Tag Archives: fireplaces

Culture

Watercolorist Designs Large Scale Homes That Integrate With Surroundings

Leave a comment

Beverly Hills Artist, Energy Guru & Landscape Designer Also Does Dreamy Homes!

Beverly Hills-based architect Brian Tichenor is a man of many talents, widely recognized for original, artful building designs that integrate large-scale residences and their surrounding landscapes. A graduate of UCLA, Tichenor is a member of the architecture faculty at rival school University of Southern California. Some of his most notable projects include the new LA Times Headquarters and Nantworks, a campus of DNA sequencing and R&D labs on reclaimed oil fields in the north Baldwin Hills that use methane capture, solar infrastructure, and co-generation to achieve energy self-sufficiency.

The Artist

In the art world, Tichenor’s colorful watercolors are found in the homes of many art collectors. And Brian has completed more than 100 gardens throughout the world. With his wife, fellow architect Raun Thorp, he is the author of Outside In: The Houses and Gardens of Tichenor & Thorp, published by Vendome Press in 2017.

A ten-acre estate in Alamo, thoughtfully designed by Tichenor, has been listed for sale at $17.75 million usd/ $24.4 million cad.

Known as Lark Ridge Estate, the property includes Tichenor’s trademark landscaping featuring Mediterranean-style gardens, a lion’s-head fountain with Emperador dark marble surround, a dark plaster pool, and an octagon-shaped spa, complemented by the property’s stunning views of Mt. Diablo and the surrounding valley.

Three houses sit on the grounds, protected by private gates. The 9,812-square-foot main house includes six bedrooms and nine bathrooms. The two-story mansion is the classic Mediterranean with a red-tile roof.  Exquisitely designed for indoor-outdoor living, the floor plan offers grand-scale entertaining spaces, casual living areas, sitting rooms, private bedroom retreats, enormous walk-in closets, spa-like bathrooms, dual-executive-office spaces, a gym, and a media room.

French doors, extensive use of Venetian gold from Italian artisans, antique fireplaces, rock crystal chandeliers, and custom onyx-and-marble countertops impart an air of decadent luxury. Each room is unique, with truly stunning wall coverings, including parchment and gold-leafed wallpaper in the executive office, pearlized Venetian plaster walls in the master suite,  custom hand-painted grass-cloth walls in the family room, and a fireplace from New York’s Plaza Hotel. Miele appliances, state-of-the-art AV & security systems, motorized shades, and a computerized lighting system offer the ultimate in high-tech living.

The 917-square-foot carriage house provides a one-bedroom/one-bathroom guest home with a full kitchen and laundry room over an impressive nine-car secondary garage. The 718-square-foot tennis house offers a similar one-bedroom/one-bathroom layout with a kitchenette. Perfect for entertaining, the tennis house opens onto the full-sized lighted tennis court with a basketball hoop and the entertainment deck with a two-way fireplace. An outdoor kitchen and bar, ample poolside lounging areas, and resort-inspired amenities are sure to charm even the most discerning guests.

Located 28 miles south of San Francisco, Alamo is a suburban community known for its bucolic feel and relaxed atmosphere, close enough to San Francisco and Silicon Valley for a comfortable commute but secluded from the hustle and bustle of the city. Lark Ridge Estate sits just above the Iron Horse Regional trail, beloved by walkers, runners and cyclists. Numerous parks and wilderness areas surround the community, which has not yet been heavily developed. Celebrities who call Alamo home include Olympic gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi, MLB record-setter Mark McGwire, and Oakland Raiders owner Marc Davis. 

The listing is held by Dana Green of Dana Green Team of Compass, Lafayette, California.

Photos:  Courtesy of Compass

Source: larkridgeestate.com

Reviews

Hottest Fireplace Trends For Fall And Winter Chill

Leave a comment

A fireplace that doubles as a modern art piece? Yes! image: theverybesttop10.com
A fireplace that doubles as art. image: theverybesttop10.com

Over the years, fireplaces have been a familiar feature in many homes, however until very recently, they have undergone very little change from the traditional hearth.

Fireplaces are becoming the design focus for many rooms in the house and with new technological advances it’s now possible to do more with the fireplace than ever before.

“We’re seeing some very interesting home designs that incorporate fireplaces in many creative new ways,” said David Coulson, of Napoleon Fireplaces. “While the traditional hearth will be a mainstay for many homes, modern fireplaces with crisp lines and glass frames will continue to rise in popularity with new homes and redesigned rooms. That being said we’re seeing several new trends emerge this season that are really changing the way people are thinking about fireplaces.”

Coulson suggests keeping the following hot trends in mind when looking for a new fireplace this season.

Napoleon outdoor fireplace
Napoleon outdoor fireplace

.         Modern: The upcoming season will continue the trend of sleek and modern fireplaces. Look for clean, linear lines with less metal and more
glass. People want the full flame and don’t want black or chrome metal frames blocking the view or interfering with the lighting.

.         Gas: Gas fireplaces will continue to rise in popularity this season. The convenience of flicking a switch compared to collecting, piling and lighting firewood is quickly winning out. The younger generation of fireplace buyers want a quick lighting fireplace that is cleaner and easier to maintain.

.         Outdoors: 2014 will be a big year for the outdoor fireplace as people create or expand on their backyard oasis. The idea of turning a backyard into another room of your house is fueling the outdoor fireplace trend and Napoleon has developed several new models to accommodate this demand.

.         Heat rises: Much like HD televisions, consumers are placing their fireplace inserts higher up on the wall. New technology allows for home
owners to insert enclosed gas fireplaces almost anywhere in the house and many people are taking inspiration from designers who are playing with the traditional ideas of where you find a fireplace.

.         Unlikely locations: Much like the migration of fireplaces up the wall, more fireplaces are being installed in unlikely rooms. For example,
Napoleon makes several models which are ideally suited for the kitchen or bathroom. These fireplaces however are typically used to decorate the room, not to provide a main source for heating.

In the end, every room is different so it’s important to find the right fireplace that fits.

About Wolf Steel Ltd.:

It all began in 1976 when a small steel fabrication business launched by Wolfgang Schroeter started manufacturing steel railings in Barrie, Ontario, Canada. At that time, no one could imagine the incredible future that lay ahead for Wolf Steel Ltd. and eventually NapoleonR Fireplaces and NapoleonR Gourmet Grills.

Since the first wood stove rolled off the production line over 35 years ago, Wolf Steel’s commitment was to be distinctive and successful in everything they do. Napoleon’s commitment to producing quality products combined with honest, reliable service has proven to be successful framework to ensuring the continued rapid growth of the company. NapoleonR is an ISO9001 – 2008 registered company and now operates with 750,000+ square feet of manufacturing space and employs over 700 associates.

NapoleonR is North America’s largest privately owned manufacturer of quality wood and gas fireplaces (inserts and stoves), gourmet gas and charcoal grills, outdoor living products, waterfalls and a complete line of Heating & Cooling equipment.

Supplemental– http://theverybesttop10.com/2013/05/27/incredible-fireplaces/

What is ISO9001- http://www.iso9001.com/