Timeless design can breathe with fresh air in any era, yet timeless done right can indeed take time! Is there any value exploring fantasy-level interiors when our budget is less than celestial? I say yes. Like fine art, we can approach such exploration with an open mind, deep wonder, and curiosity. The location of today’s fantasy home by the sea is Richard Shapiro’s seaside dream home. The tour appeared in AD ‘s April 2011 issue and is not easily forgotten.
Fantasy Home by the Sea
Richard Shapiro (antiques dealer and head of Studiolo home furnishings) designed this Malibu beach house with architect Douglas Burdge.
Shapiro built a remarkable career spanning decades with a unique aesthetic approach.
You’ll notice the mix of timelessly elegant design elements, Old World charm, and a deep reverence for art, light, history and antiques.
Shapiro’s interior design philosophy is rooted in the creative process of imagining spaces exuding warmth, depth, and soul.
He is renowned for an ability to blend diverse styles and periods in a harmonious manner, resulting in livable luxury.
Shapiro’s interiors are frequently a rich mix of textures, luxurious fabrics, and exquisite details, showcasing meticulous attention to detail and craftsmanship.
His architectural projects often preserve historical elements while they incorporate modern amenities seamlessly.
Magnificent Entrance to Timeless Beauty
His own home weaves together a truly beautiful story! The front door (below) is framed by a French 18th-century stone surround, and aren’t the climbing vines storybook-like?
As a designer of furniture, Shapiro also created a line of exceptional pieces inspired by an admiration for antiques.
The collection is marked by its timeless appeal, elegant finishes, and fine craftsmanship.
Patina Perfect Seaside Timeless Living Room
Each thoughtfully designed piece ushers comfort, beauty, and a sense of history into the interiors.
Curated carefully, the space is spare and pale, yet never sterile.
Shapiro is also recognized for his extensive art collection, which spans various periods and styles. These structures certainly qualify as art pieces too.
An appreciation for art, antiquity, and story inspires his captivating designs, each project elevated with a stirring sense of timeless artistry, sophisticated sensuality, and mystery.
Sculptural Staircase With Steel Balustrade
A sculptural staircase with steel balustrade winds up to the primary suite. At its base is a19th-century replica of an ancient Greek statue.
Oh, that nail-studded 17th-century walnut door from Italy. Imagine the places it weathered along with the people it welcomed!
Are you absorbing the bespoke nature, thoughtful curation, and set apart nature? Panels on the wall in the dining area above were sure not scored from Homegoods! 18th-century inlaid Cosmatesque panels from Phoenician Stone.
Living room walls also appear ancient after they were sheathed in frescoed plaster.
The gilt-wood mirror above the fireplace hails from Italy, dating to the 1600s.
Awe-Inspiring Black Kitchen
The striking black kitchen is open to the living spaces and includes an island made of basalt.
The volcanic stone on counters is continued on the backsplash, and cabinets are black lacquer. A vintage glass waterfall table by Pace is paired with a linen-covered sofa custom fitted to the alcove.
What an alcove it is!
Can you imagine designing a timeless yet modern kitchen to function in an open concept home this grand and magnificent?
Atmospheric Library Design Details
In the library, a daybed is upholstered provocatively in a mix of striped fabrics.
Also, notice how each striped fabric on the piece varies!
Warmth, coziness, and atmospheric wonder infuse the library with shelves of what appear to be art and design books.
Also, notice how calm it feels in spite of the mix of patterns (checkered floor!) from floor to ceiling.
Such remarkable balance – note the color of the built-ins and also sofa. The same color is repeated in checks on the floor. Without jolting moments of contrast, a ruggedness of materials, and also a gentleness emerges.
With plenty of gentle sea breezes steps away, it’s quite mythical indeed!
Steel windows by Pierre Quinton welcome the glory of the Pacific.
Timeless Elegance Outdoors Too
Timeless details continue outdoors where beautiful stone steps descend to the shore.
Also, more cozily mismatched beachy stripes outside!
What a dream to enjoy your treasures both indoors and outdoors!
Luxurious Bedroom & Bathroom With Views
This is the juncture of the tour when we must indeed recognize our own bath’s poverty!
For here’s a bath so utterly harmonious with the balance of the interiors that it serenely SINGS.
In the bedroom, a divine symphony continues. A 19th-century Uzbek suzani warms the bed while a 17th-century Italian Savonarola chair stands alongside an antique Burgundian roof corbel.
I hope your heart is also as full as this fantasy property is with antiquities, fine design and history. Without this blog’s typical daily dose of paint colors, Old World style, and also modern French style, we can absorb beauty to simply become a shelter for it.
Another Richard Shapiro Fantasy Tour
Find another fantasy tour HERE. I hope you’ll also virtually tour Shapiro’s magical Los Angeles home and gardens below. You may be stunned by the breadth of beauty, interest, history, along with art occupying a single acre!
Peace to you right where you are.
-michele
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