Design Group

Interior Design: Joan Behnke

Photography: Erhard Pfeiffer

This home was named Robb Report Ultimate Home

Thank you so much for reading along with me. I hope you enjoyed this lovely estate. Let me hear from you in the comments! What do you think of Beverly Park Chateau?

Have a great day!!

February 19, 2016
Contemporary Hillside Luxury Estate: Bel Air

Today’s design inspiration comes from a Contemporary hillside luxury estate in Bel Air, an affluent residential neighborhood in Los Angeles. The custom-built compound consists of several buildings including the main house and separate quarters for guest, staff, and entertaining, with most being joined together by a footbridge. The property is built into the hilltop and situated on multiple levels and has a total of 40,000 square-feet. The estate includes 28-bedrooms, a home spa, a roof-top terrace, a terraced orchard, a 24-car underground garage, and plenty of space for entertaining.

Towers clad in rough-faced sandstone punctuate the contemporary home’s smooth stucco facade. It’s stepped positioning along the hilltop gives it the appearance of being a modern fortress. The elevated position provides the home with extraordinary city and ocean views. The photo above shows the side entrance into the parking area.

This exceptional hillside luxury estate, of course, is another award-winning mega home by the Los Angeles based architect Richard Landry of Landry Design Group. His superb super-mansions are favored by those seeking the best things in life. The architect collaborated with interior designer David Phoenix on the interior design, who gave the interiors a bit of his signature “California elegant” styling. The above photo shows the footbridge suspended over the motor court with the home’s entry on the left and parking garage below.

HILLSIDE LUXURY ESTATE

The rough-faced sandstone used to clad the tower’s exteriors continues inside here in the entrance foyer and pairs with Portuguese limestone floors. Landry also continued the ceiling trellis from the exterior entryway, which is separated only by a wall of floor-to-ceiling glass, into here, pairing it with glass ceilings to unify the indoor and outdoor spaces. He suspended a footbridge through the foyer to mirror those which connects the various structures outdoors. Phoenix softened the vast, double height space a bit by gathering a rosewood table from Jean de Merry with bronze stools from Holly Hunt on a custom silk-and-wool rug from Tai Ping.

Pocket doors separate the formal living room and the more relaxed parlor room. In both areas, the fireplace serves as the focal point with specially treated surrounds. Slabs of book-matched onyx surround the fireplace in the formal living room (top picture). A mosaic of onyx tile forms the surround in the parlor. A design idea for living rooms to note: Landry allowed the ceilings to stop short of reaching the walls, and installed cove lighting in the space to illuminate it from within, creating an understated glow. This design detail features throughout the home in various rooms to great effect.

In the formal dining room, a 3,000-pound zebrawood-and-bronze table from David Sutherland seats 14 comfortably beneath a fabulous Moura Starr chandelier. A 2007 chromogenic print, Frigid Ferragosto 2, by Massimo Vitali and an untitled 1964 oil by Lorser Feitelson adorn the walls.

Zebrawood paneling lines the walls of the library and continues onto the ceilings. Italian-glass mosaic tiles form the fireplace surround. I particularly like the Michael Berman club chairs gathered around a table by Donghia. The sophisticated design of this room is really appealing.

In the casual games room, the rough-faced sandstone walls continue. A cozy sunken conversation area gathers before the fireplace, while a generously scaled games table covered in leather serves as the heart of the room.

The Landry designed, completely freestanding staircase spans the full height of the main house, four-floors from the garage below, all the way up to the roof terrace, not touching the walls at any point. Phoenix added his touch by including nickel-plated rock-crystal sconces of his own design and selected the crowning chandelier from Moura Starr.

“The possibilities are limitless; they can only be restrained by the imagination.” Richard Landry

The master bedroom suite features rich contemporary design details. Bleached zebrawood paneling lines the walls, highlighted from above by the ceiling’s cove lighting. Back-lit honey onyx that glows at night forms the fireplace surround. The upholstered bed and zebrawood bedside chests and television cabinet at the end of the bed were bespoke designed just for this bedroom.

In the master bathroom, Phoenix also used zebrawood for the vanity and mirrors. White onyx covers the walls and floors, including some backlit around the large tub.

Downstairs, adjacent the fully equipped gym, the home’s spa features plenty luxury design details. Landry designed a Venetian-plastered elliptical soffit for the ceiling to maintain a light ambiance. The list of special interior architectural details is practically endless. White marble and Bisazza tiles cover the walls and floors. The space includes a pair of private massage rooms, wet and dry saunas, and a special cold/hot whirlpool bath that Landry designed with Chroma therapy lights.

The hillside luxury estate includes multiple outdoor lounging and entertaining areas. The space in the top photo stands just outside the gym and spa. It features teak ceilings and teak furniture from David Sutherland. The owner can continue along the path from there down the stairs to his private terraced orchard where he picks his fruit fresh each morning. The second photo shows the heated loggia adjacent to the living room that serves for open air living.

The rooftop terrace overlooks the pool and barbecue terrace. The lower terrace includes an outdoor kitchen where the owner likes to host close family and friends. The zero-edge pool flows into a tiled area fitted with fiber-optic up-lights programmable to change color.

That concludes our design inspiration for today, my friend.

“Your home should reflect a combination of memories, aspirations and a lifetime of unique experiences. By being sensitive to your vision and desires, together we can craft a home that truly responds to your lifetstyle.” Landry Design Group

For more mega-mansions completed by this star architect, be sure to see:

Villa del Lago: Tuscan Inspired Luxury Estate

Beverly Park Chateau

BEL AIR HILLSIDE LUXURY ESTATE

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. The studio’s current work continues to be as diverse as their clients, many of whom have returned to collaborate on subsequent projects. Every new endeavor is embraced as an opportunity to challenge the imagination and explore innovation.

Richard Landry has multiple beautiful Architectural Design Books that showcase many of the extraordinary homes created by his firm. The New York Times dubbed him “King of the Mega-Mansions”. If you love exceptional architecture, you must be sure to take a look at these.

Architecture: Richard Landry- Landry Design Group

Interior Design: David Phoenix

Photography by Erhard Pfeiffer

This residence was named Robb Report’s Ultimate Home

Thank you so much for reading along with me. I hope you enjoyed this extraordinary Hillside Luxury Estate. Let me hear from you guys in the comments!

Have a great day!

October 30, 2015