La Suvera

Based on the design of the La Suvera Estate in Tuscany, this Shady Canyon home is truly a one of a kind home. This home was listed with Orange County's super agent John McMonigle yet I cannot find a record of this home ever selling. This home had an original price tag of $15,000,000 but was incrementally lowered to $9,995,000 before being removed from the market.

Let's just marvel at this homes perfect location, shall we? It's situated above the entire community and a wonderful infinity pool completes that view. I am one of the biggest view proponents out there but I think that once you own a view you get tired of it; it's like a trampoline or a pool, you get used to it and can only truly appreciate it when someone new walks through your front door and marvels at it.

The true stars of this home are the superiors materials and details!

Isn't this such a nice and substantial island? I love islands that seem to go on for days because they are perfect for prep work and all types of gatherings.

The HUGE great room is quite expansive. I am enamored with the wrought iron chandeliers but I feel the color palette has room for improvement.

All the small details are what make this very large home! The attention to how each and every little detail commingle throughout the house is what strikes a cord with me.

Scheurer Architects

The Newport Beach based architecture firm Scheurer Architects is a very talented firm. They are not strict historical purists but they have developed new syntheses that truly reflect the various architectural influences that make Orange County what it is today.

Who would have ever thought you could find a Pennsylvania Dutch farm house in the middle of Newport Beach? I love this home; its floor plan allows the whole house to be useful, not a single room could be deemed unnecessary (except the basement level). Bu could you imagine heating and cooling this behemoth? This home is currently on the market and a post about it can be found here.

This home, located in Shady Canyon, is based on Tuscan farmhouses. My favorite design aspect of this plan is how the plan is very strung out while retaining a compact plan. The entire house is only one room wide and I applaud the architects for that. Instead of building a box the architects built a home that light and air can easily commingle with all family activities. Also, check out the massive pool!

The exterior of this house is simple perfection! The gleaming white board and batten nicely compliments the natural shingles and provides a very homey appearance. Also, the wall of glass in the kitchen blurs the lines between indoors and outdoors.

I seem to have a small tower obsession. I feel that this home is very reminiscent of George Washington Smith's Andalusian farmhouses in Santa Barbara and Pasadena. I love the low slung appearance and how the home melds with the site (the garage court is located under the house since the site required this). While the facade is perfect I question the position of the master suite, is it really necessary to have it next to the kitchen?

Scheurer Architects is a brilliant firm and I cannot wait to see what they produce in the future!

The Finite Edge

We are now going to venture behind the gates of Shady Canyon once again and take a look at a very interesting pool. But, first we must take a look at the exquisite house.

The native centered landscapes in Shady Canyon are one of my favorite aspects of the community. They not only conserves water but also provides a very naturalistic beauty.

The entrance courtyard would be my outdoor reception room! The shutters, strings of lights, and mellow tiled floor is sheer perfection.

Intricate tile floors make another appearance in the kitchen and definitely liven up the space. I do enjoy the sturdy masonry walls and the curved ceiling but the cabinets and the counter tops seem to be the exact same color and give the space a very monotone appearance. It's just a tad beige.

And here is the pool you have been waiting for! Instead of doing the traditional infinity edge that melds with the view, these homeowners decided they wanted to view the infinite edge. Another thing that makes this pool exceptional is its raised nature. The pool now feels like a studier piece of the back yard instead of being just another blue pit.

This home was recently withdrawn from the market and I can see why the owners would NEVER want to leave. This home tempers its Provincial elegance with casual modern interiors and the whole effect is superb.

Crystal Cove

Located midway between Corona del Mar and Laguna Beach is the Irvine Company's latest seaside development. Crystal Cove is located on the hillsides of Newport Coast above Pacific Coast Highway and offers SPECTACULAR ocean views. Upon entering the guard gated community you will pass the tract developments and as you ascend Reef Point Drive you will eventually reach another set of gates that signify the Custom Homes. These homes must adhere the the architectural styles the Irvine Company deems acceptable.

1. Tuscan

This home is located in Shady Canyon but defines the Tuscan style the Irvine Company requires. The beautifully simple, low slung walls and the informal combination of masonry and stucco are the heart of this style of architecture. This home, named Val Verde, was previously the home of John McMonigle until he sold it in December of 2008 for $10.9 million.

2. Santa Barbara

Also located in Shady Canyon, this home is a prime example of the Santa Barbara style. A previous post about this house can be found here. The architect George Washington Smith pioneered this style by designing houses with thick stucco walls and calling on the architecture of North Africa, Andalusia, and Mexico. This style offers a relaxed sophistication that is the back bone of California style.

3. Provence

Inspired by the farmhouses of Provence, this style is blends the informal with the formal. Notice the use of a pediment above the door in this example and how it is used with the shutters and weathered wood doors. My favorite part of this style is how the terra cotta tiles are bought down into the exterior walls, effectively blurring the roof line and creating a very romantic effect. This home is located in the neighboring community of Pelican Hill.

4. Northern Italian

This style is inspired by the hillside villas that dot the Northern Italian countryside. The defining element of all these compositions is their use of roof tiles and the use of stucco. Northern Italian is the most formal of all the styles and can turn out the most heavy handed houses. However, when this style is executed by a true architect its effect is sensational. The home used as an example is located in the front row of the Pelican Point Community, the only Irvine Company community located below PCH.

As a whole, these four architectural styles provide the Mediterranean atmosphere that the Irvine Company so desires. When the concept is firmly grasped the results are unparalleled. It is a sad reality that many of the homes created in the community lack that architectural pedigree that these four examples exude. However, with the opening of a new custom home section in the community, new homes will be created that will hopefully exceed all stylistic expectations.

The Philharmonic House of Design

This home was the 2009 Orange County Philharmonic House of Design. Touted as a home that " evokes the glamour and sophistication of the Wallace Neff period with an emphasis on timelessness and contemporary sensibility." Sure...

This view of the house is magnificent! I love the fountain and the pure white stucco of the house.

However, if we take a step forward we learn that the exterior is not all it seems to be. The unusually large stone carvings seem a tad Addison Mizner and the chunky balcony to the left throws the whole composition off balance. Also, the balcony above the door seems to harken Palm Beach as well, not the California stlye of the 1930's.

Once inside you'll see why I like this house. I love this extra tall ceiling and that there is wood throughout.

My favorite part of the dinning room is the use of substantial materials. The dark wood ceiling is perfect, as is the beautiful globe chandelier.

The kitchen is a pleasant foray into the modern world. I like its stark, angular look when compared with the rest of the house. The only thing that gets me is the oven placement... it's just a little awkward.

My favorite part of the family room are the hanging wall sconces and how they appear out of the drapes! Also the piece of furniture with the fun print is awesome!

I love the cool geometry of the master baths flooring!

These wall hangings are beyond words!

Ahhhhhhh, what a pool! It is a tad big but I enjoy how it weaves around the house.

This home was for sale but was recently withdrawn from the market. It lies behind the big gates of Shady Canyon, taunting me to try and see it in real life.

You're in a Shady Neighborhood

Like the rest of Irvine, the guard gated community of Shady Canyon maintains a set of strict design guidelines. However, Shady Canyon allows owners the ability to build their own custom home in an architecturally consistent setting that is meant to allow for some freedom. The owner is allowed to choose from 5 distinct styles: 2 European farmhouse styles: Provence and Tuscany; and 3 Spanish Colonial Styles: Adobe Ranch, Andalusian Farmhouse, and Santa Barbara.

The home we will tour today has never been on the market and is a stunning example of George Washington Smith's Santa Barbara style.

Set down a long cobblestone driveway (concrete is not allowed), this house is brilliantly screened from the street by olive trees. I've always had a soft spot for houses set down long driveways! There is just something special about having to trek to your house after you leave the street that strikes me as, well, WEALTHY.

I love how the entrance is off center and allows for an informal setting for such a large, dignified home.

The darkness of the wood ceiling is tempered by the plethora of French doors.

The kitchen fits all of my needs; it is light, bright, and it's architecturally interesting! My favorite part of the composition is that the beams were carried throughout the house.

Each home in the community must conform to its lot. That goes against modern design techniques that demand the lot be moulded to fit the house. And I am more than pleased to hear these reversions are taking pace!

The pool is MAGNIFICENT. I mean how could you not swoon over an infinity edge pool that dead ends into Saddleback Mountain?

This luxury comes at a price. The last LOT in the community sold in September of 2009 for $1.9 million. This home would easily demand a price tag of $10+ million. Its location is INCOMPARABLE! The bones are great but the interiors could use a little tweaking here and there (new furniture and a more aged interior) and as always I'd love to be able to roam freely behind the gates of this community as well!

Good vs Bad

Since I seem to have taken up the task of saying what is right and wrong in the architectural world I would like to make a few comparisons.

For a mere $15,499,000 this crisp interpretation of a Wallace Neff home could be yours. As an added bonus it is located behind the prestigious gates of Shady Canyon. Needless to say, this is VERY good.

And then there is the bad, and when I say bad I mean atrocious.

And a big thank you to Ladera Ranch for its EXTREMELY lax architectural standards or else nouveaux riches wouldn't have a place to display their lack-luster style.