Profiles

Edward Mermelstein

For Edward Mermelstein, his Hamptons home is where his heart is. Read more

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Kelly Wearstler’s Malibu Home

Myrtle Beach native and interior designer Kelly Wearstler’s Malibu beach house reflects her lifelong love of the ocean and her infinite imagination.

Since 1999, L.A.-based designer Kelly Wearstler’s signature Technicolor style has brought wit and whimsy to the interiors of coastal private homes and luxury resorts. To create her dreamy décor, Wearstler uses tropical hues, bold geometric shapes, and otherworldly objets d’art, many of which the designer procures herself. When it came to outfitting her own Malibu beach house, Wearstler, inspired by her surroundings, chose an atypical palette of earthy colors, but sacrificed none of the whimsy for which she’s known. –Lindsay Lambert

How often do you hear “This doesn’t look like a beach house?”
Never. Everything looks like a reimagined treasure washed ashore.

Why did you decide on a house in Malibu?
We already owned a property in Malibu when this one became available. Plus, you want something close enough to be able to enjoy on weekends.

What was this house like when you purchased it and how much work have you put into it?
All that remains of the original house is the foundation, which was like a warm and welcoming footprint in the sand.

What was your inspiration for the design?
My inspiration was the organic beachy setting itself; nothing more, nothing less.

You travel frequently for work. What do you look forward to most upon returning?
The home is so open and representative of its natural environment; once you step inside the front door, that feeling of the beach is upon you before you ever hit the sand.

What room gets the biggest reaction from guests?
The first floor is mainly glass facing west, and everyone typically remarks on the incredible view and proximity to the beach. “Wow!” is common, and my sons’ guests usually squeal, “When do we get to go swimming?”

What is your favorite part of the home?
On a bright sunny day, nothing beats the deck overlooking the Pacific. A comfy chair, a gorgeous sunset; I’m set!

What about ocean living do you love so much?
I grew up near the ocean. The surf flowing in and out is constantly invigorating to me, which is what makes oil spills all the more tragic. We have to do what we can to use clean energy and preserve our natural environment; where will we be without it?

Do you entertain much here?
Although the Malibu beach house is perfect for gatherings, we actually entertain more at our full-time home in Beverly Hills.

What is most challenging about living on the beach?
Leaving! It is so restful here, so peaceful and relaxing, with the wind, water, sand, and sun right at your back doorstep. Who would want to leave?

Do you work much out of this house?
No! Once the house was finished, it was all about down time.

What’s your favorite activity while here?
Spending quality time with my family. Time slows down there. We are all very busy, so when we’re together at the beach house, we try to make it special.

The Details:
Number of bedrooms: 5; Number of bathrooms: 6; Square footage: 6,500. Year purchased: 2005.

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Pamela Burton

A landscape architect in Southern California since 1975, Pamela Burton has long integrated sustainability into her design process by creating gorgeous gardens with as little impact on natural resources as possible. In the last decade, she’s seen an increase in clients who also espouse eco-conscious landscaping, but sometimes those who are “green” in theory might have a hard time fully embracing the concept for their own homes.

For one Malibu beach house project, Burton’s client originally wanted standard green turf lawn installed between the main house and the guest house that face the Pacific Ocean. Burton convinced the client that turf would require too much water to maintain, and that using dry beach sand to anchor ornamental grasses, mimicking the nearby hillsides, would be more environmentally sensitive. The resulting open space (which the client now adores) complements the surrounding chaparral (native shrubland). Yellow salt- and drought-tolerant plants add plenty of color to the scene, and the property’s winding sandy walkways effectively bring the beach to the garden.

Low-irrigation landscaping may be key to best-sustainability practices, but Burton says it’s not the whole picture, as even drought-tolerant plants need to be watered. Fortunately, as technology improves, we’ll see more state-of-the art rainwater and gray-water recycling systems in place at private homes. (Currently, high price points make them feasible mainly on large commercial projects.)

In the meantime, you can still be kind to the planet at your own home. Use plant materials that don’t attract pests, and minimize the pesticides you do use. To save energy, avoid gas-powered trimmers and blowers, and compost your own green waste (grass cuttings and hedge trimmings) rather than using municipal bins. While watering your lawn and garden on a clock timer is great, you’ll really impress your neighbors by installing a “smart” irrigation control system that releases water according to information gleaned from a weather satellite. 310-828-6373, pamelaburtonco.com. —Kara Williams

The Get: Rain Bird ET Manager

Over-watering the garden has always been something homeowners want to avoid, but increasing water scarcity has rendered this true now more than ever. The folks at Rain Bird understand that you want to have a beautiful, green landscape without depleting natural resources in the process. Rain Bird ET Manager is an irrigation system that uses hourly (not just daily) local weather updates and evapotranspiration, or ET, to water your yard only when you need it. The system is flexible and works with virtually any irrigation controller. The result is significant water savings and a healthier landscape. $676, rainbird.com.

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Newport Muse

Avid yachtsman Peter de Savary arrived in Newport in 1980 for the America’s Cup, and the British entrepreneur has been smitten ever since. Over the years, de Savary has owned a handful of homes in the swanky resort city. He also developed Carnegie Abbey Golf Club and Sporting Estate in Portsmouth. Now, de Savary is back in town with two new properties.

Last November, De Savary bought Vanderbilt Hall, marketing the property as a mansion-hotel/club in the heart of Historic Hill. It offers 33 suites, a full-service spa, indoor and outdoor pools, a rooftop terrace, Monty’s Bar and Dining Room (named for de Savary’s Chihuahua), a 60-foot yacht, and de Savary’s own collection of American Illustration Art.

Then, de Savary, whose other projects have included Skibo, Glenborrodale, and Bovey castles in the U.K., Port Louis Marina and Mount Cinnamon in Grenada, The Abaco Club in the Bahamas, and Cherokee Plantation in South Carolina, acquired a 50 percent managing interest in Vanderbilt Residences at Brown & Howard Wharf, with 16 luxury condos starting at $2.75 million. The 3,000-square-foot residences were introduced to the market in June, offering a 24-hour concierge, a waterfront café, and access to the exclusive Vanderbilt Club. The members club will launch this year, providing reciprocal benefits with other such clubs worldwide.

Of his return to Newport, de Savary says he’s “attracted to a place that does not have a provincial or parochial market, and Newport is a very attractive, agreeable cosmopolitan place.” Then there’s the buzz about reigning America’s Cup champ/software billionaire Larry Ellison bringing his BMW Oracle Racing team to Newport for the 2013 challenge, yielding “a very timely moment for people to invest [or vacation] in Newport,” de Savary says. “It’s a fantastic place and it seems to have stood the test of time. Newport, it seems to me, keeps getting slightly better.” For more information, contact Stacie Mills at Vanderbilt International Properties, Ltd. (401) 619-3333; vanderbiltresidences.com. —Scott Kauffman

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A Rooftop Garden Oasis

From Miami Beach to the Bahamas, Raymond Jungles can transform a blasé rooftop deck into an exotic tropical garden. The landscape architect brings outdoor living spaces to life not only with innovation and creativity, but also with a green thumb, as well.

A few years ago in Coconut Grove, Florida, Jungles was faced with a difficult challenge: creating a rooftop garden that blended in with the style of the 1930s Spanish Colonial interior of his client’s home. The Ella Fontanals-Cisneros Rooftop Garden was initially one of Jungles’ greatest challenges, but it soon became one of his greatest triumphs.

“This project was in a very refined space on the top of a 39-story building,” Jungles explains. “It was brutal because I had to create human elements in an elegant space that blended in with the Spanish architectural style.” Jungles was able to create elements in the outdoor space that made the owners feel as if they were at ground level. What was once a distilled and basic living space became a tropical garden with exotic and tranquil surroundings.

“One key component to keep in mind with any rooftop garden is shade,” says Jungles. “I had to create an overhead structure because the sun is blaring up there. I used alpine-type plants with lowwater requirement and also designed and engineered awnings with a wind sensor that open and close depending how strong the wind is.”

The Ella Fontanals-Cisneros Rooftop Garden includes spacious walkways, a small area to accommodate patio seating, luscious foliage with sun-protective vines, three exquisite waterfalls, and an elegant pool that trickles over a front wall to add ambiance to the sitting area. 305-858- 6777, raymondjungles.com.

- By Terri Ogan

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Interior Designer Ron Dayan Gets it Done Well- and Fast

Ron Dayan is known for contriving some of the most exquisite and extravagant homes in the nation, often far ahead of schedule. From a house on Newport Beach to a Mediterranean-style estate in Rancho Santa Fe, California-based Dayan illuminates his creations through self-taught design and global inspirations.

“I’ve been known to do projects in recordbreaking time, even across the country,” Dayan explains. “Once a house is built, I am able to gather every element: hand-carved and hand-finished furniture, carpeting, upholstery, and accessories included, and transport them from the West Coast to the East Coast in three weeks.”

The avant-garde designer gathers inspiration from his international travels through some of the most architecturally stunning countries in the world, including Italy and England. After almost three decades in the design business, Dayan has decorated homes ranging from 4,000 to 40,000 square feet. His clientele includes Motown legend Smokey Robinson, LA Lakers star Kareem Abdul-Jabaar, Barry Gibb of The Bee-Gees, Academy Award winner Louis Gossett, Jr., and many more.

“My clients always get something unique,” Dayan explains. “If a resource is unavailable, I don’t buy it. I don’t wait for anything.”

Not only does Dayan deliver extraordinary results, but he also keeps his clients’ best interest as his top priority. He believes that with today’s real estate market, a home is no longer merely a place where one lives; it’s the most expensive possession a person will ever own. For the last few years, Dayan has been taking a few steps further with his designs and elaborating on the bones of the various properties to increase the value, he explains.

“I design homes the way they should be designed, not to reflect the owner’s personality,” Dayan says. “It’s the art and accessories that reflect the owner, not the home itself.” piccadillydesigns.com.

—By Terri Ogan

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Real Estate Developer, Jack Marshall, Heads Back to the Beach

It’s a long way from Oregon’s McKenzie River, where he enjoyed fly fishing and water sports as a child, but Jack Marshall considers Curaçao his home just as much as the Pacific Northwest. That says a lot, considering that Marshall, president of the real estate development and consulting company VIDA Group, has owned homes in several stunning locations. “I buy a property almost every place I go [for a development deal],” he says. Those deals have included Elkhorn in Sun Valley, Idaho, the Pebble Beach Lodge and Spanish Bay Resort in California, and Beaver Creek, Colorado.

When Marshall was approached to oversee the creation of the Santa Barbara Plantation on Curaçao, “My wife and I just fell in love,” he says. The people and the natural beauty made a big impact on the couple, and another purchase was imminent.

The Santa Barbara Plantation is a planned 1,500-acre resort community that includes a Pete Dye designed golf course and a Hyatt Regency hotel and spa. Residential offerings range from three-bedroom houses with guest cottages to custom homes. Marshall’s home is tucked in the Seru Boca section, which overlooks Spanish Water Bay and the Caribbean. He enlisted the help of noted California-based designer Richard Elmore, who he says “took my ideas and rendered them.” With 5,500 square feet of air-conditioned space and about the same in covered outdoor areas, it has a “very Mediterranean” feel, featuring tile roofing and a central open courtyard with a fountain. Inside, it’s “eclectic,” with terra cotta floor tiles from Columbia, shutters and doors from Java, teak furnishings from Bali, and carpets from Turkey.

“I spend a lot of time in the covered part of the courtyard and what I call the ‘outdoor living room,’” Marshall says. That “room” has a gravitational pull. Despite a pianist performing in the central courtyard during a recent party for about 100 Hyatt Regency and government officials, “People migrated to the open covered living area,” Marshall recalls with a laugh. “The pianist was playing away with nobody there!”

—By Diane M. Byrne

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Christopher Wheat’s Custom Home Paintings

Selecting that ideal painting for your oceanfront home can be a daunting task. But sometimes the best idea is the one staring you right in the face. Why not have your own home or yacht framed in all its glory right there in your living room?

New England-based artist Christopher Wheat has been painting custom home portraits for over 20 years and has worked with over 500 clients. He works with you in determining the subject matter of the painting from the arrangement  of the gardens in the foreground to the amount of sea chop in the background. Based on where you decide to hang it as well as its overall size, Wheat then paints your ideal oceanfront portrait. 585-329-8997,

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Kiawah Island Real Estate Bouncing Back

After acquiring the luxurious Kiawah Island, South Carolina resort community in 1988, Kiawah Partners chairman/CEO Buddy Darby has seen his fair share of economic downturns. If first quarter real estate sales are any indication, however, it appears that Darby’s 10,000-acre barrier island has bounced back from perhaps the biggest recession of them all. Indeed, through the end of March, Kiawah Island Real Estate recorded $61.5 million dollars in residential sales, a 59 percent increase over the first quarter of 2009. The strong first-quarter earnings were fueled by $39.5 million in vacation home sales in March, which exceeded the total sales volume for the entire first quarter of 2009 and represented the biggest month in properties sold (25) since April 2008. The sales keep piling up as another $37 million in properties were under contract in April with the average price being $1.5 million for single-family homes, villas, and homesites. Darby, whose Kiawah Partners is the master developer of this exclusive island 21 miles from Charleston, credits a literal thaw in the north for Kiawah’s sales bounce. Other factors include a growing confidence in the equity markets, knowledge that Kiawah is backed by a “healthy developer that’s not over-leveraged,” a resort developer who “doesn’t have any debt on his properties,” and a community association holding $14 million in reserves. “People are starting to buy again. Once the snow thawed in the Northeast, they started coming down and we’ve just had a remarkable March and April,” adds Darby. “Anytime there’s a harsh winter we tend to hear people say, ‘I’m done.’” What’s especially refreshing for Darby is the heightened activity in Kiawah’s upperend homes above $2.5 million (11 were sold through May compared with 14 in all of 2009). “Who knows where this will all end up at the end of the year, but right now we’re hanging 10,” Darby says. “I suspect that this is going to continue.”

—Scott Kauffman

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America’s Cup Hall of Famer, Tom Whidden, Settles in Essex, Conneticut

You would think that the man who is co-owner of North Marine Group (the $325-million sail manufacturing company for nearly every racing and high-end yacht on the planet) and has sailed in eight America’s Cups would chose a home right on the ocean’s edge. But not Tom Whidden. For 22 years, he and his family have lived on waterfront property in Connecticut with a dock that leads to a small, peaceful estuary. As a fierce competitor who has been inducted to the America’s Cup Hall of Fame, Whidden chose to set up camp away from the hectic activity of his ocean life, though he keeps a motorboat docked nearby for a quick ride out to saltier stomping grounds.

—By, Nicole Vecchiarelli

You’ve had this home for 22 years. You’re obviously very attached. I grew up in Westport and I always admired Essex, being a sailor and someone who loves the
water and boating. The town reminded me of Westport in that there were fewer people as well as access to the waterfront. Just a quieter way of life in general.

How would you describe the setting? There’s a natural channel where we are, so it’s not noisy, but its fantastic for wildlife. There’s every kind of bird known to man; we get eagles, ospreys, all kinds of hawks, swans, geese, every duck. It’s just amazing for anybody that likes bird life.

Being a sailor, would you have preferred to have the home directly on the ocean? I just like the water, so I love to be on the ocean or a river or an estuary. Some people may find endless water more tranquil and more desirable. But I find living in an area that is less ocean-like is more interesting. I like the activity of the wildlife with the ducks swimming around and the muskrats and the turtles. And I have easy access to the Connecticut River, The Long Island Sound, and the ocean.

How often do you take advantage of that? We keep a boat called an Edgewater
26 at the dock that’s right at our house. And we also have a 55-foot powerboat with a couple of state rooms in it and a nice galley—it’s just a really great boat to get around in. Some people think that it’s ironic that I have a powerboat with all the sailing I do, but it actually suits us really well. We can be on the water quickly and take a little cruise around with a glass of wine and a fishing pole, or go way down to the yacht club. Or we’ll take the bigger boat to a cove that’s quite near here to have dinner and listen to music. We also have kayaks and a canoe. So I’m not short on boats—we can
go anywhere we want. And we have a lot of friends that like to cruise around, too.
Like this weekend, we’re going to Newport, which is about a three-hour trip on
our power boat.

How you would describe the feel of the house itself? The whole place was built around giving every room a view of the water. It’s very open, and we’ve got a terrace in the back that we use a lot. And what’s cool is that every month here has a different look. In the winter, the cove ices over, so it doesn’t have the vegetation like in the summer, obviously, but it’s a really bright sunlit look and it’s quite charming. You never tire of it.

THE DETAILS

Whidden purchased this home in 1988. It features four bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, 2,600 square feet of living space, and sits on one acre of land in a quiet channel with direct access to the Connecticut River and Long Island Sound.

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Design with Landscape Architect, Pamela Palmer

Want to merge your landscape with its surroundings? Get creative. Read more

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No Bull

Frank Heaps made a name for himself as a beer guy, but it’s his humble beginnings and shrewd investments that have made his retirement in St. Lucia a dream come true. Read more

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Interior Designer Jennifer Clark

Jennifer Clark launched a modeling career as a Doublemint twin, but it’s her delightfully “imperfect” home in La Jolla, California that she treasures most. Read more

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Starwood’s Serge Rivera

In the heart of Bal Harbour, one of the most affluent sections of South Florida, three all-glass towers rise from a premium beachfront parcel across the street from the fashionable Bal Harbour Shops. Read more

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Restaurateur Michael Stillman’s Estate In Sagaponack, New York

For NYC restaurateur Michael Stillman, the local produce and the cold water of the Hamptons make it all worthwhile. Read more

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Glamour Girl

Designer Sue Wong turns her Malibu home into a liveable fashion plate. By Nicole Vecchiarelli Read more

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From Jamaica with Love

Island Records Founder Chris Blackwell introduces 007 to his resort profile. Read more

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Fruit of the Sea

Chef Michael Psilakis serves up a twist on Greek cuisine.

With four restaurants and a Michelin star un-der his belt, Chef Michael Psilakis is making a mark in the culinary world with his unique take on Greek cuisine, which he learned at an early age at home with his mother.

“Even today, the flavors of my dishes are my mother’s flavors,” says Psilakis. “And my instincts for taking Greek cuisine in new directions—these I’ve inherited from her.”

Eos, which opened in May of 2009 at Miami’s Viceroy Hotel, is Psilakis’s only restaurant in Florida (he also owns Anthos, Kefi, and Gus & Gabriel, all in New York). His Mediterranean-inspired petite dishes are filled with Spanish, Portuguese, and Moroccan ingredients and give guests the opportunity to share and indulge. One of Psilakis’s dishes, tuna sashimi, represents Greek cuisine with a little Miami flair. The combination of fish, fruit, and dairy makes this dish enjoyable anytime of the year. 305-503-0373, viceroymiami.com. —Lauren Carelli

Tuna Sashimi serves 1

2 oz. tuna loin

1 oz. extra virgin olive oil

¼ oz. watermelon, diced

¼ oz. watermelon whites, pickled

¼ oz. feta cheese crumbles

¼ oz. balsamic reduction

Salt & pepper to taste

Lightly dress tuna loin with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place tuna in small serving bowl or plate. Add diced and pickled watermelon and finish with feta crumbles. Drizzle balsamic reduction over ingredients. Serve.

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One Fish, Two Fish

Learn to scuba with Dive Butler International.

Diving on demand Why go to a scuba diving school when the school can come to you? Dive Butler International offers private scuba instruction in your own pool or even aboard your yacht. Beginners and experienced divers alike are tapping the expertise of its owner/managing director, Alexis Vincent. He’s a PADI Master Instructor and has spent more than 14 years in the recreational diving industry. Vincent and Dive Butler International work closely with equipment manufacturers, hotels, resorts, and tour operators both large and small, so working one-on-one with individuals is only a natural extension of the business. The company has more than 25 PADI instructors (multi-lingual, too) who can teach adults and children proper breathing techniques, what gear to purchase, and the basic safety skills you need to enjoy seeing what lies beneath the water’s surface. Better yet, if you’ll be visiting the Caribbean, Mediterranean, or as far as the South Pacific, Dive Butler International has experts you can hire to take you on personalized dives. The staff will research and plan excursions based on your abilities and what you hope to experience. They can additionally arrange photo and video keepsakes of the dive. Prices based on package desired. (011) 960-778-7042, divebutlerinternational.com. —Diane M. Byrne

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Suncor CEO Rick George

Canadian energy mogul Rick George opens the doors to his family’s new Bahamian getaway on Great Abaco Island

As a young student working in the oil fields near Brush, Colorado, Rick George first got a glimpse of the life that lay ahead of him. “I needed to afford to go to the university, and the best jobs were in the oil patches,” says the current president and CEO of Suncor, Canada’s largest energy company and one of the world’s largest independent energy companies.

George worked summers in the Denver Basin fields while attending Colorado State University and solidified his path to the top as a major player in the global energy sector. “I’ve traveled all around the world, but I always loved the oil patch,” he says. “It’s a great industry to be in.” After spending 10 years with Sun Company both in the US and the UK, he moved to Calgary in 1991 to take the reigns at Suncor.

But it wasn’t until recently that his sights turned to the ocean for recreation rather than oil. “All the credit is due to Julie, my wife of 37 years. It’s always been her dream to own a home on the water, somewhere warm, because we’ve been to a lot of cold spots in our travels.”

The couple recently constructed a home on Great Abaco Island in the Bahamas at the Ritz-Carlton’s tony Abaco Resort. Located directly on the water with unbeatable views of Winding Bay, George says this is a home not just for himself and his wife, but for his entire family. With three children and two grandchildren, he’s hoping those numbers will soon increase. After a recent trip to visit the property with his family, it was decided that his son and daughter will both soon be holding their wedding ceremonies right there.

“The large patio spaces create a lot of usable outdoor space. You look right into the horseshoe bay,” says George, whose oceanfront home features 5,500 square feet of interior space coupled with the same amount of terrace space. Combine that with five bedrooms, five full and two half-bathrooms, a pool with its own island, and a covered lookout tower, and you’ve got a Caribbean paradise.

“There’s a short walk to the beach and great amenities at the Abaco Club, including a great golf club,” George says. “You have it all right there. It’s a terrific location.” For more information on the Ritz-Carlton Destination Club, call 866-770-2619 or visit ritzcarltonclub.com.

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