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24
winter
|
spr ing
And, that is what this project is: a home for a billionaire, of which
there are at least a dozen in Montecito, probably more. Some – such as
neighbor
Oprah Winfrey
– desire, and may even need more land; she
has 42 acres on the original Bacon estate she purchased, and has recently
added to it to the south and east of her property. Nearby resident
Herb
Simon
, on the other hand, seems content with a smaller, though elegant,
home on much less acreage. On the west end of the village,
Harold
Simmons
’s large estate is a stone’s throw from
Ivan Reitman
’s less
expansive redoubt. Warren Buffet partner
Charles Munger
owns a beach
house on little more than an acre and
Ty Warner
’s oceanfront manse is
spread out over 6 ½ acres, so Peter and Ray’s five-acre renovation is an
appropriate and attractive size for someone in this monetary category.
Along those lines, we enquired about all the elements, seen and
unseen, that have gone into the renovation of this handsome home and its
equally attractive grounds. Here is what we discovered:
The Cuckoo’s Nest
Architect Peter Kavoian’s favorite section of the pair’s new home is “The
Cuckoo’s Nest,” a private outdoor alcove at the southwest corner of the house
just off the master bedroom, whose columns’ corbels, capitals, and bases,
Peter explains, “came off the hospital where they filmed ‘One Flew Over
The Cuckoo’s Nest.’” The covered terrace features a small but authentic kiva
fireplace (one of three gas-activated wood-burning fireplaces in the master
suite). “You look down on the property as if you’re sitting in a bird’s nest,”
Peter continues. “This is my absolute favorite room in the house,” he says.
Directly below, to the west, is a lily pond, an original feature of the
house but with a new centerpiece. “The sculptural center was cast in
1924 for the Knapp estate,” Peter points out. “The bowl and the benches
are from Buenos Aires and were cast in the 1920s; the urns are from
Belgium and the other elements are from Colorado, so we gathered these
from all over.”
As to those aforementioned terra cotta tiles: “The two-inch thick tile
we had done at California Potters in Los Angeles; we copied the Biltmore
tile exactly,” Peter says. Reginald Johnson designed the Biltmore the same
year this home was built. “I worked with the artist down there [in Los
Angeles],” he continues, “and adjusted the temperature of the kilns so that
the aging would be exactly the same as at the Biltmore.” Peter points to
the different dark and light shadings. “You can see what happens when
you adjust the kiln temperatures. It becomes more interesting; it’s more of
a tapestry of colors in terra cotta.”
South-facing façade of the 19,500 sq-ft Reginald Johnson-designed residence with
new loggia, west wing, altered fenestrations, laser-leveled south lawn, stairs, and
terrace. New additions are imperceptible alongside the original architecture.
EAL ESTATES