Architecture Wednesday: Fairytale Chalet Near Lisbon

The renovation of the Chalet in the center of São Pedro de Penaferrim, former civil parish in the municipality of Sintra, Lisbon District, Portugal was meticulously carried out using the best materials and finishes. The property, which belonged to the father of architect Raul Lino, consists of a main house with three floors with three social areas and four bedrooms and a guest house with two bedrooms. The garden is divided into large flowerbeds, with large fruit and olive trees, a fountain and was designed by a landscape architect.

In the main house there is a large hall that gives access to the main living room with large glass doors to the garden with views of the Pena Palace. The walls and ceilings were all restored according to their original design, with high-relief branches in plaster and painted metal. The floor is in the original wood in a herringbone pattern.

On the lower floor there is a charming living room created in part of the old kitchen of the house, with tiled walls and an new open-plan kitchen and dining room. The kitchen is lined with wooden cabinets with straw shutters and pantry. The first floor features the primary suite with French doors that open to the greenery of the mountains, a large bathroom, and a bedroom that can be used as a sitting room, as a large primary closet or an office. On the second floor there is a bedroom, bathroom and large living room where two more bedrooms could be built. The guest house is divided into two floors, with an open-plan living room and kitchen, a guest bathroom, storage room and wine cellar, with the two bedrooms on the upper floor served by a bathroom.

The renovation work was completed with externally insulated walls and a new roof. All bathrooms have underfloor heating and some have a shower and bathtub. Both houses were decorated by interior architect Arnaud Cabri-Wiltzer in the original style of the home. In total there are seven bedrooms and seven bathrooms in the home making it a perfect B&B for the discerning buyer who has a little over $6M USD.

Dwell

Architecture Wednesday: The Maly-Smith Residence

I had never heard of such a thing: a Swiss-Chalet style Craftsman. But this one, built by Naldo Francis Stokes in 1908, offers gracious, living in a three-level home. Stokes' work incorporated finishes "of a very high order with handsome mantelpieces, beamed ceilings, built-in buffets, and all the accessories of a comfortable, modern house." In the early 20th century, Stokes made his name by creating stately homes in Normandie-Adams, and thanks to a thoughtful Historic Preservation Plan, this Central Los Angeles neighborhood remains a nearly unmatched repository of exceptional Craftsman architecture.

Wait, Swiss-Chalet-Japanese-Craftsman?

Charming period details include an expansive covered porch, a formal dining room, a library with a ceramic fireplace surround, large living room with fireplace, and expansive kitchen that, in my mind, doesn’t fit the style of the house and should be redone. Upstairs are four bedrooms and three baths upstairs, with two sleeping porches, and one bedroom—for the houseboys?—and two baths downstairs. There is also a California basement—a small, unfinished storage space excavated below the ground floor—and a sunlit attic suitable for use as a studio or office.

Alongside upgraded electrical and plumbing and a fresh California Native and drought-tolerant landscape, this historic property presents a unique opportunity for a new owner to apply for property-tax saving Mills Act designation for the front house and to utilize the advantageous LARD2 zoning to create a multi-family property using the garage structure out back.

I love this house … the history and design … and while it’s way to big for us, I could live in it if I had the $1.2 million—seriously a bargain—and it wasn’t already sold! 

As always, click to emBIGGERate ...

Unique California Property