BEFORE
Unlike the outdated original (above), the
spacious new kitchen (left) features ample
room for cooking and storage and an
island with a curved granite countertop
perfect for casual meals and entertaining.
lot of reconfiguration to make a nicer
entrance. It was an attempt to soften the
front and make the arrival more dramatic.” A winding slate retaining wall laid
by sculptor James Robertson leads to the
covered entryway.
The cypress wall that frames the entry
also encloses a private outdoor shower and
garden, accessible from the master suite.
“It’s wonderful to walk into,” Johannas
says. “The access out to the garden was really important. There is something sensual
about being able to go outside and still be
attached to a really private space.”
A broad deck arcs out from the rear
living space; below, the slope falls away
making the deck feel suspended in the
treetops. A stair leads down to another
spacious deck, this one pre-existing.
The master bedroom was demolished
and completely redesigned. The roof
was entirely too low, explains Duke, so it
didn’t make sense to keep it. The update is
spacious, with a fireplace and sitting area.
Another softening curve leads into the
master bath and an immaculate dressing
room whose focal point is a Swarovski
crystal chandelier.
The kitchen has been customized from
the ground up. Bespoke maple casework
surrounds the space on three sides and
forms the island, which serves as a buffer
to the living/dining area. The room is a
lesson in pure use of materials, which
was important to Duke. “We didn’t want
another material just for material’s sake,”
he says. “The granite you see in the island
is what you see in the foyer.”
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