HGTV’s Million Dollar Rooms paid a visit to the La Mesa Landmark Estate, the former home of legendary actress/singer Kathryn Grayson, to feature not one but two rooms that satisfy the show’s namesake criteria in cost.
The master suite and state-of-the-art recording studio of the historic Santa Monica estate, which spans more than 11,000 square feet of living space, are the main acts in owner/interior designer Elaine Culotti’s stunning reveal of this “House of Rock,” as it has come to be known in the music community. Since each space offers a different acoustic environment, every room – from the library to the shower to the outdoor stage – is hot-synched with mic cable, fiber optics and digital lines so that artists can record from anywhere. Take a look inside the million dollar rooms fusing high luxury with the ultimate setting for live music.
The Master Suite + Master Bathrooms
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLF1J0Qu7hQ
Maintaining a sexy, rocker chic vibe throughout, the elements used in this master suite were specifically chosen by Designer Sami Hayek, brother of Salma Hayek, to create an overall feeling rather than a style. He incorporated drapes based on the Mexican Revolution and glass beads inlaid by the Huichol tribe in Mexico to help celebrate how music has been revolutionary over time, not only within its own realm but among entire cultures.
“The reference in the Huichol pattern is to peyote, the powerful mushroom used in ceremonies and rituals to heal the emotional body and soul, as music does,” explains Hayek. From the credenza made of walnut with chocolate leather to the olive oak flooring imported from Spain, the mood is sophisticated yet relaxed and comfortable.
In designing the master suite bathroom, Elaine Culotti decided to create separate “his” and “hers” quarters which highlight the unique A-Frame pitch walls yet do so in contrasting ways. Encased in rich wood paneling is the “his” side with a shower that has raised, Oceanside glass tile and Kohler’s Stance showerhead equipped with SoundTile speakers. For a close shave with the latest in news and sports, enjoy watching the 8-inch TV integrated in the mirrored door above the sink cabinet.
Down a flight of stairs we arrive at the “hers” side which, with its glass-enclosed steam shower and tub and ceiling covered in thousands of reflective mirror tiles, is nothing less than a breathtaking symphony of glass. The shower wall is a Dune tile tapestry of snakeskin, zebra, crocodile, damask and plaid squares that looks like a patchwork quilt. The space boasts all of today’s must-have amenities, including Kohler’s one-piece Numi toilet and a Robern medicine cabinet with refrigeration unit perfect for storing those HGH, expensive creams or probiotics.
Recording Studio
The House of Rock’s crown jewel, the recording studio, provides artists with the most supreme acoustic environment in which to not only record music but to create. The audio consult alone is worth half a million dollars and represents a combined effort from industry-leading companies including Vintage King, SSL, Audio Perception, Blue Microphones, Fender, Waves and JSX Audio.
“This studio is at the forefront of the music industry’s evolution towards a more personalized environment, where artists can work in the privacy of their own home at any time of the day or night and have cutting edge technology at their fingertips,” said Tyler Barth, V.P. of business development and artist relations at Blue Mics.
Spanning both sides of the pitched-roof walls is a special sound panel fabric resembling the strokes of a keyboard. Opposite the windows overlooking the golf course sits a snakeskin velvet couch seemingly stretching on forever as if to say, “no groupie is left behind.” Drop pendant lights in shades of peacock blue, burgundy, chocolate and smoky gray hang the length of the room and give it the feel of a space station.
“Every single detail was crucial to creating this $3.5 million room, from the custom equipment, to the suede herringbone floors, the special insulation and padding in the ceiling and walls, the bass traps and the vintage belt wall at the back of the sound booth,” notes designer Culotti.
Photos + Details for La Mesa Landmark Estate
