The Owner asked the Architect what to do with the large Disco wing added to the house. This tall, flat roofed, pink stucco structure was commissioned by the previous owner, Rod Stewart, and was in a vaguely Art Nouveau Style to showcase his collection of Art Nouveau art and furniture. Other areas of the original house had been similarly remodeled in an “Art Nouveau” style. The upper rear of the added Disco wing housed a new Master Bedroom with fully mirrored ceiling, silver drapes, silver shag carpeting and Pre-Raphaelite stained glass windows in the Bathrooms. The Architect suggested the wing be removed and the house restored to its original design.
The Owner then asked the Architect what he would do with the wing if he wanted to continue on the project. The project submitted reflects the Architect’s suggestions.
The Disco’s existing double height sliding glass doors overlooking the swimming pool posed a major challenge. The Owner wanted to keep the open view of the pool. The main gallery of a Venetian Palazzo suggested a classical model for dealing with such a large glazed opening. This was accomplished by employing a three story mahogany frame and leaded glass window wall constructed around steel tubes inside a moment frame. The new Ballroom’s floor is Venetian style terrazzo, poured without control joints, over a thickened concrete slab to prevent cracking. Stenciled ceilings complete the effect.
Another major challenge was the design of the Kitchen, which had been remodeled in an English Country style preferred by the previous owner’s fashion model wife. The Architect suggested the area be renovated as a series of vaulted spaces terminating in a new Family Room, a space which was originally Maid’s Rooms.
Finally, the original George Washington Smith façade was severely compromised by a flat-roofed exterior elevator addition, which the Owner wanted to keep. This tower, which had previously been an eye-sore, was remodeled as an Italian bell tower, which enhanced rather than detracted, from the composition of the façade. Similarly, a 1960’s Pool House was renovated to be in keeping with the style of the original architecture.
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