Chateau Living

What would you want in a house with a price tag reaching close to the $20 million mark? If you asked a kid who just returned from his first trip to the planetarium, the answer might be a ceiling filled with thousands of little glow-in-the-dark stars. If you asked a sommelier, he might want a climate-controlled wine cellar just as accessible as the kitchen; a swimmer would want a pool with a surface area that more closely resembled a lake than a lap pool; a car enthusiast would want a carport opening to at least six garages; the romantic would desire a private outdoor hot-tub Jacuzzi and fireplace located directly off the master bedroom suite. In other words, there are a lot of ways the amenities of a house can satisfy different sensibilities, but this usually happens in custom homes, not developer-driven designs.

While it is always better to hire an architect to have your home designed specifically for you, sometimes that just isn’t an option. Our tour begins at a massive wrought iron entrance gate, symmetrically sandwiched between two large cascading water fountains.

The private drive curves up the hillside to a vista overlooking Rancho Santa Fe. The house is positioned directly on the highest point of the property and pays little credence to the site’s natural contours. While a site-driven design might have fit more harmoniously into its context, the multiple fountains and landscaping around the circular driveway asserts a dominance upon the land. Emphasized by the arching 20-foot-high carport ceiling that frames views of the valley below, the individual garage doors open into the center like a stable from a French chateau.

The theme of a French chateau is applied throughout the house, mixing heavy stone walls, intricately laid stone, and wood floors with hand-painted Venetian plaster and embellished wood ceilings to compose a materiality that speaks volumes to a romantic notion of another time and place.

Each room is defined by a meticulous combination of scale and texture to achieve the desired formal or informal effects for the various uses. A midnight blue vaulted canvas of a sparkling starry night sky spans the ceiling of the media room. The twinkling lights are done with such craft that one feels as though they really are under the stars. While the room’s size is certainly large enough for one’s family, friends, and a few acquaintances, like many rooms of the house, the hand-crafted architectural details keep the space from swallowing human scale.

The backyard is home to San Diego’s largest surface area swimming pool, a volume that takes weeks to fill. The living room, game room, and many other spaces open to the back veranda that encircles the yard with various seating and entertaining areas. While the small putting green and more intimate spaces, finished with outdoor fireplaces and water elements, can be found off other parts of the house, the central outside area opens to the inside with sliding glass doors that disappear into the walls to create an uninterrupted connection between the outside and inside.

Special features can be found in many of the rooms, making the inner working of the house like the backstage of a theater. In the wood-encased study, for example, one of the panels opens to reveal a secret hidden room. Off of the living room, a dual fireplace opens to the game room on one side and small openings reveal a vaulted wine cellar to the other. The master bedroom suite has adjoining cedar-lined rooms that take the idea of a walk-in closet to a whole new level. While private spaces are kept private in this modern chateau, even the exercise room is graced with the views of the valleys beyond. This home is for sale and listed with Jason Barry of Barry Estates. (858/756-4024, www.barryestates.com) — Lauren Bender, photography by Vincent Knakal

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Red Zone
There’s a reason why red is the accent color in fashion this season: in measured doses, it offers a big pop without being overwhelming. It’s a hue with rich history, too, denoting power, wealth, and energy. Whether you’re symbolizing that first blush, good luck, or burning desire, red will get you hot for home decor.
— Tanja Kern

Chinese writing box and Caspian throw from Dig in Flower Hill Promenade, Robert Tirado Ofelia vase and Mexican hand-painted tin heart from Aesthetyx in Encinitas

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Brown Beauty
The color of decadent chocolate or really good coffee, brown hues fill a home with an earthy feel and rich texture. Give a gift of ethnic tradition with a box adorned with milagros, known for their special healing powers, or a Mexican sugar mold used as a decorative votive holder. Jan Barboglio’s hand-wrought iron box will give the message that love is for an eternity. — Tanja Kern

Milagros box and Mexican sugar mold with red votives from Aesthetyx in Encinitas, Velera metal votive
holder and Whispering Heart box by Jan Barboglio from Dig in Flower Hill Promenade, and brown
accent pillow from Pier 1 in Del Mar

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Orchids Gone Wild
Orchids have been known for centuries as symbols for love, beauty, and luxury. While many also consider them temperamental hothouse divas, it’s an unfair stereotype: orchids are part of the largest flowering plant families, with species growing in places as diverse as the tropics and the Arctic Circle. Take a peek at some of the world’s most beautiful species at the 62nd Annual Santa Barbara International Orchid Show, which takes place March 16-18 at the Earl Warren Showgrounds in Santa Barbara. More than 70 exhibitors will display orchids from around the world. (805/969-5746, www.sborchidshow.com) — Tanja Kern