It’s not every day that a house comes on the market with its own human aquarium. Through massive windows, this nine-bedroom, 13-bath mansion in affluent Dana Point, in Orange County , Calif., gives revelers in the home’s nightclub-like man cave a peek into the pool and swimmers a peek at who’s winning in a game of pool.
While under construction, the three-story residence got the nickname the Fortress from locals because of all the work needed to go into the pool-slash-aquarium. The infinity-edge pool, which looks out over the ocean, needed to be 15 feet deep to maximize viewing from the underground bar and adding windows increased the building challenges, making it necessary to attach the pool to the structure of the home itself. At double the weight of a standard pool, it needed some extra reinforcements in the form of steel and concrete underpinnings, hence the Fortress.
Architects CJ Light and Associates and the design team at Hawk & Co. collaborated on the vision for this project. The 13,500-square-foot home spared no resources in building in the extras, from brass-inlay finishes and custom chandeliers to that exceptional pool, a bocce lawn, waterfalls, a grotto and a grand three-story spiraling staircase. The home is on a double lot in an exclusive neighborhood called the Strand. Upon entering, a custom chandelier sparkles across the marble floors. In the great room, a Vladimir Kagan sectional is set against walnut wall panels and an Art Deco-inspired stepped ceiling. That space opens to the dining area with a table that can seat 14 against a backdrop of Armani Casa wallpaper. The vast kitchen includes a La Cornue range in black enamel and a full suite of Miele appliances with marble countertops.
Upstairs is the primary bedroom done in wallpaper by Aesthetics and metal inlays, a design signature of Hawk & Co. The doors to one of the dual walk-in closets replicate the inlaid details from the walls. But the real wow factors are the view to the ocean and the corner windows that open to provide unobstructed sunsets. Those same retractable glass walls are repeated in the master bathroom for views from the soaking tub. White-onyx counters on the vanity add an extra luxurious touch. The dramatic foyer Photo: Manolo Langis But the home’s real showstopper is that man cave. Designed to feel like a London nightclub, the sleek space has a full bar, an 11 Ravens custom pool table and six-foot-thick acrylic windows into the pool. Natural light filters through the water, giving the bar space a blue glow.
The mansion also includes a California room, an office and a five-car garage. Of the remaining eight bedrooms, two are private guest suites that have their own private entrances. It’s listed for $21.9 million with Arlen Raubach. The living room opens to the pool and ocean views. Photo: Manolo Langis
