Preston Hollow French Renaissance Estate Designed by Peter Marino has Underground Surprise

Our Monday Morning Millionaire at  8891 Jourdan Way is the most beautiful Preston Hollow French Renaissance estate you’ve ever seen. And it also has an unmatched architectural pedigree. It was designed by renowned architect Peter Marino, who brings an unprecedented level of elegance and luxury to everything he touches.

Marino apprenticed under I.M. Pei and George Nelson. Early in his career, he designed Andy Warhol’s private home, Yves St. Laurent and Pierre Bergé’s Manhattan apartment, and the Park Avenue apartment of Gianni and Marella Agnelli. When Barney’s was owned by the Pressmans they hired him to mastermind their displays.

He’s also designed just a few luxury stores — 30 for Chanel, 20 for Luis Vuitton, and 15 for Dior. Armani, Arnault, and Rothschild are among the more recent clients he will name.

Private residences make up only about a quarter of his projects. If you can nab him to design your home, you’ve lucked out. There is simply no one better.  If you are looking for incomparable luxury, you’ll find it in this grand home. Hint: there is another Dallas estate that has Peter Marino’s unmistakeable touch, can you tell us what it is?

Built in 1999, the estate sits on 3.2 acres of lush grounds that include a .79-acre private lake and a guard house. There are 18,691 square feet in the main house and 1,253 square feet in the guest house, bringing the total livable space to 19,944 square feet. With three floors, seven bedrooms, nine bathrooms, five powder baths, and a basement natatorium, you will likely never want to leave home.

When Peter Marino takes on a project, a homeowner can relax because they are in the hands of a master. He understands how to mix the theatrical with the practical, has an almost obsessive attention to detail, and yet he never lets that drop-dead drama interfere with comfort.

Black-and-white limestone floors and the first of 14 fireplaces greet you as you step into the foyer. This one is French marble from the 18th century. The walls surrounding the three-story staircase are covered in hand-painted Gracie wallpaper.

There are hidden panels, faux finishes, Venetian plaster, gold and leather trimmed bookcases, antique Delft tiles, and Schalmandre silk taffeta walls to please the most discerning eye. On a more practical level, there are brilliant features like a flower refrigerator, a trophy closet, and custom storage for your table cloths.

Getting back to that pedigree, Peter Marino was heavily influenced by Lorenzo Mongiardino who favored atmosphere over authenticity, largely because of his work in the film industry for the likes of Franco Zeffirelli and Gian Carlo Menotti. Mongiardino counted the Rothschild family and fashion icon Valentino among his clients.

Marino pays homage to Mongiardino in this estate by echoing the look of a room he designed for Valentino’s Via Appia villa in Rome. So, if you are lucky enough to snag this gorgeous French Renaissance home, think twice about removing the bold red and white check paper and draperies and painting the walls a dreary gray. This is the sort of home that requires decadent and lavish appointments.

 

Estates of this size don’t run themselves. There is not only an estate manager’s office, but the home has staff quarters that include a dining room, living room, kitchen, and bedrooms.

The basement holds the best surprise — a natatorium with a spa, salon, full bathroom, custom locker room, and a hand-painted French scene on the walls because there has to be some drama here as well!

The guest house is stunning with another 18th-century European fireplace, French doors, and a full kitchen.

Although you are in the heart of Preston Hollow, you are completely secluded from the neighbors who, by the way, include Lisa Blue Baron, Doug Barnes, the Engstroms, the Rachofskys, and the Wylys. Yes, you’re in good company.

Allie Beth Allman has this luxury estate listed for $27.5 million.

“It’s the first time this house has ever been available to the public for sale,” Allman said. That makes it truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. An estate like this seldom comes along, and with a Peter Marino pedigree, it’s worth every penny.

Karen Eubank is the owner of Eubank Staging and Design. She has been an award-winning professional home stager for more than 25 years. She’s been a professional writer for 20 years. Karen is the mother of a son who’s studying music at The University of Miami. An ardent animal lover, she doesn’t mind one bit if your fur baby jumps right into her lap. Find Karen at www.eubankstaging.com