Doesn't this home remind you a little bit of the Pasadena home I blogged about before? Situated on a full acre of flat hilltop land, the home spans a near-excessive 11,304sf with 6 bedrooms and a whopping 10 bathrooms! The homeowners bought the lot in early 2002 for $2.3M and then built this home in 2005. The home replaces a much older (and smaller home) that once sat on this expansive, view-adjacent lot.
It is a shame that the homeowners cleared a number of trees in the backyard to make room for a tennis court (especially when there are perfectly good tennis courts at the PV Country Club down the road).
That said, the home offers a lot to love. Let's start at the front. I know, I know - I'm a stickler for sizing and abundance of windows. Here though, I think it works. While I agree there are a ton of windows (and the reason for it, I assume, is to take advantage of the killer hilltop view on that side of the home), I think they are softened by the arches and the trees. The windows are also appropriately recessed to the right depth/thickness, unlike the McMansion fare you normally see. The facade has alternating sections to break up the 80-foot wide northern face - this adds a lot of visual interest without appearing too distracting (it's not busy like this monstrocity). Also, the facade is set back between 50 and 80 feet from the street, depending on which part of the facade you're measuring from.
How about the landscaping! Very lush but not over the top! Moving to the rear of the home, what estate would be complete without the requisite pool and tennis court - this one has both.
The rear of the home shows that there is indeed a lot going on. Without better, closer up shots, its hard to opine on the aesthetic integrity of the home. However, I am pleased to see that the homeowners retained most of the trees in the rear, adjacent to the tennis court and casita.
There is one thing I don't like about the house - the corner entry and driveway. Notice where the northern facade and western facade meet in the aerial shot. It has an angular cut which makes way for a curved driveway and main entrance. The entrance looks like this:
It's as though Tomaro couldn't figure out how to connect the two nice facades and so instead did this! Surely there is a better alternative. Anyway, outside of that, the house in my view is a welcomed addition to the PVE housing stock.
Overall, I am a big fan of the home. I think its a very well executed design.
KEY STATS
Location: Montemalaga, PVE
Style: Italian
Year built: 2005
Architect: Louie Tomaro
Square footage: 11,304f
Lot size: 43,124 (irregular, 190'x240')
Style: Italian
Year built: 2005
Architect: Louie Tomaro
Square footage: 11,304f
Lot size: 43,124 (irregular, 190'x240')
3 comments:
I'm always a big fan of the old world feel. He's nailed it with the portico, he's got classic roman half rounds, the large stone fountains. It's got dimension, and depth, yet it's simplistic. The cornice at the window sill, another classic nice touch, of course the olive trees and "S" tile roof. (To be con't...)
I disagree that the olive tree locations are a positive. I think they hide the facade and diminish it's presence (same goes for the entry palms (though that could be the camera's perspective). I'm not a huge fan of the entry decision either (too tall and skinny).
What a beauty of a place... Absolutely stunning and one that will make someone very happy!
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