DECOR | GARDEN | TRAVEL APRIL | MAY | 2007

Six Striking Master Suites

Carmel, CALIFORNIA Savvy SCRAMBLES

A QUAINT BIT OF THE GOLDEN STATE

AN ARRAY OF SPRING BRUNCH DISHES

Spring is a wonderful time of year. Representative of refreshment and new beginnings, it is a great time to celebrate the room where we are able to rest and catch a few precious hours of sleep each day. Bedrooms no longer need to be a neglected room in the house, and this issue honors these rooms and the creative designs that go beyond a simple mattress and bedside table. Also featured in this issue are Laura Swaynes delicious collection of scrambles, perfect for a spring brunch, and Karen Buteras design of Chateau Samara, an opulent estate on Californias Newport Coast. Please enjoy this issue of Home By Design and consider it a gift in appreciation of your friendship and business. You can be assured that your needs will be respected and approached with the utmost professionalism. Please do not hesitate to call with any concerns or questions that you or your family and friends may have.

bountiful
a
~Ovid

Take rest; a field that has rested gives crop.

MOMENTS

Refresh

To look backward for a while is to

refresh the eye, to restore it,

and to render it the more fit for its prime function of looking forward.
~ M a rga re t Fa i rl e s s B a r b e r

To sit in the shade on a fine day, and look upon verdure is the most perfect

refreshment.
~ Ja n e A u s t e n

True is the rest of the mind; it is to the what sleep is to the body, nourishment and
~ W i l l i a m Pe n n

silence spirit refreshment.

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34

Contents
APRIL |MAY |2007

FEATURES
6 STRIKING MASTER SUITES 12 Bright and Gorgeous 16 Communing with Nature and the Past 20 A Master Suite Fit for Royalty 22 Divide and Conquer 26 Home Suite Home 30 Tasteful Vanilla SPECIAL SECTION 34 Chateau Samara

DEPARTMENTS
1 4 5 6 8 Moments Reading Room

The Barefoot Home

Letter from the Editor Cooking

Savvy Scrambles
Gardening

Foliage with a Tropical Flair

44 Destination

Carmel
48 Resources

44

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APRIL |MAY |2007

EDITOR AMBER LINDROS DESIGN NICOLA AUGUSTSON GRAPHICS TEAM DAVID FLEISCHMAN, LINDSAY FOURNIER, MONICA LANG, CHAD KUHLMANN, JESSI MATTISON, GLENN SANDVOSS, DEVON SCOTT-TUNKIN CREATIVE TEAM HEATH ANYAN, PAT MONTGOMERY, SHAVAUN REED, LAURA SWAYNE, COURTNEY TRUEBENBACH CONTRIBUTING WRITERS RUTH CARLSON, KIM A. FUQUA, ASHLEY GRIFFIN, DAVID KILMER, JEANINE MATLOW, CAROLYN M. RUNYON, DEBBIE L. SKLAR, JAN WALKER, PHIL WOOD CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS ANN STRATTON PHOTOGRAPHY, HEATH ANYAN, BERNARDUS LODGE, RICH CARLSON, CASANOVA RESTAURANT, CHRIS LITTLE PHOTOGRAPHY, CHRISTOPHER DOW, CITY OF CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA, JOANN DOST, ERIC FIGGE PHOTOGRAPHY, JIM MOSES PHOTOGRAPHY, ELAINE KILBURN, CHRIS MAYER, PEBBLE BEACH COMPANY, ALEX VERTIKOFF, PHIL WOOD PUBLISHER BY DESIGN PUBLISHING PRESIDENT AND CEO BRANDON LEE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER STEVE SWAYNE V.P. OF OPERATIONS BELINDA RICHARDSON V.P. OF TECHNOLOGY BILL WIENERS PROGRAMMING BILL BAKER, TODD NEUMILLER, ROD ANDERSON HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR DAVE KEARBY CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGER ESTEE VEDDER ADVERTISING AND EDITORIAL OFFICE

11626 Tracey Road, Hayden, ID 83835 208-772-8060, FAX 208-772-8061 Advertising inquiries: adsales@homebydesign.com Editorial inquiries or feedback: editorial@homebydesign.com
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Home By Design is a complete custom publisher with many options to help you promote your business. If you are interested in more information about your own customized magazine or marketing program please contact us at our sales office. Copyright 2007 By Design Publishing. All Rights Reserved. Recipients of Home By Design magazine receive their subscription as a free gift of a real-estate professional, mortgage lender, or other professional service provider. The Home By Design magazine program is an exclusive marketing program created by By Design Publishing. By Design Publishing has contracted with its professional clients to provide this free subscription to you. By Design Publishing has contracted with these professionals that By Design Publishing will not use the supplied mailing list for any purposes other than to mail copies of Home By Design magazine and other Home By Design communication products. Your name and address information will never be leased, sold, traded, or used for any other purposes. For more information on our mailing list policy or for more information on By Design Publishing and our Home By Design custom publishing program, please contact us at 208-772-8060.
Home By Design magazine is for entertainment purposes only. This magazine is not intended to solicit other brokers listings. If you are currently working with or in contract with another broker, please disregard this information.

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READING ROOM
House and Garden Are One: The rhythm of the living room ceiling is echoed in the trellis above the deck, creating a sense that the living room continues into the garden.

Light and Texture: The open interior of clear birch cabinetry and wall panels is bright and airy under the sweep of the high ceiling, which cants up to high windows on both sides.

The Barefoot Home:

DRESSED DOWN DESIGN FOR CASUAL LIVING
WRITTEN BY MARC VASSALLO
REVIEW WRITTEN BY K I M A . F U Q U A

ccording to author Marc Vassallo, theres a new movement in home design: living like youre on vacation 365 days a year. Todays homeowner entertains in the kitchen and eats in the family room. Our homes are finally becoming more like our lifestylesincreasingly informal. Vassallo captures the essence of this new vacation living in his book, The Barefoot Home. Theres no need to wait until you travel to your vacation home to feel relaxed and comfortable. A barefoot home is as casual and laid-back as your summer retreat, except its designed for every day, says Vassallo. The Barefoot Home shows homeowners, designers, and architects how to create a home with those same, apparently elusive, qualities we love so much from our vacation homes yet leave us perplexed when we try to create them on our own. The Barefoot Home encourages homeowners to say goodbye to the formal dining room that never gets used and hello to the light-filled spacious rooms where families can cook, eat, entertain, and truly live. The living room as formal gathering space is replaced by the living room as town square. Spaces are open, informal, filled with light and texture. Rooms flow from one to the other. Floors spill out onto decks to welcome the outdoors in. Every space is used every day. Barefoot homes reflect our no-tie-required dress code and encourage us to pull up a chair and settle in for some quality conversation. In The Barefoot Home, Vassallo pinpoints the dressed-down, comfortable characteristics for which so many homeowners long yet have been unable to capture or articulate. Using more than 20 examples of barefoot homes from around the nation,

Vassallo explains and illustrates the five key elements that make a home a barefoot home. 1. Informality: Rethink each room. Identify those spaces never used and spaces longed for. Think casual thoughts and embrace a barefoot state of mind. 2. Openness: Cook, dine, and live in one big space. Pad around an uncluttered house uninhibited by walls. 3. Light: Think floor-to-ceiling windows. Embrace the sun. 4. Texture: Texture creates visual interest; it invites us to touch and feel cozy in its embrace. 5. House and Garden Are One: Live outdoors while living inside. Let floors spill out into the landscape. So relax, take it easy, and get comfortable in your barefoot home.

Hardcover: $30 224 pages, 250 color photographs Publication date: Sept 5, 2006 Published by The Taunton Press

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Greetings!
letter from the editor

A
Enjoy!

As I think about this issue of Home By Design the element that stands out to me is the personality evident in the designs. Master suites easily can be closed off when company comes, but the person who designs his or her bedroom to fit exact tastes shows a true desire to please and pamper self, not to impress others. Seen in these designs are also the homeowners desires to surround themselves with their favorite objects, be they artwork, antiques, or beauty in general. The suites can be seen as a hiding place from the world and its expectations, a place where those who sleep there also can repose there and just be. Also not to be missed is the portrait of Chateau Samara (page 34). The beauty of this home and the ability of Karen Butera and her design team to satisfy the owners Russian heritage and specific requestssuch as a home that would reflect the grandeur of the Amber Room at St. Petersburgs Catherine Palacedeserve recognition. I hope that you enjoy this issue and are encouraged to surround yourself with a few of your favorite things in your haven for rest. Please be sure to thank the generous person who sends you Home By Design.

Amber Lindros Editor, Home By Design

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Savvyscrambles

AN ARRAY OF FRESH AND EASY SPRING BRUNCH DISHES

RECIPES BY LAURA SWAYNE | WRITTEN BY KIM A. FUQUA PHOTOGRAPHY BY HEATH ANYAN

LEFT TO RIGHT: bacon and tomato scramble; potato, onion, and fontina scramble; fluffy ricotta and fresh herb scramble

Spring seems to be the ideal season for brunch. Between Easter and Mothers Day, the calls for a fun brunch celebration never cease. Fresh herbs and vegetables at the ready, all you need now are a few new recipes in your cache. So if you find yourself running short on creative ideas for brunch dishes this season, Laura Swayne has put together three fresh scramble recipes, plus some delicious, sweet scones to stand alone or serve on the side. If you find yourself needing to bring an impressive dish to an Easter brunch gathering, the Candied Ginger Scones, which come from a famous bakery in Los Angeles, make a tasty treat for kids and adults alike. The scrambles make easy dishes for the kids to help with, making them a great choice for a Mothers Day brunch. Allow younger kids to participate in the creation of Moms meal by letting them beat the eggs, add the cheese, and top with the garnish. Older kids will have no problem handling the actual scrambling of the eggs. Keep in mind that all of these recipes easily can be halved for a smaller group. Serve your scramble of choice with ovenbrowned potatoes and buttered brioche toast with jam.

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BACON AND TOMATO SCRAMBLE The Parmesan cheese adds a great twist! If you enjoy a little avocado on your BLT, it also makes a nice addition to this scramble. Servings: 4-6 Prep Time: 20 minutes
8 3 2 12 4 2 14 strips quality smoked bacon, cut into 12-inch strips tablespoons butter shallots, minced extra-large eggs, beaten until frothy Roma tomatoes, diced small tablespoons fresh basil, chopped cup fresh Parmesan cheese pinch of salt and fresh-ground pepper

FLUFFY RICOTTA AND FRESH HERB SCRAMBLE The fresh herbs make this scramble taste extra fresh! Servings: 4-6 Prep Time: 15 minutes
2 2 2 3 12 6 3 tablespoons basil, finely chopped tablespoons chives, chopped tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped tablespoons unsalted butter extra-large eggs, beaten until frothy tablespoons low-fat ricotta cheese, well-drained tablespoons fresh Parmesan cheese, shredded salt and pepper to taste

COOKING

Place cut bacon in skillet and cook over medium heat until golden brown, approximately 4 to 6 minutes. Remove bacon to drain on a paper towel. Discard all but 112 tablespoons of bacon grease. Return grease to heat. Add butter and shallots, and saut for 2 minutes. Add the eggs and cook, stirring continuously with a spoon, scraping the bottom of the skillet until the eggs form a very soft layer. Stir in the tomato and bacon and half the basil and cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until eggs are just soft. Do not overcook. Garnish with remaining basil and cheese. Let stand for 2 minutes. Serve.
CHEESE TWIST: Replace the Parmesan cheese with a mild, coarsely crumbled soft fresh goat cheese, such as Montrachet.

Mix fresh herbs together in a small dish and set aside. Heat butter in large pan. Add eggs, stirring continuously, scraping the bottom of the skillet until the eggs form a very soft layer. Stir in the ricotta cheese and 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese. Stir in most of the herbs. Season with salt and pepper. Cook just until eggs are soft. Garnish with remaining cheese and herbs. Let stand for 2 minutes. Serve. CANDIED GINGER SCONES A fabulous scone adapted from the famous ginger scones of Nancy Silverton from the La Brea Bakery in Los Angeles. Servings: 8 Prep Time: 25 minutes Bake Time: 12-16 minutes
cups unbleached all-purpose flour cup granulated sugar tablespoon baking powder teaspoon finely chopped lemon or orange zest (about 12 lemon or orange) 112 sticks cold butter, cut into 1-inch cubes 4 ounces candied ginger, finely chopped into 14-inch pieces to equal 23 cup 34 cup buttermilk extra cream or milk for brushing the tops of scones 214 12 1 1

Using one hand, or low speed on mixer, draw in the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Dust hands with flour. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and gently knead a few times to gather it into a ball. Roll or pat the dough into a circle about 34inch thick. Cut into 8 wedges. Place wedges evenly spaced on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush the tops with the remaining cream and sprinkle with sugar. If you prefer smaller scones, divide dough into 2 balls, flatten each to 12-inch thickness and cut each into 6 wedges. Bake for 12 to 16 minutes, until the surface cracks and they are slightly browned.
CHEFS HINT: If you dont have buttermilk,

POTATO, ONION, AND FONTINA SCRAMBLE This scramble is even more delicious with a little of your favorite salsa on top. Servings: 4-6 Prep Time: 25 minutes
2 2 12 12 8
14

tablespoons olive oil tablespoons butter small yellow onion, diced extra-large eggs, beaten well small red-skinned potatoes, diced small and cooked al dente pound fontina cheese, shredded, approximately 1 cup tablespoon fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped salt and fresh-ground pepper to taste

substitute regular milk and 2 tablespoons white vinegar and stir.

WINE: Dry, crisp, effervescent Cava, a Spanish sparkling wine, matches perfectly with most egg dishes. Mix it half and half with orange juice for a mimosa, if you like. TEA: Add a pitcher of iced green jasmine sweet tea or iced blueberry zinger sweet tea. For each, boil 112 gallons water; remove from heat. Add 1 cup sugar and stir until dissolved. Steep 2 flavored tea bags and 2 regular tea bags for 20-30 minutes. Chill and serve.

Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade or in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar, and baking powder, and pulse or mix on low to incorporate. Add the citrus zest and butter, and pulse on and off, or mix on low, until the mixture is pale yellow and the consistency of fine meal. If using a processor, transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Stir in the ginger. Make a well in the center and pour in the buttermilk.

Heat oil and butter in large pan. Add onion and cook until translucent. Add eggs, stirring continuously, scraping the bottom of the skillet until the eggs form a very soft layer. Stir in the potatoes, most of the cheese, and half the parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Cook just until eggs are soft. Garnish with remaining cheese and parsley. Let stand for 2 minutes. Serve.

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foliage with a tropical

The tropical style, featuring plants with bold textures and vibrant colors, burst upon the gardening scene a decade or so ago. Not a fad that has run its course, it is still relevant; the ideas behind the style can add both drama and fun to our gardens. We can borrow the best elements of tropical style and make them our own.
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Flair

WRITTEN BY P H I L W O O D | PHOTOGRAPHY BY P H I L W O O D

You may have experimented with tropical foliage in your own garden. If not, you have probably seen the style in magazines and newspapers, in container displays at nurseries, or at a friends garden. Tropical style can go beyond plant choices and include accessoriestiki torches, anyone?and architectural features such as entry gates festooned with palm fronds.

GARDENING
In planting design, the tropical style stretched the boundaries of what we could do in a garden, added a wider range of textures and colors to our design palette, and made us see that foliage can be as important as flowers. By adding this new sensibility we can create richer gardens, even if we dont want to copy a tropical look. To enliven a dull composition of smalland medium-sized leaves, add the contrast of a few largeleafed plants, such as the tiger-striped foliage of Canna pretoria or the jagged-edged ornamental rhubarb (Rheum palmatum). Part of the tropical look involves zonal denial, growing plants that may perish in an arctic blast but are worth taking a chance. The country has been divided into zones from one to ten by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. By using plants that are tagged for a warmer zone, you can expand beyond the familiar. In colder areas of the country, many tropical plants are best grown in containers and either discarded in the fall or protected in the winter in a place that stays above freezing. Containers provide a suitable home for tropical plants no matter what the climate. Most tropical plants are fast growers. Put them in pots in the spring, give them plenty of fertilizer and water, and they will be splendid by midsummer and into the fall. Add the colorful foliage of coleus; the wide range of colors available will add sparkle to any container. Bananas have the ultimate tropical foliage. The hardiest is Japanese banana (Musa basjoo). In zone seven and warmer, Japanese banana usually will come back from the roots if frozen to the ground. Red Abyssinian banana (Ensete ventricosum maurelii) needs more protection. Either wrap the stem with insulation in the winter or dig it up like a large bulb, place it in a pot, and keep it above freezing in a garage or cool greenhouse for the winter. If you dont want to push the zonal envelope and still want an exotic feel to your garden, explore the range of plants that look tropical but are hardy even in a cold winter. Many boldtextured perennials are hardy in cold climates because the foliage dies to the ground, only to charge exuberantly out of the ground in spring. Hostas, some with huge leaves, are a good example. Ferns add a tropical look, too. Bears breech (Acanthus mollis) has large leaves and exotic spikes of flowers. For the largest leaf of all, plant Gunnera manicata. In a wet spot, a single leaf can reach 6 or more feet across. Plants with spike-shaped leaves add contrast. New Zealand flax (Phormium species and cultivars) is indispensable for its sword-shaped foliage and bright colors. Give this plant room in your beds; it can reach 6 feet in height and width. In cooler areas, it will add panache to a pot. Palm trees definitely speak of warmer climes. The hardiest palm is Chinese windmill palm (Trachycarpus fortunei), hardy to zone seven. If you live in a colder area, grow them in pots and put on the deck or into your garden in the summer. Grasses add a lush linear form that can look tropical. Japanese silver grass (Miscanthus sinensis) with its many cultivars can add color, too. Zebra grass (Miscanthus sinensis Zebrinus) has horizontal yellow stripes on a green background. Giant Mexican feather grass (Stipa gigantea) adds a rush of fireworks with its airy see-through seed heads. When placing bold plants in the garden, arrange them for maximum contrast, spiky leaves playing off round ones, large leaves in relief against small ones.You may want to try tropicallooking plants in just one area of your garden such as around a spa, or you can carry the bold foliage throughout. Short of a trip to Hawaii, adding the accent of tropical foliage to your garden can be like a vacation in your own backyard.

OPPOSITE: (Clockwise from left) Houseplants can spend the summer out of doors and add a tropical touch to a container. Backlit by the sun, the foliage Canna 'Tropicana' shows off its stripes and purple hues. Coleus in a container brings bright tropical colors to this patio. ABOVE: The seed heads of giant Mexican feather grass shoot like fireworks from the euphorbia at their base.
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Six Striking

Master Suites

It may be the most health-restoring part of life that we avoid. We labor away trying to finish a project, tidy a room, make a phone call, read a bookall activities that are good in essence, but, when compared with sleep, they offer small benefit. Consider the value of a suite that invites you to repose, take a deep breath, and let go of your worries from the day. The bedrooms and the accompanying bathrooms profiled on the following pages are just thata place for their owners to retreat from the world and let down their guards. We hope you enjoy the stories behind the designs and are inspired to create your own little oasis from the world and its cares.

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11

Bright and Gorgeous

AN EXPANSIVE MASTER SUITE BLOSSOMS INTO A RESTFUL RETREAT
WRITTEN BY ASHLEY GRIFFIN | PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRISTOPHER DOW

The bedroom as a sanctuary. Thats the simple idea behind interior designer Cami Fortes work at this Spanish estate in Los Angeles. The home itself combines Spanish Colonial and Andalusian architecture with Moorish influences to create a look that transported designer Cami Forte back to the glamorous days of old Hollywood. For the interior design, however, Forte stepped back from the glamorous architectural structures and moved toward warmer design schemes. In doing so, she met the homeowners desires, creating an immaculate bedroom, attached sitting room, and bathroom for their rest and rejuvenation. I wanted the rooms to feel as if they belonged with the architecture, yet I did depart from designing an entire Spanish Colonial-feeling room, as the owners didnt want the room to feel entirely Spanish or Dark, she says. Forte departed from the darker Spanish Colonial design by filling the room with light colors and gorgeous furniture. Free from television and distractions, natural light spills from the French doors and windows, highlighting the lines and character of the area. The rooms have become many things through Fortes innovative work: They provide a space for the homeowners to lounge, read, take a soak in the tub, or enjoy the outdoors on a balcony that overlooks the backyard and pool. Forte transformed these rooms from a mere living space to a pristine sanctuary with careful attention to details such as the color scheme. We filled the room with warm creams and icy steel blue tones to accomplish this restful feeling, she says. I

wanted it to feel as if you could be anywhere in the world when you were in this room, as if you were in a beautiful hotel. Like the rooms of many well-designed hotels, Forte compartmentalized the master bedroom into two distinct areas. In one, she designed a place for rest and in the other a place for relaxation, though she decorated both using the same warm color scheme. In the bedroom, cream Frette linens mesh well with the natural light. The sitting room utilizes the same shade with a custom slipcovered linen sofa and nineteenth-century Italian gilded, muslin-upholstered armchairs. Attached to these two rooms, the bathroom brings its own attributes to the space and draws the eye in with a clean, inviting design. I definitely wanted the sitting room and bathroom to feel like an extension of the bedroom, says Forte. I also wanted the bathroom to be a focal point. Forte used wrought iron pendants with alabaster glass and wrought iron gold-trimmed sconces to light up the room. She also fashioned little cabanas out of linen draperies to provide distinct sections within the bathroom. The bathroom, with the separate cabanas of cream linen fabric separating the water closet, shower, and bathtub, feels as if you are not really in a cold sterile bathroom but in a warm comfortable room with a chaise lounge to relax on, she says. Though each room serves a distinct purpose for the homeowners, Forte challenged herself to create a fluid design between the spaces. I hate to see one room in one color and theme and the next in something totally different. It is very

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In a room that departs from the homes Spanish-style exterior design, Forte used warm hues and a four-poster Kerry Joyce bed dressed in cream Frette linens to create a sanctuary within the home.

A large, ornate chandelier adds character to the sitting room, designed to provide a space for reading and relaxing outside the master bedroom.

With a

style and grace, Forte makes designing sanctuary sound effortless.

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Forte created cabanas with cream-colored linen fabrics that separate the water closet, shower, and bathtub and serve to enhance the comfort and warmth within the bathroom.

distracting to me, she says. The adjoining rooms do not necessarily have to mirror [one another] but be continuous of the design and color scheme. In designing the master suite, Forte used furniture and artwork that made good use of the space while creating a flow between the rooms. They also served to add intimate, characterizing details to each room. She found the furniture at her most treasured and fabulous sources in the local area. She also managed to find artwork that matched the rooms color palette. The artwork in the room was beautiful and such a find to get the exact wonderful hues in a painting that we were working with for this project, says Forte of the artwork she used from Niermann Weeks and the Intaglios from Italy by Dessin Fournir. With style and grace, Forte makes designing a sanctuary sound effortless. In truth, designing a bedroom poses specific challenges, each of which Forte addressed in the preliminary stages of the design. We definitely go down a laundry list of likes and dislikes before we design a room or house for a client, especially a bedroom, where you spend so much of your time, she says. In her pursuit of achieving the best possible design for a client, Forte asks specific questions such as whether the clients read in bed, take baths or showers, or want to have a television in the bedroom. If they do watch television, she wants to know whether they watch it from bed or from a sofa. She also wants to know their mattress, bedding, and color preferences. Not surprisingly, the process of designing such a private space is intensely personal and is quite a lengthy project. From start to finish, designing this master bedroom was a six-month project, and one that cost in the $200,000 range. We spared no expense, Forte says. Like any good designer, Forte and her team do everything possible to streamline the process and make it an enjoyable experience for both designer and homeowner. We will definitely also help along the way making suggestions, she says. After doing so many homes for people, you definitely begin to feel there is a formula for these types of design issues to ensure that the owner is absolutely comfortable and at peace in their new environment. Satisfied, at peace, and relaxed in a sanctuary to call their ownwhat more could two homeowners ask for?
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The handcrafted wrought iron headboard serves as a subtle focal point for this master suite, which was inspired by Santa Barbara style.

Communing with Nature and the Past

WRITTEN BY CAROLYN M. RUNYON | PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIC FIGGE PHOTOGRAPHY

Timeless ... classic ... with a 1920s Santa Barbara flair. Lush tropical greenery and unencumbered doors and windows that draw the eye to multiple exterior courtyards in this breathtaking canyon location in Orange County, California. DavidMichael, of TRIO Design Group, combines all these elements to create a master bedroom suite that evokes warmth, history, and, most of all, comfort. My clients love the California Riviera lifestyle, he explains. And, their home is situated in a beautiful area, brushed by the ocean trade winds and within a private enclave community that invites participation in the living areas that surround the house. It was a natural decision to communicate with the outdoors in designing this master bedroom suite. The classic Santa Barbara style was the direct inspiration for this David-Michael design. Santa Barbara style is a combination of Tuscan and Spanish Colonial Revival influences, he notes. I am a historic preservationist, so this master suite reflects my desire to meld the past with the present. It uses a timeless color palette that includes rich dramatic colors like sienna, ochre, cobalt, raw umber, artichoke, and copper and has wonderful textural accents like aged wrought iron, handhewn woods, woven grasses, tarnished copper, tropical lush greenery with succulents, and earthenware pottery.

The large arch-shaped, handcrafted wrought iron headboard is a dramatic central focus for the room, yet it does not detract from or overpower the other rectilinear elements and curvilinear lamps or the wrought iron console. These interesting, and often contrasting, shapes are enhanced by the challenging variety of wood tones and a mix of textures, both hard and soft, to create a true balance of elements. I love the visual of sheer curtains blowing in the canyon breezes, says David-Michael. My choice of a copper-toned sheer fabric casually sewn onto iron rings and hanging on a decorative iron pole adds the necessary softness needed within this more masculine space. It is important to me that there is a good balance between the yin and yang in every room I design. One of the hardest things for people to do is to step out of the expected and let the room tell its own story, DavidMichael says. Most people feel everything should match. I am a big fan of mixing it up, and I am not afraid to use multiple wood finishes, he explains. It would be a boring story if every piece in a particular room was coordinated to match perfectly. In addition to mixing textures and finishes, David-Michael loves to blend traditional, historic styles with modern influences. The loveseat at the foot of the bed is a transitional design that bridges the classic 1920s styling of the room with
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current design trends, he explains. The cushion is fabricated as a bench seat so that it is comfortable for two people to relax on without having separate cushions to constantly adjust. The fabric is a textural tone-on-tone geometric-cut velvet with suede bolster pillows. Subtle, neutral, yet introducing new tactile elements. Plants always add an important natural accent by bringing an additional dimension of life and serenity to a room. The lush green that the large tropical leaves of the White Bird of Paradise provide is gorgeous and cant be duplicated, according to David-Michael. The succulents within the room are placed there because of my love of water-conscious plants (eco-friendly) and the aesthetic they provide with their interesting shapes, he adds. The room also links to the outside living spaces through two sets of French doors on opposing sides of the bed space. One leads to an interior courtyard with beautiful overscaled, handmade Spanish urns that are a part of a tranquil water feature that lulls the homeowners to sleep. Another set leads to a private covered porch with exposed wood beam ceilings and a spa. The rug is one of David-Michaels custom designs and was inspired by a combination of the classic quatrefoil motif intersected by the shapes of a linear wrought iron fence that the designer saw in Italy. Rugs ground my designs and allow the room to visually expand itself. From a practical point of view, it is pleasant to have a nice, soft, warm surface to step on when getting out of bed, he notes. The master bedroom and the bath are tied together by means of the hand-hewn walnut floors that run throughout the space. The bath reflects the overall styling in the bedroom with its palette, wrought iron touches, and overall mood. The glazed terra cotta tile countertop in a solid bisque color picks up the colors of the bedroom. The hand-painted Spanish tile accents are in the style of classic Malibu and Catalina historic homes from the early 1900s. David-Michael explains, It was important to keep the mood of a 1920s Santa Barbara-style interior, so I utilized the glazed terra cotta tiles. It would have been incongruous to use something like solid surface countertops. Within my design style, it is important to me that there be a good balance between the yin and the yang. This is even more in a bedroom, where we need to create the calm, comfortable environment a bedroom should be. Masculine and feminine influences, current and historic styles, the balance and contrast of different wood tones, richly subtle and deep accent colorsall come together in harmony and effect the balance that is necessary for a welcoming retreat.

Within my , it is important to me that there be a between the yin and the yang. This is even more in a bedroom, where we need to create the calm,

style balance

design good

comfortable

environment a bedroom should be.

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The hand-hewn walnut floors and the bisque-colored terra cotta tiles tie together the two rooms of this master suite.

A Master Suite Fit for Royalty

WRITTEN BY DEBBIE L. SKLAR | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM MOSES PHOTOGRAPHY

There is a lot more to Kentucky than horse races and bluegrass.Thanks to interior decorators Cindy Alberding Druin and Lesa Buckler, of Details Interiors in Louisville, one particular home in this city has a master suite to swoon. Measuring more than 6,700 square feet, the two-story home built in 2006 is located in an upscale community in Louisville. It also was recently one of the featured homes at Homearama, a parade of homes that pools together, showcases, and judges the work of the areas top designers and builders. What makes this home truly extraordinary, however, is its master suite, which alone is more than 500 square feet. The Home Builder Association of Louisville awarded us Best Use of Interior Trim and Best Lighting during its preliminary judging, Alberding Druin says. Then we won First Place Grand Award, Interior Design, and our builder also won for Best Builder. Alberding Druin also says Details Interiors designers were chosen to work their magic inside this home because the firm is well-known for being purveyors of beautiful, custom drapery and fine home furnishings. We just wanted an elegant look, something unique and slightly masculine for the master suite, she says. Most of the showhouse work we have done lately has been very feminine, and this time we wanted to show the public that a masculine look can be achieved. It also shows that even though it is masculine, it can be pleasing to the fairer sex. For the bedroom, Alberding Druin says she opted for colors of warm, pale gold and a deep juniper, with just a hint of ruby to carry in the color schemes from the public areas of the house. The master bedrooms overall theme is ornate, which clearly shows in the master suites bed. The large king-size bed has a decorative bed skirt that is actually an upholstered footboard and siderails made from silk. The scrolling is very ornate in that it is fancifully shaped, and thats where the masculine feel comes in, she shares. As for the bed covering alone, it is all fabricated in a rich silk except for the centerpiece, which is Pindler & Pindlers Dumas, an embroidered piece of fabric featuring a rampant lion device. Its a lion turned sideways, and he is standing on his hind feet,
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and his claws are bared, she says. I used the juniper color because it was rich, and I wanted the heavier appearance. This was actually the starting point of our work, and the builder loved it. The Romanesque Half-Tester Corona with beautiful silk bed hangings offers lovely hardware and carved mouldings. The headboard is upholstered and dressed in paisley silk in multicolors of green, red, and gold. That particular juniper color was discontinued shortly after we planned this room, so we had to make due with a limited supply of it, hence working in the rich colors of the silk. Everything on the bed is silk, so you would not want to sleep with the spread or shams, but who does anyway? Everyone I know pulls those down and sleeps with an eiderdown. Beneath the bed coverings, there is a luxurious set of sheets waiting to lull the imagined homeowner to sleep. We thought by creating a masculine room, it might actually bring out the romantic in some men, she shares. As for the two nightstands, they are mirrored pieces reflecting the 1930s, as is the vanity, both from Lillian August and Drexel Heritage. The entire room is very lush and tends toward the elaborate, but in a modern way, she says. As for the luxuriant drapery in this master suite, Alberding Druin chose hand-turned and sewn drapery, designed by Details and fabricated by its own workroom, The French Pleat. It has Bristol pleats at the header, and they are slightly puddled at the floor in juniper. We pulled them back with beautiful tassel tiebacks and added custom hardware, she says. In addition to the master bedroom, Details Interiors designed the master bath, a room that also screams luxury. For example, it has carved Tuscan tiles and beautiful gold silk drapery mounted over the Whirlpool tub as well as custom cabinetry that was painted and glazed. There is also a barrel-vaulted ceiling and plenty of handbuilt cabinetry for extra storage space. All the ceilings in this house are fabulous, she says. In fact, each room has some form of a special treatment including paneled, coffered, barrel vault, or groin vault. They are all very high and have deep mouldings, but as formal as the home is it truly is very livable and touchable.

The entire room is and tends very toward the , but in a way.

lush elaborate modern

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Divide and Conquer

A LUXURIOUS BEDROOM SUITE SUCCESSFULLY SERVES MULTIPLE PURPOSES
WRITTEN BY JEANINE MATLOW | PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRIS LITTLE PHOTOGRAPHY
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THIS PAGE: The back of the substantial headboard acts as a divider for the room, allowing for a small office area. OPPOSITE PAGE: The king-size bed floats in the center of the room, creating drama in the sophisticated space.

When faced with challenges in his profession, Zach Azpeitia is not the least bit intimidated.In fact, the designer for Pineapple House Interior Design in Atlanta, Georgia, views obstacles as opportunities to come up with new and creative solutions. This can keep your designs fresh and unexpected, Azpeitia, a former landscape designer, says. Fresh and unexpected can certainly be used to describe the incredibly luxurious master bedroom in Atlanta, designed by Azpeitia. For this particular space, the designer explains that the bed was the focal point and dictated the design concept for the room. So, he took the already dramatic king-size bed a step further with the unique placement of the exquisite custom piece. I wanted to dramatize the lines of the fully upholstered bed by floating it in the center of the room, Azpeitia says. This also created two distinctive areas in the room. Placing the bed in the center of the room allowed the designer to create an office area, complete with an antique writing desk and leather ottoman. But this is no ordinary office space. By using the substantial headboard as a divider for the space, the defined area is cleverly set against the back of the bed. The welldesigned workspace bears a resemblance to a foyer. Another point of interest is a nook originally intended for a built-in entertainment center. The awkward space may have posed a challenge for some. But with Azpeitias keen eye it has been reconfigured into a private reading niche that acts as a room within a room. Walls within the cozy spot are upholstered in caramelcolored linen and lightly tufted. Soft draperies allow a person to read without disturbing anyone who might be sleeping. Old-world sconces were added to make it warm and inviting, Azpeitia says. To help balance the vast elements in the room, such as the 14-foot ceilings, the reading niche, and the king-size bed, a 19th-century British landscape oil painting was placed along one wall. The darkness of the oil also added depth to the room and draws your eye across the room as you come in, Azpeitia explains.
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Sconces peek out from behind the draperies in this cozy reading nook.

Fine antiques enhance the already by adding another layer of

rich room warmth.

Fine antiques enhance the already rich room by adding another layer of warmth. Nineteenth-century pieces, including an English lap desk, maple-framed mirror, and antique boxes were incorporated into the design. An 18th-century French wing chair found a new home in the bathroom. And a generous antique rug from India anchors the large bed in the middle of the room. While the antiques add a rich history to the newly designed space, elegant reproductions, such as the bed, blend seamlessly into the grand scheme. The bed, upholstered in a camel-colored suede, was inspired by an English Williamsburg wing chair. At the foot of the bed, a reproduction piece was fashioned after an antique English trestle bench. The leather chair, Azpeitia says, is a transitional take on a traditional wing chair. Repetition strikes a soothing note in the master bedroom design. The curves of the armchair echo the curved shape of the bed. A series of oil paintings depicting landscapes provide outdoor views, offering a great way to start the day. Lamps with pleated shades create a cohesive look throughout. Because of the English Manor-style architecture and the deep, rich color palette, Azpeitia says the overall design of the space lends itself to masculinity. Even so, the well-appointed bedroom does reveal a softer side.
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Balance is always the key to any good design, he explains. Drapery panels, spanning the entire room on black iron hardware, consist of a tone-on-tone linen damask, framed with a chocolate mocha linen border. A trio of pillows lightens up the mood while adding pattern to the many solids. Symmetrical and asymmetrical touches coexist effortlessly. A pair of lamps may flank the bed, but they rest on different end tables. One is a round cherry pub table and the other a square French occasional table. Its nice to coordinate, not match your end tables, Azpeitia says, which gives the room a more collected feel. Walls throughout the intimate space are covered with textural interest. Camel suede wallpaper was chosen for the master vestibule while an antique gold grass cloth was applied in the master bath. I believe texture is what adds distinction and character to a neutral color palette, Azpeitia says. For the main area, a faux finish was created from layers upon layers of paints, waxes, and glazes. Every inch of the handsome bedroom received great attention to detail, including the ceiling. I dont ever paint a ceiling white, Azpeitia explains. I typically paint it the same color as the wall or in a similar tone. The designer does not want to attract attention to a ceiling, he says, unless there is some fabulous architecture up there. The neutral ceiling provides a sharp contrast to the crown molding that already existed in the room. The end result is a room that manages to be both elegant and inviting. That winning combination is something Pineapple House strives for in the firms impeccable designs. Our designs are developed around sophisticated elegance and functionality, Azpeitia says. So, what does the creative mastermind behind this master bedroom design think no bedroom should be without? A beautiful piece of artwork that evokes a memory from the past, Azpeitia says, whether it be a family vacation or a loved one.

Home Suite Home

A LAKE ONTARIO BEDROOM ECHOES THE FINEST HOTELS
WRITTEN BY DAVID KILMER | PHOTOGRAPHY BY ELAINE KILBURN
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When Larry Gladstone pines for his favorite hotel suite, he doesnt have to go far. Instead of ringing up the reservations desk and flying across oceans, he simply checks himself into his Lake Ontario getaway. The Toronto businessman has found a way to bring the Old World to the new. His waterfront home is created to be sparse yet comforting in the manner of Europes best hotels. Located on the lakes north shore, the community of Port Credit is known as the Village on the Lake, part of the city of Mississauga, west of Toronto. Its here that Gladstone retreats in between travels to Europe. In his favorite hotels in Milan and Paris, hes discovered various inspirations and brought them home. I came back with ideas, and my designers found a way to incorporate those ideas to create the lifestyle I was looking for, the owner says. His wishes came to life in the hands of Eric McClelland of Fleur-de-lis Interior Design Inc., a Toronto firm known for clean modern concepts. It was vital that this home be state-of-the-art, McClelland says. This home needed to have all the modern luxuries of a boutique hotel. During his travels, the homeowner would take photos and scribble notes when he found something he liked. We would take that concept and fit it into his space and the products that were available to us in North America, the designer says. Fleur-de-lis, a collaboration between McClelland and Peter Lunney, has built a reputation on interiors that allow the clients tastes and personalities, combined with the creative use of materials, to balance each other in classic yet innovative designs. The firms projects are characterized by attention to details, custom millwork, exotic materials, and creative lighting, always with a dose of ingenuity and flair. For Gladstones home, they used a series of simple playful forms to create the desired effect. The homes theme of the worlds greatest hotels is echoed most strongly in the master bedroom and bath, an exquisite 800-square-foot space in the 3,800-square-foot home. Here, the concept of elegant open space is explored to best advantage. A beautiful curving glass door introduces the bedroom, moving aside on exposed tracks for a dramatic entrance. The bedroom is reduced to pure essentials. All furnishings are built into the designnot even a chair intrudes. One of the design challenges was to make such a spartan space warm and welcoming to guests.
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I wanted it very user-friendly and inviting, the owner says. Although its very highly designed, I also wanted to make sure everyone who came into the space wasnt alienated and that they were entirely comfortable. To create this welcome in the master suite, the designers elevated the floor under the bed and lowered the ceiling above it. Those simple changes created a wonderfully intimate sleeping space, McClelland says. MicroStar low-voltage accent lights border the mirrors above the bed, and footlights set off the elevated platform below. All lights can be controlled for a variety of atmospheres. The lighting is one of the biggest wow factors in this house, the designer says. It helps define certain areas within the homedividing space within the open spaces. With its proximity to water, the home reflects a nautical theme. The designers used a great deal of stainless steel and chrome, with circular motifs reminiscent of the portholes of an old-time ship. Its wonderful to interact with a young-at-heart client whos willing to take risks and willing to see concepts through without a lot of interference, giving guidance but not dictating every single screw and knothole along the way, McClelland says. The concept had to be held true. Not every client can see the broad picture like this one can. Wood has a special place in Gladstones home. A rich dark walnut is used throughout the floors. Furnishings and accents are created in oak thats been whitewashed and slightly aged. The light-hued oak was inspired by the owners visit to Armanis Italian showroom. We again took his cue and went with a lighter color, a washed wood with a lighter feel, says McClelland, who praises the workmanship of the home throughout. One of the keys to success is the quality of the millwork, because everything is built in, he says. Doing curved millwork is not an easy feat. There was a whole lot of process going on, and we relied on the skills of master craftsmen to pull it off. The wall covering is Thai silk cloth by Jim Thompson, which gives a warm and cozy feeling from its rich texture. That feeling is emulated in the Jack Lenor Larsen blinds made from raw silk. The bedding is entirely custom, created in a variety of velvets and chenilles. The bedroom is partnered by an equally stunning master bath. Putting in a door between the two rooms would have been sacrilege. Instead the spaces merge, joined by an elegant two-sided fireplace. The bathroom features a Mexican limestone floor and matching limestone vanity tops. The shower is a piece of art all its own, and one of the homes most commented-on features. The shower curves to match the shape of the bed platform, and the shower walls are segmented, dissected by fins of glass. The linear breakup of the glass provides some privacy but still maintains the open feeling, McClelland says.
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The walls of the shower, visible on the left, are dissected fins of glass and provide views through the master bedrooms windows of Lake Ontario.

From inside the shower, one can look out through the bedroom windows to the lake. The master bath is finished with a gooseneck faucet, matching tapestry, sunken mirrors, and bulkhead lighting. It has that clubby hotel-paneled feel, the designer says. Next to the toilet is a dividing wall providing storage for magazines and a ledge for a coffee cup and the morning paper. A very liveable feature is the walk-through from the bathroom to the laundry room. In a clever bit of utilitarian

design, towels can be thrown directly from the shower into the washing machine, and clothes folded and placed into the walk-in closet. This is very user-friendly and something Ive appreciated immensely,Gladstone says. Each time he returns home, he appreciates his private hotel anew. Its a wonderful collaboration, he says. I have all these ideas, and my designers have this amazing ability to bring them all together.
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Tasteful Vanilla
A NEUTRAL PALETTE GRACED WITH ELEGANCE
WRITTEN BY DEBBIE L. SKLAR | PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANN STRATTON PHOTOGRAPHY

D
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Designer Gail Shields-Miller does not mind simple vanilla dcor, but there is a time and a place. Shields-Millerwho has been an interior designer for 20 years and owns her own firm, Shields & Companyrecently completed renovating a co-op in the penthouse of a high-rise apartment for clients who are in the fashion industry. Not only did she give it a brand-new look; she transformed the bedroom and bath into a true hideaway, New York style. Located in an apartment building near Lincoln Center in NYC, with Lincoln Center visible from many windows, the 2,000-square-foot project took about nine months to complete. We totally renovated the entire apartment, she says. It was a very basic set-up without any fine details, except for high ceilings. It needed to be redesigned in order to fit the lifestyle and the aesthetic of the owners, who work with many people in the fashion industry. It was basically a plain vanilla space when they purchased it, and we created an elegant home for them, a place to showcase their antiques from the 1930s and 1940s, as well as their unusual art collection. As for the bedroom, Shields-Miller says that the client wanted a sophisticated apartment that would reflect some of the elegant places she had visited and traveled to through her business in Italy and France. Nevertheless, she favored the look of the 20th century as opposed to furnishings of an earlier time. We spent untold hours searching for just the right pieces of furnitureor custom designing other furnishings, in this case the bedby collaborating on different ideas and suggestions until everything was just perfect, she says. I am fortunate

to have suppliers that can provide my clients with elegant custom furnishings of a high quality. In addition, intermixing appropriate period pieces with new pieces creates sophistication and personalization, which, I think, is necessary in interior design. The final touch of elegance was that the room was totally designed in various shades of silver and soft taupes, which Shields believes accounts not only for its uniqueness but also for its glamour as a bedroom. The bed itself was totally designed and executed by Shields & Company. It is finished in an antique silver leaf, with silvery taupe silk fabric on the headboard from Larsen and silk velvet on the bed skirt from Stroheim & Romann. The wallpaper is handmade in silver leaf by Elizabeth Dow Inc. The carpet is from Stark, imported from Belgium, and made of linen and viscose. The night tables are mirrored and from Julia Gray while the chandelier is antique Murano glass and purchased from Fred Silberman Antiques in NYC. The entry doors and moldings were also designed by Shields & Co., and were hand-finished by Louise Crandell in antique silver leaf and antique gold. The mirrored make-up table is from Alan Moss Antiques in NYC, and the hardware on the door is from Valle and Valle in frosted Lucite with nickel. In addition, Shields-Miller added an antique chair from the 1940s that she purchased from John Salibello Antiques in NYC. I love it too because it reminds me of a tall elegant woman and seems so appropriate for a master bedroom suite of this nature, she says. The creamy white color is a great foil for the silvery colors in the room.

The varying shades of cream and silver give this New York City penthouse a sense of glamour that shines. The upholstered headboard was created exclusively for the homeowners, who favored a design that is both unique and sophisticated.

Intermixing sophistication interior design

and personalization, which, I think, is necessary in . appropriate period pieces with new pieces creates

And while Shields-Miller opted to avoid the simple vanilla overall, she mentions that the client prefers a cool, contemporary environment, with a minimum of patterns and colors. They wanted to have a relatively calm environment in their home. Nevertheless, a space in a neutral can be very dramatic, as long as you vary the shades ever so slightly so that it does not become boring, Shields-Miller says. It is also necessary to have beautiful finishes on the walls as well as wonderful furnishings and unique accessories in order to make the neutral palette sing, so to speak. In terms of her own style, Shields-Miller says she favors a somewhat soft, traditional shell for a space filled with an eclectic array of interesting and unique furnishings. I love the juxtaposition of the expected with the unexpected, she says. Although this project was done primarily in neutral shades, I often use color and patterns in my projects. Each space comes with its own character or bones, and I love to enrich that space by enhancing the aspects of the architecture and searching for a grouping of furnishings that would appear to have been accrued over a period of time and reflect the lifestyle of my clients.
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Prior to her work, the bedroom consisted of two separate, very ordinary sheetrocked rooms, each with its own bathroom. She combined the rooms with one entrance in order to create a master bedroom suite. The outer room has a desk, an armoire, a TV, and closets and a bathroom for the husband, and the inner room with the bed has the closets and bathroom for the wife. By doing this, both spaces became more utilitarian to their lifestyle, and the suite has a grander appearance as opposed to two smaller individual rooms. For example, the beautiful mirrored pocket doors leading to the bed area of the suite provide privacy for someone who might want to sleep later or watch a different TV program; in other words, this maintains the concept of two separate spaces when needed. The bath is connected to the inner room of the suite and is used by the wife since the husband has his own bath in the outer room to the suite, also totally renovated. It was totally redesigned to have a tub with a shower, as opposed to two separate units; a wonderful Italian marble contemporary sink/vanity from Boffi; a great storage issued cabinet with mirror and hamper, and its own little flat-screen TV, elegant art deco sconces, she adds. As for the homeowners, they, too, are happy with the end result: All of our creature needs have been met perfectly, as well as our aesthetic sensibilities. Although our apartment was a penthouse with an exciting view of Lincoln Center and the west side of NYC, it was ordinary in presentation. The renovation provided us with a better use of the square footage and a design both unique and sophisticated.

The two homeowners have separate baths. The wifes, shown here, is located adjacent to the interior room of the suite and was redesigned to have both a shower and a bathtub.

The elegant silhouette of Chateau Samara, overlooking the Pacific Ocean, may be the jewel of Californias Newport Coast, but step inside and be transported to an extraordinary expression of old-world opulence.

WRITTEN BY JAN WALKER | PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRIS MAYER

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Award-winning designer Karen Butera created a modern-day interpretation of a classic European estate for the homeowner, a developer and entrepreneur from Kazakhstan, and his family.
The owner wanted a home that would reflect his Russian heritage, says Ric King, Buteras husband, design partner, and the firms CEO. He wanted a look that was a little more oldworld than traditional formal. Buteras work began from the ground up, as she and King worked with prominent Southern California architectural firm Eric Trabert & Associates to modify the existing design to suit the desires and personalities of the homeowner and his family. Where most interior designers probably focus primarily on furnishings and dcor, Karen takes a different approach, King says. She focuses about 65 percent on the envelope the architectural detailsto achieve a more foundational look, which achieves a longer-lasting effect that will stand the test of time. Each home brings a different challenge in terms of how the homeowners live or want to live, says Butera. We wanted to make sure what we did was reminiscent of the old European designs but with a fresh approach. We took a lot of classic ideas and made them very exciting. The entry hall, with its elegant marble flooring, intricately carved and molded ceiling panels, dramatic staircase, and impressive crystal and iron chandelier, sets the tone for the rest of this spacious home. Your first impression is the entry, says Butera. Its an extension of what you see on the outside of the house, and the sense of what you experience as you enter relates to the rest of the home. Accommodating the homeowners desire for an old-world

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motif, complete with lavish wood surfaces, ornate carvings, and rooms accented with European antiques, called forth Buteras renowned attention to detail. If you found this kind of chateau in Europe, it would be very dark, says King, so Karen introduced a pale, almost monochromatic color palette in tones ranging from champagne to ivory and white to lighten, brighten, and create some contrast. I made it all light and neutral so it has a much airier feel to it, says Butera. I went with taffeta, velvet, chiffon, and silk with subtle patterns like brocades and damasks that wouldnt compete with the more ornate details in the rooms. The interior walls of the home are of Venetian plaster. Instead of paint, pigmented plaster is applied to the walls, then burnished and waxed to a high sheen.The plastering process creates the kind of texture, depth, and drama that cant be achieved with paint. Stained mahogany paneling, intricately inlaid ceilings, ornate hand-carved fireplaces, and unique flooring designs make this custom home a tour de force of interior design.
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The nearly 9,600-square-foot residence, located in the tony enclave of Pelican Hills, is a natural addition to its Riviera-like surroundings. The three-story home rises above a lush formal garden, expansive lawn, swimming pool and spa, fountain, and a panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean. Inside, there are five beautifully appointed bedrooms, including a palatial master suite, six and a half baths, an eat-in kitchen, a formal dining room, a formal living room, a family room, an office, a library, a billiard room, a theater, a wine cellar, and a six-car garage. One of Chateau Samaras most celebrated rooms is the library. Decidedly masculine in design, the room features a lavishly carved fireplace and wood paneling, inlaid ceiling panels, and a mixture of both antique and traditional furnishings. Every man Ive ever shown the library to wants that room, King says. They all say, When I become rich, I want one of those. The library is one of my favorite rooms, because its uniquely masculine. Its a room like this that can really inspire

men to take an interest in the interior design of their home. Perhaps the most unique design feature of Chateau Samara is the use of amber accents throughout the residence. Amber, the gem of Russian royalty, was most famously employed as a decorative design feature in the stunning Amber Room of the Catherine Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia. This marvel of 18th-century design was a shimmering honey-hued room lined with 16-foot mosaic panels of Baltic amber, intricately set amid mirrors and gold leaf. The room was so impressive, it was dubbed the eighth wonder of the world. Toward the end of World War II, the amber panels were dismantled by the Nazis and shipped to Germany, but the Amber Room panels were said to be lost in transit, and their whereabouts remain a mystery to this day. In the 1980s, Russian artisans began recreating the Amber Room, and it was opened to the public again in 2003. In fact, the amber used in Chateau Samara comes from the

same source that supplied the amber for the restoration of the original Catherine Palace Amber Room. Hand-wrought amber accents can be found throughout the residence, from the elaborately designed ceiling panels to the oak and mahogany flooring to the tile borders of the master bath and powder rooms. Even the kitchen features amber mosaic details. Butera regards the addition of amber as a decorative accent jewelry for the home. It took us nearly a year and a half to perfect the amber accents because we were dealing with construction designs that had never been used before, King says. The challenge also included creating a unique color palette to work with. We started with about ten shades of amber and narrowed it down to about five, ranging from near black to white, which is actually the rarest and most prized amber. Between those two extremes, we added a range of honey- to whiskey-colored amber. The flooring in Chateau Samara is another remarkable design
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feature. Because the homeowners were susceptible to allergies, they wanted virtually no carpeting or area rugs in the residence. The floors were exciting because of the opportunity to create a variety of designs, using various woods and marble, Butera says. The designs are almost like a tapestry. Each room has its own character because each one features a unique flooring design. The homes architectural features and flooring were so elaborate, Butera kept the fabric patterns understated, but elegant. Because there was so much pattern on the walls, the ceilings,
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and the floors, I didnt want too much pattern in the drapery and upholstery fabrics, she says. I wanted to create rooms that were elegant and stately to recall that old-world feeling but with a fresh perspective, says Butera. We combined many antiques within the home for a marriage of old and new. The master bath is also an outstanding feature of the home. His and hers vanity and dressing areas are separated by a steam shower with a sleek curved glass front, which divides the two areas yet preserves an open feeling to the comparatively small

Chateau Samara has earned a bounty of awards for Karen Butera Inc., including four Best in American Living Awards (BALA): Platinum BALA Best Interior Design - Library and Powder Room; Silver BALA Best Interior Detail - Game Room; Silver BALA Best One-of-a-Kind Custom Home. In addition, the residence won the Southern California MAME Award 2002 as the winner of the Judges Special Award for Interior Design Excellence. For more information, contact Karen Butera Inc. at 949-640-1300 or visit www.karenbutera.com.

space. Adjacent to the steam shower is an infinity tub. Both the tub and the shower provide a view of the Pacific Ocean. The relationship between inside and outside is an important consideration for Butera. Karen always creates a way to look past the windows and out to that view of the ocean and sunset, says King. Its important to her that the view is always accessible. The outside space is so beautiful, it seems to naturally pull the eye to the outside. Butera says. The back of the home opens onto a space that is perfect for entertainingthe formal

garden, the fountain, the poolits really quite dramatic. With such an abundance of elegance to work with, how did Butera bring all the elements together to forge such a remarkable design theme? Karen spends a lot of time with the clients to understand their tastes, personality, and lifestyle, says King. Then she adds her flair and attention to detail to create something that is uniquely theirs. Thats the key, Butera says. If it doesnt reflect the client, then its really not their house, is it?
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DESTINATION

CarmelCalifornia
A Quaint Bit of the Golden State
WRITTEN BY RUTH CARLSON

ogs are welcome in stores and restaurants, thatch roof cottages line the streets leading to a white sand beach, and due to the uneven cobblestone streets, high heels are against the law. It sounds like a European village, but its a small town in America. Carmel-by-the-Sea is the official name, and it boasts an amazing number of French restaurants for a 1-square-mile village. Within a few blocks you can peer in the windows at diners enjoying continental fare at the French Poodle, Anton and Michelle, PortaBella, and Casanova, to name a few. This quirky town makes its own rules. There is no mail service for one thing. Residents like to pretend they are living in a storybook forest, so the houses dont have numbers; they have names such as White Sands. The Lone Cypress tree, perhaps the image most associated with the Monterey Peninsula, is trademarkedseriously.You cannot use any photos you take of the tree in any promotional materials.

Clint Eastwood is a former mayor, and movie star Doris Day owns a hotel that caters to dogs. At the Cypress Inn, guests are encouraged to bring their four-legged friends to doggie tea. Those who bring mans best friend on vacation will be pleasantly surprised to find a woof fountain at Carmel Plaza, store owners eagerly handing out doggie treats, and boutiques catering to your poochs every need, including poster beds, embroidered sweaters, and jeweled leashes. It was enough to make me want to rush out and get a purse puppyor maybe its just those cool designer doggy bags I covet, which you can pick up at the Coach outlet store on Ocean Avenue, the towns main drag. Fido isnt the only one who can be spoiled on the Monterey Peninsula. This area abounds with resorts and luxurious hotels that also pamper two-legged creatures. Pebble Beach Resorts owns three premier properties: The Inn at Spanish Bay, The Lodge at Pebble Beach, and Casa
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Palmero. To reach them you have to pay an entrance fee to the 17-mile drive, but save your receipt. If you spend at least the amount of admission at one of the resorts restaurants or shops, you get your money back. My favorite way to be reimbursed: drinks at sunset at the Inn at Spanish Bay. Nab a seat by the open fire pit and sip a glass of local Chardonnay as you enjoy a solitary bagpipers haunting serenade along the dunes. These resorts boast internationally famous golf courses, The Links at Spanish Bay, Spyglass Hill, and the Pebble Beach Golf Links. Theres no guarantee it will lower your handicap, but it cant hurt to book a sports bodywork or post-golf therapy at the Spa at Pebble Beach. Even if youre not a golfer youll enjoy the areas natural beauty. Rollerblade, bike, or rent a surrey to travel the Monterey Bay Coastal Trail, an 18-mile paved pathway along the waterfront. Monterey Bay can be foggy and chilly all times of the year, so
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bring that cashmere sweater. To be guaranteed warmer temperatures and sunshine, stay in Carmel Valley, an up-and-coming wine region. The Covey, Quail Lodges signature restaurant, was just awarded Best Award of Excellence by Wine Spectator magazine. There are 22 tasting rooms in the Carmel Valley, and theyre racking up international awards. The Monterey County Vintners and Growers Association (www.montereywines.org) has maps, information on tours, and visiting hours.You can get your antioxidants without the calories in a Harvest Crush Massage using grape seeds at Bernardus Lodge. The La Playa Hotel is the place for those who want to walk to shops and restaurants in downtown Carmel. Its walking distance from the center of town and the sugar-white sand beach. Each sunset youll find locals and tourists alike standing on the hilly dune watching the sunset over the surfers. When Mother Nature outdoes herself, the audience claps!

Carmel offers a great number of activities for those who would like an experience in quaint leisure. Fabulous food, architecture, beaches, golf courses, and cultural offerings await visitors and locals alike. Photography provided by Bernardus Lodge, Rich Carlson, Casanova Restaurant, City of Carmel-by-the-Sea, Joann Dost, Pebble Beach Company, Alex Vertikoff

I cheer every time I get close to downtown, which boasts a mens store with a pool table, European import specialty shops, and art galleries on almost every corner, but no mass market chain stores. Here are a few of my favorites: The locally owned boutique Dutches sells handmade big hatsperfect for the Concours DElegance antique auto show held each summer on the Pebble Beach fairway. The Cottage of Sweets, which looks like it belongs in a fairytale book, boasts 45 kinds of licorice and imported British candy. Lush, the British sensation known for inventing bath bombs, has one of the few outlets in America on Ocean Street. Girl Boy Girl is an uber-hip store that never has salesit gives last seasons merchandise to the SPCA benefit shop a few blocks away!

Male visitors may never leave Red Haute Couture. The owners have wisely installed a pool table upstairs in the mens department so he can play while you shop downstairs in the boutique featuring trendy designers. The Cheese Shop, a hole in the wall along Carmel Plaza, has delicacies from all over the world and friendly staffers who insist you sample several varieties. Locals purchase picnic supplies and enjoy them in the outdoor courtyard. If all that shopping worked up an appetite, head for nearby Pacific Grove, called PG by locals. Seafood lovers cant go wrong at Passionfish, which offers dozens of fresh items from the sea every evening and wine at retail prices. My space has run out, and I havent even covered the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Cannery Row, Fishermans Wharf, or Clint Eastwoods Mission Ranch hotel and restaurant. Looks like Ill have to returnI love my job!
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Resources
12 BRIGHT AND GORGEOUS
Cami Forte Forte Design Group www.fdg-la.com West Hollywood, California 310-309-3786

26

HOME SUITE HOME

Eric McClelland Fleur-de-lis Interior Design Inc. www.fleurdelis.ca Toronto, Ontario 416-929-8599

16

COMMUNING WITH NATURE AND THE PAST

David-Michael David-Michael Design www.david-michael.net Long Beach, California 562-491-1000

30

TASTEFUL VANILLA
Gail Shields-Miller Shields & Company Interiors www.shieldsinteriors.com New York, New York 212-679-9130

20

A MASTER SUITE FIT FOR ROYALTY

Lesa Buckler and Cindy Alberding Druin Details Interiors www.detailslouisville.com Louisville, Kentucky 502-253-0092

34

CHATEAU SAMARA
Karen Butera Karen Butera Inc. www.karenbutera.com Corona del Mar, California 949-640-1300

22

DIVIDE AND CONQUER

Zach Azpeitia Pineapple House Interior Design www.pineapplehouse.com Atlanta, Georgia 404-897-5551

44

CARMEL
www.montereyinfo.org www.carmelcalifornia.com www.pebblebeach.com

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A Haven for Rest

Recent studies have shown that getting a good nights sleep is not only essential to our productivity and ability to cope with daily stress, but its also equivalent in magnitude as diet and exercise is for the health and wellness of our bodies. We all may realize sleep is essential, but we seem to shortchange ourselves by not acquiring the recommended seven to eight hours per night or by not providing ourselves with an adequate sleeping environment. So, what can you do to improve your sleep and correct this problem? First, make your sleeping hours a priority, and second, redesign your bedroom into a restful retreatone that relaxes and encourages sleep. Simple factors such as including restful colors, adjustable lighting, a quality mattress, and a lack of clutter can improve your ability to unwind for a restful nights sleep. Fortunately, it doesnt take a major renovation to create a sleep-friendly environment. Just a few simple alterations can transform your bedroom into a perfect sleep sanctuary, and you will be on your way to health and wellness.

My heart
solaced and
~Martin Luther

, which is so

full to overflowing, has often been

refreshed

by music when sick and weary.

Clouds of Comfort
We spend one-third of our lives in bed, so we should make those hours as comfortable as possible. Choosing a pillow thats right for you depends on your personal preference and on the way you sleep. The filling in your pillow can be natural fill (down, feathers, cotton, wool, or buckwheat hulls) or synthetic (polyester or foam latex). Although experts say more people are going natural, synthetic pillows, which generally cost less than natural pillows, still command a large share of the slumber-time market. The memory foam pillows also are popular because they help keep your neck and head in alignment with your spine. Pillows are now designed specifically for back sleepers, side sleepers, and stomach sleepers. If you sleep on your side, you may want a firmer pillow that will support the space between the surface of your bed and your shoulders. A medium-density pillow is best for back sleepers, because it cradles the head and provides the right amount of neck support. Whether its filled with polyester, cotton, feathers, or foam, or it costs $5 or $200, the right pillow can help you get a good nights sleep.

And in the sweetness of friendship

laughter and the sharing of

let there be

pleasures. For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is

~ K a h l i l G i b ra n

refreshed.