Few estates can be considered a work of art, but arrive at the property featured on our cover and you find it takes a moment to take it all in. Ducks paddle in front of an antique millhouse next to a quarter-acre pond. Vine-covered bridges and stone paths twine among four cascading ponds. The setting is as idyllic as Monet’s gardens that inspired the landscape.
No matter where you are on this property, you are surrounded by beauty, along with blue skies and rolling mountain panoramas that comprise 360-degree views. Finding an estate so meticulously orchestrated is rare; even the hues of the roofs merge into a larger palette.
Inspired by the French Romantic period, the main house was completely reimagined three years ago when additional parcels were also acquired to transform the entire property into an ultra-private, 33-acre compound. Every finish is exquisite, superbly paired with the setting and endowing each space with a vibrant but balanced aesthetic. Even the kitchen, designed to evoke a French bistro and backed by professional chef’s kitchen, reflects the design inspiration, as do the parterre gardens and formal landscaping.
“What is especially remarkable about this property is everything you might not notice initially,” says Jordan Cohen, estate director for RE/MAX Olson and Associates in Westlake Village, who is the No. 1 RE/MAX agent in the U.S. The interplay between buildings and the land is dynamic but subtle. Off to one side lies an organic farm and orchard. From the main house, gardens and one of the two pools stretch out toward distant views. A pool house becomes the setting for an extensive spa including a Himalayan salt room. A second pool is adjacent to the 11,000-square-foot guest house.
Privacy and infrastructure were prime objectives in the creation of this property. The guard-gated entry road is part of the property and completely secure. A sagacious purchase of water rights, almost priceless in California, resulted in two municipal-quality 1,000-foot wells on the property. When viewed from the perspective of art, the $85 million offering price might be considered a bargain for a masterpiece of this magnitude. — Camilla McLaughlin
Photo courtesy of RE/MAX
