Thomas Thompson and I met one summer day at an open house. I was showing a property that I had just completed for my own speculation. On the beach in Malibu, 6,000 square feet plus a guest house. The design included many architectural antiques, high wood ceilings, stained glass, and a grand staircase, quite a beautiful project. Thomas walked up to me and simply said "I want you to build my dream house". Of course, I was delighted. Thomas was the dream client. He simply wanted me and what I do. He wanted me to take care of everything down to the smallest detail of furniture and consult him when necessary.

The late Thomas Thompson was the best selling author of many books such as Serpentine, Blood and Money and Celebrity. He was also the editor of Look Magazine for a decade and widely known for mentoring young writers. Really a wonderful man. Thomas took me to his site; it was a very difficult site to say the least. There was a small existing house at the bottom of a steep slope, on a bluff overlooking the ocean. The existing house was to come down. The new house was to be 6,000 square feet, plus a 2,000 square foot guest house/garage. My client also required a 60 foot lap pool. In consultation it was decided that the house would be styled after a European country house. Or perhaps I should say a centuries old European country house, that had been extensively remodeled and a tremendous amount of glass added. I included in the design all the romantic features that are so often found in the older estates. On this project I was able to fully apply my favorite quote "No detail is too small for the closest scrutiny of the architect." (Green and Green Architects).

I created a grading plan that would place the parking and the garage/ guest house high up on the property, bridging across into the upper level of the new house. This created a very dramatic formal entry, while creating a less formal access at the bottom of the hill.

The one inch mosaic tile patterns on the exterior bridge are of my design. The integration from the exterior bridge to the interior bridge, gives the kind of continuity that is a key to my design ethics. Upon opening the front door, the view straight ahead is breathtaking. That's my goal. I feel that the first experience of the interiors should create a sense of wonder and excitement. I love the effect of the public rooms on the upper level of the house. This affords tremendous vaulted ceilings and exceptional unconfined views. I often find however, that on the lower level, the ceilings and views can be confining. I overcame that feeling with 12 foot ceilings. I was able to afford a spectacular ocean view to every room in the house save one bedroom, which romantically opens onto the reflection pond.

All the ceilings in the house are of cedar that was carefully sorted for color consistency. I utilized all of the pieces with more irregular color in the kitchen, to create a country effect. The grand staircase is made of turnings, balusters and rails of my design. The moldings throughout the house are of my design and pre-distressed before installation. I shopped throughout the south for architectural antiques and designed them into the architecture. I located some beautiful walnut paneling with a matching mantel for the library, and had custom shelving built to match, to accommodate the writer's vast book collection. The stained glass is meant to be subtle and is of my design. All cabinetry, bar, and shelving are custom made to my specifications.

One of the crowning glories of the house is the kitchen. My client wanted to be able to entertain 150 people but also feel comfortable when he was alone. He specifically requested that all the counters be 2 inches higher than standard, as he was 6 ft. 4 inches tall. I designed two massive pine worktables with hollow legs through which we ran the necessary electrical, plumbing, and phone lines. This required a lot of pre-planning as the upper levels feature several inches of lightweight concrete under the flooring. All the cabinets in the kitchen are of my design and are designed to match the antique mantel in the kitchen sitting area. Further pictures of the kitchen can be seen in my web site under Published.

The master bathroom/spa fulfilled my client's needs with a multi-person jetted bath and sauna. I used my client's favorite shade of green throughout the master suite. The interior design followed my idea of a European approach. The Europeans so appreciate their architecture of the past, while never hesitating to install the most contemporary Italian furniture.

For the exterior, I had ornate concrete pieces cast at one of the major studios. A greenish cast was hand -applied to the exterior stucco. I don't like the results I get with mixing color into the stucco, and I wanted more of an antique wash look. It was applied with a painter's mitt. All the iron work is of my design and I found some beautiful antique window boxes.

In order to integrate the lap pool into the design and landscape, it is concealed within a very large reflection pond, as seen in the photographs.

This estate has been used as a set for many films, as has the project that originally inspired my client to commission me.