IT’S WHAT MARIE ANTOINETTE might have built had she lived in Southern California—a 10,000-square-foot, French-style farmhouse of hand-cut stone, detailed with steel windows and doors, plaster walls, and truss ceilings. Built on two acres, the maison includes staff quarters, an orchard, a motor court, and two formal courtyards. Despite its ample girth and multiple accessory units, the home keeps a low profile. Single-story wings honor the neighborhood scale and abide by strict height limits with ridge-line requirements. The result: a low-lying estate that’s nevertheless fit for royalty.
Category: Custom one-of-a-kind, 3,500 square feet or more; Entrant/Architect: Reed Architectural Group, Santa Monica, Calif.; Builder: Upside Investments, Calabasas, Calif.; Developers/Owners: Gary and Gilena Simons, Hidden Hills, Calif.; Landscape architect: Laura Saltzman Landscape Architecture, Los Angeles; Interior designer: Mark Cutler Designs, Los Angeles
