PHOTOGRAPHED BY MANOLO LANGIS
Costa Mesa’s Brandon Architects and Fountain Valley’s WFD Furniture & Interiors team up to give a local family a contemporary-cool oasis in Corona del Mar.
The great room includes the Nobu coffee table by Liaigre and chairs from Thayer Coggin. PHOTOGRAPHED BY MANOLO LANGIS
Custom handblown glass pendants from Elegance in Lighting illuminate the Taj Mahalleathered quartzite countertops, where bar stools from Palecek offer seating. PHOTOGRAPHED BY MANOLO LANGIS
Inspiration strikes in myriad ways, and for this Corona del Mar custom build, it all started with an olive tree that sits in the open-air heart of the home. Costa Mesa’s Brandon Architects (brandonarchitects.com) sought to create an indoor-outdoor paradise that emphasized California living, from the atrium’s olive tree that appears to grow within the home to the spectacular Pacific Ocean views that serve as the property’s backdrop. “This lot is one of the few in the neighborhood that has views of the Newport Harbor entrance,” notes Brandon Architects President Christopher Brandon. “The floor plans were oriented off of that axis that points toward the entrance and takes advantage of the boat traffic as well as the sunset views from almost every room of the home.”
A custom star pendant in cobalt glass from Santangelo Lighting & Design hangs in thebeach-inspired guest room; PHOTOGRAPHED BY MANOLO LANGIS
The lower-level wet bar and wine room is ready for entertaining; PHOTOGRAPHED BY MANOLO LANGIS
For the interior design, Sydney Levine of Fountain Valley’s WFD Furniture & Interiors worked with the family and Brandon Architects over a three-year period to create a space that reflected the West Coast’s laid-back yet luxury lifestyle. “We took inspiration for the interiors from two books, Axel Vervoordt: Living With Light and Tom Kundig: Works,” shares Levine. “The goal was to keep the integrity of the modern architecture but have the interior be a softer, comfortable and more transitional yet welcoming aesthetic.” The great room, one of the focal points of the home, showcases Levine’s ability to mix warm, approachable furnishings—like the custom sectional dressed in Threads fabric and Thayer Coggin chairs—with showstopping pieces, including the limited-edition Nobu coffee table from Liaigre. “It is a definite statement piece and set the tone for the entire project,” says Levine of the table that includes a Tulle finish and was inspired by a French castle. “We found it early in the design process.”
Pacific Ocean views are revealed through the great room’s retractable glass walls. PHOTOGRAPHED BY MANOLO LANGIS
Completed in 2020, the 11,500-square-foot abode includes five bedrooms and seven bathrooms. A lower-level wine room, wet bar and media room (complete with a custom pool table) offer plenty of options for entertaining, but it’s the property’s outdoor spaces that steal the show. An alfresco seating area near the olive tree features furnishings from Sutherland Furniture while a sunken seating area with a fire pit complements the spectacular pool. “The pool is by far one of the most impressive and unique features of the home,” says Brandon. “We wanted to have the homeowner look across a massive radiused pool that encompassed a majority of the view and provide a water-to-water connection with its infinity edge.” California dreaming, indeed.
Brandon Architects gave the contemporary home its clean-lined look. PHOTOGRAPHED BY MANOLO LANGIS
Photography by:
