Maison d’Etre

Taking cues from Tuscany and Provence, a Bay Area estate merges California glamour with a European soul

Inside VALLÉE DE CHÊNE, the stair hall features a 19th-century English urn from LUCCA ANTIQUES and a custom blackened, hand-forged iron railing by project architect DOUG MANSFIELD.

“I guess it’s ‘Ameropean,’” says San Clemente-based architect Doug Mansfield of his clients’ East Bay home, a decadeand-a-half-long, travel-inspired passion project. “The husband preferred a more Tuscan aesthetic while the wife leaned more toward Provence. So our design melds visual snippets that could be found in both or either region, without precisely imitating either.”

The 10,000-square-foot estate has been named “Vallée de Chêne,” meaning “Valley of Oak” in French. It sits on the highest point of a 20-acre site, surrounded by native California oak trees. Natural light abounds and wildlife is everywhere— turkeys often wander poolside—and getting approval to build here was a lengthy feat in itself. When Mansfield joined the install by a crew of masons from Poland, team, it was clear that keeping an eye toward nature and neutral elements was key.

Working off visions of European countryside maisons, Mansfield designed all of the stone elements, including the entry portals, columns and balconies. At the front of the house, an 18-foot-tall steel-and-glass door frames what the team agrees is the most beautiful oak tree on the property. Inside, the foyer is 20 feet tall with walls clad in the same Frenchlimestone as the exterior. The limestone was quarried in Coulmiers, France, and blocks were shipped to Italy for fabrication. Once the stone surrounds arrived on-site, they took more than a year to install by a crew of masons from Poland, rounding out a “very international” experience, the architect says with a laugh.

In the dining room, a Baltic ormolu-and-crystal Swedish chandelier circa 1870 is suspended above a custom table by L’ARTIGIANO STUDIO, and an antique Spanish ceramic lebrillo bowl adorns the mantle.

Nearly every tile, light and door handle ascribes to Old World craftsmanship. Los Angeles-based interior designer Megan Hersch sourced materials that were beautifully made using the same techniques passed down for centuries—but that would function properly for modern everyday use, as this is the homeowners’ primary residence. Likewise, she selected the furnishings with great care and research so nothing looked like a knockoff of the real thing.

Built from Osage rubble stone and reclaimed brick columns, the pool cabana is flanked with McKINNON AND HARRIS duVal sun chaises.

A 1920s beaded chandelier with amber teardrop crystals hangs above a WATERWORKS tub in the master bathroom.

In the neutrals-drenched living room, custom sofas frame a duet of AXEL VERVOORDT salon tables.

“They had a deep feeling of wanting it all to feel European and authentic—not a phony version of the South of France,” Hersch says.

To that end, they scoured villages near and far, finding treasures to perfect each room. Regarding the kitchen’s long farm table, which once belonged to an abbey in a tiny Italian town, the designer recalls, “We held our breath as it came through customs.” Since the wife is an avid cook, the team devised a giant, traditional hearth around the La Cornue range using extra Italian bricks from the pool cabana.

Silk wallcoverings line the master suite to provide warm texture and break up all the plasterwork throughout the home. In the living room, Hersch chose linen upholstery to “calm down any stuffiness” from the antique furniture. The dining room’s chandelier is fitted with candleholders for rustic romance, while the back terrace dons vintage Italian iron chairs for soaking in the sun.

Hersch says the property’s “somewhere in Europe” vibe is more relaxed than anything you’d likely find overseas. “It’s reinvented—not [just] one thing or another,” she says. “Actually, it’s so California.”

Photography by Roger Davies

Written by Jennifer Blaise Kramer