105 Marbella Hills
The sophisticated and well-travelled owner of this property has seen it all, but he’s never seen anything quite like this before. This is a party house par excellence, created by UDesign with a sense of fun, exquisite taste and the best works of modern art in the world.
Above: 105 Marbella Hills is a luxury villa with a gallery vibe. Between a Rothko, a Warhol and a surrealist black & white wallpaper mural, we see fittingly creative Cloud lights by Apparatus Studio.
Above: While art is an integral part of the villa’s character, nature also plays a big role, creating a perfect balance. This sitting area benefits from immediate proximity to a terrace on one side, and an integrated double aquarium on the other.
Above: Impressive view: the main lounge area extends effortlessly into the villa’s own palm tree boulevard, with a giant LED screen at the end.
Words like unique, luxurious, chic and state-of-the-art, frequently misplaced and overused, are brought back to their true meaning in this extraordinary project. It is a luxury villa like no other. With its own DJ booth, a fully functional club bar, a huge outdoor kitchen, a 14 square metre exterior LED screen and an extensive 200 square metre pool area, the owner of this property can invite up to two hundred guests at a time for club standard entertainment from sunset to sunrise, all without leaving the house. La Cabana Pool & Lounge, reads the neon sign on a marble panel, and the space really does deserve a name of its own. Centered around the focal point of the pool are various entertainment zones that allow for a smooth transition between stages and moods of any gathering. Right under the sign, a simple white table and a set of huge candles create an intimate ambience for a dinner party under the stars with friends, perfect to kick off an exclusive private party.
Above: The pool area: the neon La Cabana sign may not be a geographical necessity, but true to the somewhat quirky design of the entire villa, it is an essential design element, as well as a reminder that entertaining is taken seriously in this house. The white sofas are custom-made by UDesign.
As the evening goes on, one might be tempted to move to the casual bar area, complete with its own TV screen and music – a perfect place to observe the team of caterers and waiters preparing the setting, while the DJ and dancers start off the real party. Or one could take a stroll around the house, where each area has an iPad you can use to play music from playlists custom-made by the best lounge and club DJs for different moods, times of the day and musical tastes. For those who want to see the action without leaving the party area, and perhaps talk business, the mother of all chill-out zones is nearby, overlooking the pool. The dark wood contrasts beautifully with the white stone and green living wall, creating a timeless look. The table is much more than it appears: a water feature where each steel sphere is an individual fountain, floating with LEDs surrounding them. The white sofas by UDesign and Farooo floor lamps by Marcel Wanders for Moooi add to the perfect symmetry.
Above: The mother of all chill-out zones is raised above the pool area with illuminated marble stairs, its borders defined by a living wall and palm trees. Its symmetry is an architectural feature of the whole property.
Above: The exquisite pool area of the villa is also the structural centre point. Cooling down in the pool provides the best views – of the screen, the chill-out areas and the inside lounge with all its beautiful artwork.
Above: An idyllic setting for an intimate dinner under the stars with friends, perfect to kick off an exclusive private party.
Above: This home has a pool area any 5-star hotel would envy, a full-on club atmosphere and the playful sophistication of an informal art gallery.
The pool area itself is exquisite. The white sofas come in a multitude of shapes: round beds custom-made by UDesign and reminiscent of Nikki Beach, while the cloud shaped benches are Lava by Karim Rashid for Vondom. The stone fire pit made by UDesign comes into play at night, further engaging the senses, with flames, gleaming water, music from the hidden speakers and palm trees giving the impression they rise straight from the pool itself. It all comes together here for an unforgettable experience. Adding a splash of colour to the entire pool area, the seemingly incongruous Pink Balloon Dog by Jeff Koons has now become one of the most iconic series of sculptures of our time, one 10-foot-tall version setting the world record in 2013 for the most expensive work of art by a living artist sold at auction. Other equally valuable artworks inside the house can also be seen from the pool area.
Above: The DJ is the soul of any party, and fairness dictates that he or she gets their very own booth in this party house, where the works of art facing them are sure to inspire.
This is certainly a house for entertaining, and as the party winds down and the music subsides, one could move to the sitting area. The transition is seamless – the white stone floor is a foundation of both the outside and the inside. Here the feeling of being in a modern art gallery intensifies: quirky colourful pieces of furniture by B&B Italia, Brabbu, La Chance and Edra are cleverly placed around the eye-catching Rothko painting. The 6-foot black & white photographic image on one side cleverly extends one’s perspective, while the wall of shelves filled with small sculptures on the other side makes one feel like getting up and having a closer look. Number 105 Marbella Hills encompasses both impressive architecture and attention to every single detail of interior design.
Now might be the time for the massive LED screen, which worked amazingly well as a dynamic backdrop for dancers during the party, to slide back into its frame and turn into a water feature, achieved at the push of a button on the domotics system. The view of the pool area from the inside is a truly cosmopolitan mix, reminiscent of Sunset Boulevard in LA, but with a Mediterranean touch by the presence of 80-year-old olive trees.
Above: Dining room: The table is custom-made by UDesign from a 12cm-thick oak plank with a high-gloss finish, allowing the shape of the wood to remain visible. Chandeliers by Lasvit, bespoke ceiling detail by UDesign. The design of the geometric rug from the Rug Society was inspired by the ethnic and vibrant work of Jonathan Adler, who can always be relied on to bring a happy and chic look to any interior space.
Above: The vibrant colours and ethnic materials combine to create the atmosphere of a Moroccan living room. Pass the shisha…
Despite its contemporary look and focus on entertainment, the villa has spacious living and dining areas where the owners can spend time in a more private setting. The dining room is an amusing mixture of ultra-modern and antique. The classic chandeliers are paired with the lofty dining table but are at odds with the dramatic details in the ceiling. Meanwhile, the quirky rug from The Rug Society forms its own ensemble with purple avant-garde Ekstrem chairs, designed back in 1972 by Terje Ekström. The purple in the chairs continues into the dining area with its chill-out zone, full of vibrant colours and ethnic motifs. The stone wall with fireplace, complete with a round mirror that’s actually a television set, would make the perfect place for long winter afternoons of playing chess and smoking shisha. Paola Lenti sofas, decorative cushions and a carpet re-mastered from antique rugs recreate the ambience of a Moroccan living room, complete with a living ceiling and bamboo plants. A pool table and a hanging bubble chair complete this gorgeous space between the kitchen, dining and chill-out zone.
Above: Despite this villa being a statement of taste and luxury designed to share with friends, its more private areas have managed to stay private, comfortable and inviting, with little distance and no separation between the dining area and the chill-out zone.
Above: The Kitchen: The custom-made UDesign kitchen, with black Miele equipment and brushed gold surface finishes, is both contemporary and impressive. An isle-integrated garden-bed brings life into the otherwise uncluttered space, with storage and the pantry hidden behind the gold-finished doors.
Above: The TV Room: The 3D floor to ceiling wallpaper creates a feeling of extended perspective. The vibrant colours from the rest of the villa find their place here too, the pink of the wallpaper reflected in the carpet, the Pipe armchairs and the small bonsai. With the ethereal and graphic Vertigo lamp by Petite Friture, the room is both stylish and cosy.
The villa’s television room features the vibrant colours and artistic themes of the formal lounge, but focuses on practicality, functionality and comfort, an area for the family to spend a lot of time in. Cosy B&B Italia sofas, beautiful and quirky Pipe armchairs by Moroso and a bookcase, illuminated at night, make the perfect setting for an all-night movie marathon.
The definitive colour accent is found in the floor to ceiling wallpaper (see below), which looks like a room in itself, giving a three dimensional feel to the space. It is, in fact, a photograph taken at one of India’s majestic royal palaces, and while it may not immediately appear to be the perfect choice for most contemporary luxury projects, it manages to look just right at 105 Marbella Hills.
We’ve all been invited to “an evening at my place”, but few of us will have had the good fortune to experience an evening’s entertainment at a home like this. With furniture carefully selected or custom-made, the most up-to-date integrated technology, the original art works and the impressive landscaping, 105 Marbella Hills leaves one unsure of what to enjoy next, be it the beauty of the house itself or the pool and garden areas surrounding it. The answer has to be both, because in this property, the inside and out are one of a piece, a perfect blend of man-made and natural elements coming together to form a whole that is guaranteed to be memorable.
Above: The vibrant palette continues into the master bedroom, where a combination of green, purple and coral is completed with brightly-coloured floral wallpaper. Bed and purple occasional chair by B&B Italia.
All architecture and interior design in this feature by UDesign.
This article first
appeared in the
5th issue of
UD Magazine.
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