Now that the summer season is fully upon us and it appears we are collectively turning the page, slowly but surely, to what is seemingly closer to "normal life," the thought of summer getaways came to mind. Haute Design decided to ask what some of our design experts consider to be the ideal summer getaway in terms of design inspiration.

Haute Design:Which summer getaway destination provides you with inspiration the most around this time of year? Why?

Hafsa Burt of hb+a Architects, San Francisco, CA: I am always looking for places to travel and discover. I love to interact with locals and delve into a different culture. I have had two recent trips that were phenomenal. One was an escape to Spain which began in the Basque Country and stretched all the way to Granada and Cordoba.

Soon after, I read Ernest Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises and felt like he was on the trip with me in Pamplona.

That journey continued into a very thrilling road trip in Morocco, from Marrakesh to Casablanca. The food, colors, culture and history all lend themselves to a perfect cerebral escape.

Another trip that comes to mind happened a year later. I traveled to Jordan where some of the highlights were camping in the desert with Bedouins and hiking in Petra and Wadi Mujib. Jordan is an adventure-filled country and should be on everyone's bucket list.

We also managed to spend a couple of days in and around Jerusalem, absorbing the sights and sounds. I love walking through historically and culturally different places and intellectually indulge so I leave with a billion sensory images in my memory. If it inadvertently shows up in my work, all the better.

Laila Colvin of 2id Interiors, Miami, FL: I actually have my tickets purchased and will be leaving soon! I am going to Portugal for a family reunion.

I think I have two travel obsessions: Europe and Japan.

However, if it's related to design, I believe Europe is the place to go. There is just so much to see and so much art all around, it doesn't matter what country you visit, you will leave with design inspirations.

The last trip which truly inspired me was a family trip to England and Ireland. It was amazing. The year before that was Japan. But I feel like I will always go back to Europe at least once a year because it's just never enough.

However, Rafaela and I are from Brazil and we always talk about how design in Brazil is so rich and yet, it is not well-known. Because Brazilians are so quick to turn to Italian furniture and Italian design, but in our opinion, Brazilian designers, Brazilan architects, and Brazilian furniture are way beyond anything else we know. So every time we go back home to Brazil, it is unbelievable. We are always sending videos and photos to the team, and to each other. We’ll go to a restaurant, we’ll go to the mall, anywhere we go, it is out of this world.

Chasity Centeno of Riese Design, Long Island ,NY: Riese Design is inspired by the summer tropical feel with different prints, colors and textures. We love the mixture of soft textures with organic wood elements for summer when conceptualizing a design for our clients!

Who doesn't love a fun, colorful wallpaper, beautiful outdoor sets and textured walls for either interiors or exteriors?

We especially like to take inspiration from Cabo when doing design concepts for bathrooms. It's the best room to implement bold colors and accents. Cabo's inspiration comes from the beautiful beaches, history and foliage, along with an array of plants, which brings such an elegant blend of traditional and modern design.

To learn more about our adventurous design experts, visit their websites below.

CLICK HERE to visit the hb+a Architects website.

CLICK HERE to visit 2id Interiors' website.

CLICK HERE to visit Riese Design's website.

The post Haute Design Experts Weigh In On The Best Summer Getaways For Design Inspiration appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.

Highland Partners Luxury Real Estate agent and partner, Debbi DiMaggio, shares her curated list of local destinations under 3.5 hours from the East Bay.

Longtime Realtor, Debbi DiMaggio has been practicing real estate in the San Francisco Bay Area for over 30 years with her partner and husband Adam Betta who will celebrate their 29th wedding anniversary in July. This duo has spent years working in and, supporting their small-town community of Piedmont from the schools to local government, where their office is located, Debbi grew up, and the two raised their children. Aside from an excellent school system, and its convenient location to shops, restaurants, cafes, San Francisco, and three international airports, what the DiMaggio & Betta’s enjoy most has always been the close proximity to such world-renowned resort destinations such as Carmel and Monterey, the Sonoma and Napa Valley, Lake Tahoe, Stinson Beach, and Yosemite, all beautiful places just a stone's throw away frequented over the years as a family and continue to do so as Empty Nesters.

What is your favorite nearby destination within an hour’s drive?

We live in the East Bay so the Napa Valley is just under an hour away. When we lived in San Francisco we spent more time in Sonoma.

What does a typical afternoon look like in Napa Valley?

Whether it’s just the two of us, or my kids and their grandparents, or house guests who’ve never visited The Valley, it’s always the same, or some variation depending on the time at our disposal. The first stop is always the beautiful Silverado Vineyards. The views from this Italianate winery provide a birds-eye view of the Valley floor. And the wine of course, superb. From there it’s up to Auberge du Soleil for a light lunch and more wine, another perfect spot with magnificent vineyard vistas as well as the sparkling Auberge swimming pool featured in my book, Contained Beauty, photographs, reflections, and swimming pools. If the group still has energy, our next stop is the Napa Valley Olive Oil Co where we purchase our olive oil and porcini mushrooms for Adam’s Spicy Bolognese Sauce— it’s just betta! Then we circle back through St Helena to Hall Wines which is marked with a 35 foot tall polished stainless steel sculpture called Bunny Foo Foo, and finally to dinner at Bistro Don Giovanni. It’s a long day, but highly worth it.

Which of these destinations do you enjoy most as a family?

We’ve been going to the Carneros Resort and Spa since its inception. That first summer it opened we found ourselves sitting around the pool with investors of the resort. It was very small at the time yet situated high on the hill over an expansive property overlooking the rolling hills. We’ve watched and enjoyed the expansion over the years. We’ve stayed overnight and on weekends as a couple, and with the kids, and one year celebrated my parents anniversary and Thanksgiving renting one of their single-family homes.

Which is the best destination for a day trip?

As empty nesters, Adam and I go skiing in Lake Tahoe, either to Northstar or Heavenly as we are Epic Pass members. When the kids were younger a day trip would be spent in Carmel, shopping, eating, and playing on the beach or a visit to the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Which is your ideal overnight trip?

That’s a tough one, but I’d say Napa. Carmel is a close second. Both are lovely during any season. I actually love fall and winter in both locations.

What is your favorite activity as a family?

Skiing, most definitely, skiing. I’m not much of a beach person or much for sitting still.

What is your favorite solo activity?

The SPA. Warm towels, heated floors, a relaxing massage, a cleansing facial, a soothing body wrap, a detoxifying steam, and a cool shower. There’s truly nothing better. The Carneros Resort is my perfect destination spa day, but of course, there are many throughout the Valley. A close second is Meadowood.

Where will your next trip take you?

As a family, we are headed to one of our favorite places, The Four Seasons Troon North in Scottsdale, Arizona where we built a home when the kids were younger. And I always have a few trips in the queue to LA where I am expanding our real estate business. Over the past three years, I’ve cultivated many new friendships and business relationships and really enjoy the casual, yet stylish lifestyle.

Any exciting listings or business news to report?

It may seem crazy to say after all these years, but I truly never tire of selling real estate. Each day is a new day to guide a client, meet a new client, design a home for market, create marketing pieces and help clients achieve their goals. I do look forward to helping our upcoming clients with their next chapters, assisting them with the process, readying their homes for market, and selling their homes filled with memories all the while being emotionally supportive, present, and available to each during the transition.

Connect with Debbi and the DiMaggio & Betta Group

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When it comes to getting away, there is never a better locale than the south of France. Unlike so many domestic locales in America, Provence is a getaway full of peaceful nature, serene beaches, and beautiful villas like La Bergerie, the ultimate luxury villa from the London-based Richstone Properties. This scenic getaway is everything a vacation should be: a peaceful getaway where you can count on their team and staff to ensure a reprieve from everyday life.

For most, vacation planning can be more work than it’s worth. There’s hotels to book, rates to manage, the claustrophobia of the tiny little rooms not living up to their website purported photos, not to mention the added expenses around every corner for things like meals, drinks, cabs, and those little shampoo bottles that are somehow never small enough to take through airport security. What if that could all go away though? This villa isn’t going to fix the problems of traveler’s anguish, it’s going to make you never want to go to another four-star hotel ever again.

La Bergerie, built in Côte d'Azur’s Terre Blanche, is an oasis of luxe lifestyles and amenities. This mansion sits on a beautiful hillside overlooking the best of the French Countryside. The home features an immaculate pool, veranda, game room, several bedrooms and ensuites, a balcony off the master bedroom, fire pit, fields growing lavender and jasmine, a home garden, and everything in between. The villa is also staffed by a team of highly skilled men and women looking to cater to every need from keeping the property looking pristine to making eggs to one’s liking in the morning. Stop worrying about if the amusement park tickets you bought from that third party site with a coupon will be real for the kids and wake up to the smell of lavender drifting through the open windows of the bedroom while breakfast waits for you downstairs before heading to the Riviera later that day. Doesn’t that sound, like, a million times better?

Richstone Properties has made this home its signature palace in the region, with a driveway to fit a number of cars, water croquet mallets ready for yard games, a quiet section of land, and with close proximity to gold courses just down the road, Cannes and the beach 30 miles to the south, and quaint French hillside villages mere miles away by car, La Bergerie is the ultimate getaway for anyone’s interests be it shopping in the city, swimming at the beach or any of the nearby lakes, hitting the links with guests, or taking in some of France’s nearby historical locales like the Molinard Perfumery, Chateau Font Du Broc, and Château D’Esclans right nearby. The region is also best known for its wine and cuisine. La Bergerie is set right outside the lines of Cannes tourism radius, which means that the restaurants nearby are authentically French, as opposed to catering to the interests and palates of travelers coming to the region. Provence also is responsible for 80% of the world’s rosé. With several vineyards in the region, the locals take their rosé seriously, and are determined to show anyone who thinks otherwise the light about their pale pink drink-of-choice.

Richstone has made a name for the company as one of the premiere development firms in the UK for luxury homes. With the bulk of their properties in the London area, they've drawn interests from clients around the globe by thinking not only of the appearance of luxury for a buyer, but from following through in their thought process to add amenities for those living in these homes day to day. La Bergerie had originally been built for the head of the company's personal vacation home. Luckily, with the business taking off in spades across Britain and Europe, the villa is now available for those who appreciate the finest in quality to enjoy.

The main house can accommodate 12 people across six luxurious bedrooms, with additional lodging in the guesthouse located at the other end of the drive to support 16 total guests. The home makes for the perfect family getaway for the holidays. Granted, this comes with a pretty penny for a price tag. That said, of all the luxury content covered by this publication, I can firmly say it’s the most effective use of that money for what it yields, a vacation that you actually feel rested from when you return. The villa is typically rented out for two weeks at a time, though special accommodations can be made. Whether it’s an intimate wedding with a few close friends, a family holiday getaway, or just somewhere to escape for a while, this Villa needs to be your latest, greatest destination.

The post Make This Incredible Villa, La Bergerie, Your Next Getaway appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.

Whether you’re planning a wedding abroad and want to combine hotel costs for family with the price of renting a venue, are planning the next boutique music festival, or just want to have a vacation for the whole family that doesn’t involve shaking hands with a man in a mascot costume, these castles will have anyone feeling like royalty.

Kilmartin Castle, Scotland

Held originally by the rector of Kilmartin Glen and the Bishop of The Isles, this castle, built in 1550, is a cozy retreat for anyone fond of nature and the beautiful scenery of the Scottish countryside.

Dunskey Castle, Portpatrick

This castle is built on a 2,000-acre property covering glens, forests, gardens, lochs, and waterfalls. The nine beds, 5.5 bath estate also features an expansive library and grand dining room. Contrary to what you might think was intended of a space built to explore nature in, it also has internet access.

Dairsie Castle, Scotland

Located 15 minutes outside St Andrews University, this castle sleeps 13 and is great for everything from the company golf outing at the historic course in St Andrews to a family holiday. The castle is also an hour drive away from Edinburgh, the heart of Scottish culture.

Devon Castle, Devon

A beautiful old mansion in Devon, featuring 5 bedrooms, 1.5 bathrooms, and broad views reaching out to the ocean, this three story mansion is beautiful in its traditional English design and has several large gardens enclosed in the property to wander through.

Beaulieu Sur Loire Castle, France

Located in central France, and a short drive from Paris, this 10 bedroom, 8 bathroom estate is built across multiple buildings in the commune. The property also features multiple gardens, ponds, pools, and greenery to roam during your stay. Forget having to deal with the neighbors in the room next door when next door are birds chirping round the clock.

The post These Airbnb Castles Are Incredible appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.

With the summer behind us, Hamptons buying season is already underway with buyers thinking smaller about their purchases to come. While the Hamptons has become famous for being New Yorkers’ high society getaway between Memorial Day and Labor Day, a new trend is taking form to give those already out east a way to beat traffic to and from the surf, and it all happens on a little lot in Montauk.

Regular Hamptonites know all too well how long it can take to get only a few miles on a given Saturday in the thick of the summer season. Getting from Bridgehampton to Montauk to go surfing can take over an hour easily. Montauk Shores, a trailer at the tip of the island, is being bought up fast by some of the wealthiest Hamptonites in the area.

All that the trailer park is selling is a 24x50 foot plot of land, and the box of air above it. The one rule the property has is that everything new needs to be wheeled in. The area’s well-to-do residents are seemingly taking this on as a challenge, ushering in luxury amenities, materials and fixtures to see who can build the most beautiful, luxurious property in the confined area. (Think of it as a Pinewood Derby car for billionaires.) While Hamptons homes big and small are the destination when leaving the city for most, these trailers are serving as merely a beautiful outpost for those who already have homes in the Hamptons. If John Doe lives in a beautiful, expansive home in Amagansset, but loves surfing in the early morning in Montauk, this little chateau is the perfect answer to beat the traffic without having to wake up at the crack of dawn to do so. It also acts as a great way to rise off the salt and sand before heading back to the linen clad home he’s entertaining at later that evening.

While the community still includes natives to the area and those with a traditional home in the community, the rich and famous of the Hamptons have created “Billionaires’ Row” in Montauk Shores, outfitting their double-wide sized homes with mahogany wood walls, luxury fixtures, and a beautiful interior to fill the cozy space.

via: nypost.com

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Today, we’re lucky enough to have travel options specified for us, that what we want is available at the click of a mouse. PlansMatter, the new vacation home rental tailored for those interested in modern architecture homes, does just that. For the design junkie, modern aficionado, or cool-home enthusiast, PlansMatter is tailoring the search for your perfect vacation home with your interests in mind. The site works on a simlar model as Airbnb, with each rental being a normal home that is rented for a standard period of time, and paid for through the site. Each listing comes with a description of the home and a series of images taken by the renters.

Founded by two architecture school classmates, Connie Lindor and Scott Muellner, PlansMatter is a service to reserve and rent vacation homes that are specifically architectural marvels, built by some of the most famous and noted architects in history. While certain listings on the site are exclusive to PlansMatter, the site also works as an aggregate of similar sites like Airbnb to find beautifully designed homes for any location. Here are some of our favorites:

1. This Frank Lloyd Wright designed home in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

2. This ocean-elevated beauty in Australia

3. This traditional Japanese House

4. This schoolhouse-gone-sheep-sanctuary in Canada

5. This cold-weather favorite, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright himself

6. This modern villa built into the hillside in Switzerland

The post PlansMatter Is Airbnb For Modern Architecture appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.

With Labor Day about to close out the summer season, people are leaving the vacation homes behind and flocking back to New York in droves. For Hamptonites, this means performing the ancient ritual of Tumbleweed Tuesday, in which you sit in your car in traffic so long, by the time you get home it’s almost Memorial Day again.

Before the Hamptons became the go-to destination though for New York’s high society, Newport, Rhode Island was the place to be. In gilded-age New York, New York’s biggest bold faced names summered further north, in the seaside town, constructed their own mansions that today remain historically preserved on the waterfront, and offer museum-styled tours of several properties.

The Breakers

This mansion, originally constructed for Cornelius Vanderbilt II, was built in an Italian Renaissance design, and covers nearly 125,000 square feet. The 70-room house is five stories tall and covers one acre roughly with the building. The yard also runs down toward the cliff walk, with views over the Atlantic Ocean.

Beechwood

First owned by Daniel Parrish, a wealthy businessman in New York, the Parrish mansion was sold in 1881 to William Backhouse Astor, Jr. The Astor Family name is also the reference behind Astor Place, the Waldorf Astoria, and the Queens neighborhood of Astoria. Beechwood was remodeled by architect Richard Morris Hunt, and outfitted for the Astors’ love of entertaining. The building has a ballroom, library, and wallpaper imported from Paris. The mansion is rumored to be haunted by the spirits of those who loved attending parties and social gatherings at the mansion.

Chateau-sur-Mer

This palatial estate was the original grandest home in the area until the Vanderbilt family constructed The Breakers mansion. It was build for William Shepard Wetmore, a wealthy businessman from the China Trade. At his death, Wetmore bestowed much of his fortunate, including the estate, to his son Geroge Peabody Wetmore, who would go on to become the governor of Rhode Island. He remodeled the building, using now-reknowned architect Richard Morris Hunt, who had gone on to create the New York Tribune Building, and the pedestal for the Statue of Liberty.

Miramar

This 30,000 swuare foot, French neoclassical mansion was built in 1915 for George Widener. Widener was a business man in Philadelphia who would later go on to pass away in the sinking of the RMS Titanic. When Widener had passed, the building was still in the early design stages. His widow, Eleanor Elkins Widener, was rescued from the shipwreck in a lifeboat, and took on the project to its completion in 1915.

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With the summer season ending and temperatures starting to drop, having to go back to work on Monday and leave the beach behind can hurt more and more each week. What if I told you though that the summer needn’t end just because your friends are dusting off their fall sweater collections? Every year, geese take this time to start flying south—and so should you! Two luxury destinations south of the US have become the go-to destinations for living the high while everyone else is dressing in layers.

Los Cabos, built on Baja’s southern coast, has become a magnet for those in the know seeking a luxury lifestyle south of the border. With the Four Seasons, Ritz Reserve, and more making their debut in the area, Montage Hotel and Resorts is making a splash in the area with a unique setup. Built on one of the only swimmable beaches in the region and some of the best diving in Mexico, the resort boasts 124 guest rooms, but with 52 residential properties in the area too, that include the same amenities as the resort, too. Built across the 39 acres of white sandy beaches overlooking Santa Maria Bay, the resort is set to open in April of 2018, meaning now’s the time to get in quick!

Across the Caribbean, Jamaica is buzzing about The Tryall Club. Built on a former sugar plantation just outside Montego Bay, the 75 private villas in the neighborhood. Built atop roving hills, each villa has been expertly designed to feel like a tropical getaway while still matching the most distinct of tastes. A staff of butlers, chefs, housekeepers, laundress, and gardeners also cares for each estate. The property is also home to one of the best golf courses in Jamaica, with full 18 holes, nine on the waterfront and nine in the lush Jamaican countryside. The Mahogany Hill and Sugar Hill estates, each coming in at just over $5 Million, offer a tranquil getaway from even the rest of the plantation, with the homes sitting on over 3 acres of land each.

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