Description:

A verdant sanctuary and an architectural tour de force, this gated contemporary estate combines dramatic space and generous light with absolute privacy on incomparable grounds. Designed by Peter Tolkin Architecture in partnership with John Raymond Byram Architect and built in 2001, the residence is set on more than three secluded acres on a serene hillside above the San Fernando Valley.
Shaded by a roof with deep overhangs, the main residence is a series of concrete and glass pavilions that open to a peaceful courtyard, swimming pool, spa, and lush landscaping. With understated simplicity, broad galleries invite an easy flow between tranquil rooms with 12-foot open-beam wood ceilings. Oversized windows and doors encourage gracious indoor-outdoor living, while the neutral tones of limestone flooring and concrete walls create an ideal backdrop for artwork and architectural-scale plants.
The home’s expansive, majestic space suggests lavish entertaining and quiet intimacy. The magnificent living room, with a fireplace and a wall of wooden bookcases, opens through wide glass doors to a covered pavilion and the pool beyond. There is a spacious family room/den, a formal dining room and a huge chef's kitchen with all Viking appliances, a center island, a breakfast room, a butler's pantry and a spectacular view into the back yard. From the interior, the hillside serves as a visual screen, rich greens of many hues emphasized by the sculptural beauty of mature trees.
The master suite is a separate wing of the house, a private retreat with sitting room, fireplace, gorgeous dual bathrooms, and enormous walk-in closets. There are two additional en-suite bedrooms in the main house.
The grounds are simply astonishing—a magical woodland with a graded, meandering trail through hundred-year-old stately oaks, sycamores, fruit trees, palms, and succulents. A small citrus orchard recalls the property’s early history as part of extensive grove lands that once covered thousands of acres in the San Fernando Valley.
In addition to the main house, there is a secluded one-bedroom guest house/writer’s retreat with a living room and full kitchen. There is also a lighted north/south championship tennis court with a small pavilion alongside. A detached three-car garage has an adjacent mirrored gym, plus an upstairs guest apartment with bath.
Superb design, construction, finishes and detailing have been used throughout. The residence was awarded the 2001 Excellence Award by the Southern California Ready Mixed Concrete Association for the overall finished quality of the concrete structure. The house also has film credentials as the on-screen residence of Ted Crawford (Anthony Hopkins) in the 2007 film, “Fracture,” also starring Ryan Gosling, David Strathairn, Rosamund Pike and Embeth Davidtz.
Offering the extraordinary privacy of a remote location just minutes from cosmopolitan culture and conveniences, this is a truly exceptional estate property, rare in size, location, beauty, and architectural pedigree