Eye-Catching Architecture: 8 Stylish Homes with a Burst of Color

Soft pinks, essential neutrals, and gradients of gray all emerged as color trends on the 2020 Fall/Winter runways of New York, London, Milan, and Paris. Adding to the mix at the socially distant and digital fashion shows were rich hues of green—chartreuse, mint, and olive—and a vivid, citrusy shade of yellow, which, according to the British fashion bible, Vogue, “We could all undoubtedly use an extra dose of positivity this season by way of a cheery pop of color.” In this spirit, Luxury Defined presents eight homes, accoutered in delightfully daring shades of yellow, green, orange, and red to keep summer alive and chase any winter blues away.

La Villa Gialla in Henderson, Nevada

La Villa Gialla is a magnificent Mediterranean-style mansion in Lake Las Vegas’s triple-gated Marseilles South Shore community. The three-level home, built on a cascading lot to optimize the lakefront and golf course views, is distinguished by its warm, sunflower-yellow exterior punctuated with aged-stone columns and arches and terra cotta-tile roof. The interiors are the work of Tony Grant of Las Vegas’s Grant Design Group. There are custom finishes throughout, including a main-level floor of three-quarter-inch-thick Jerusalem gold-hued natural stone imported from Italy, an entry door of hand-forged iron, a signature staircase with decorative balustrades and handrails, and a hand-blown Murano glass chandelier. The main-floor appointments include a chef’s kitchen, library, and office. There are five bedrooms and six bathrooms. The principal suite takes up the entire third floor and includes dual bathrooms, a fitness-room with sauna, and private balconies. The lower level recreation level includes a custom-built snooker table, theater, wine cellar, and bar. The grounds include an infinity pool, outdoor kitchen, car-collector’s garage, putting green, a casita, two docks, and a deluxe boathouse—with humidor.

Mansion at the Gates of Monaco in Alpes-Maritimes, France

This stately private mansion has a prime location at the France-Monaco border, a few minutes’ walk from Monte-Carlo Country Club and the Larvotto beaches. The striking façade catches the eye with its deep ochre-hued walls offset by white window frames and balconies. Inside are elegant living spaces, fully restored and impeccably decorated, and spectacular sea views. Among the luxurious appointments are a magnificent top-floor primary suite and a lower-level recreation area with golf simulator and playroom. A charming garden with pool and pool house, a large garage, and separate staff quarters are further highlights of this superb property.

Color-Contrasted Contemporary in Santa Fe, New Mexico

This stylish property in Santa Fe’s Casas de San Juan gated community is perched on a hilltop with panoramic views of the Jemez and Sangre de Cristo Mountains. This unique home includes two contemporary dwellings in a striking, two-toned color palette of red and gray. The main house has a sleek and sophisticated floor plan: Sliding pocket doors flow out to numerous patios and an observation deck to capture views of the mountains and the high desert. Gallery-scaled walls with indirect lighting are ideal for an art collection. Elsewhere, vast windows bring in the Santa Fe sunlight. The appointments include an expansive living/dining room, gourmet kitchen, media room, office, and huge walk-in safe room. The primary suite, with steam room and soaking tub, is one of three luxurious en suite bedrooms. High-tech amenities include zoned radiant heating and cooling, solar heating, and an underground wastewater treatment system. Encompassing almost 8.5 acres, the grounds are landscaped with native plantings and water features and overlook a beautiful valley with sunset views.

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Villa Mani in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands

Villa Mani, perched on a ridge in the exclusive Royal Palm Island in the Turks and Caicos, is the “pink house on the hill,” designed in the Riviera style by international architect Ron Shaw. There are nine bedrooms, eight-and-a-half bathrooms, a sleek kitchen, and numerous indoor and outdoor bars. The “dancing dolphin” sculpture was crafted by the Master of the Isle of Murano and draws the eye toward the three-level infinity pool. The owner’s suite features dual bathrooms, a two-story dressing room, private deck with outdoor shower, and a walkway to the beach. The sunset wing of the villa has three bedrooms with an ocean-view suite, a red loft bunk room, and a blue loft bunk room. There is a full kitchen, living room, and an expansive deck that is perfect for sunrise yoga, relaxing, or sunbathing. The Tower Suite has a three-story winding staircase that leads to a romantic second-floor en suite bedroom. The third-floor observation deck has an unobstructed 360-degree view of the island and a rooftop bar for evening cocktails. Villa Mani’s three-level pool cascades down into a deeper pool with a shaded tiki-style swim-up bar, and in-water chaise longues. A second tiki hut directly on the beach is stocked with paddleboards, kayaks, Hobie Cats, while a private dock on Palm Island, just opposite the villa, spans some 300 feet.

La Zagaleta Villa in Marbella, Spain

This lovely, red hilltop villa faces the sea in what is perhaps Europe’s most prestigious residential resort, La Zagaleta in Marbella, Spain. The indoor-outdoor living spaces extend across 43,000 square feet with coastal views from every floor. The main level is appointed with several reception rooms, a gourmet kitchen, guest bedroom, and two large glassed-in terraces for year-round enjoyment. The second floor houses the main suite, with dual dressing rooms, bathrooms, and offices, and leads out to a south-facing terrace with scenic coastal views. An elevator serves all three floors, including the home’s lavish lower-level, outfitted with a game room, gym, hammam, and indoor lap pool with retractable glass wall. Three charming bungalows, all in the same muted red shade as the main house, each have a bedroom, bathroom, and south-facing terrace, and access to the spectacular outdoor pool with waterfalls, spa, and a delightful thatched dining pavilion.

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Casa Asombrosa on Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands

This striking modernist villa clads its tan exterior in primary colors and geometric forms, yet opens to warm, human-scale interiors in neutral secondaries. Casa Asombrosa, sited above Crooks Bay on Virgin Gorda, is two structures: a stunning main residence and a spacious guest house overlooking azure seas and white sand beaches. Custom-made bi-fold Sapele mahogany doors surround the open-plan first level’s drawing room, dining room and kitchen, and open to the pool terrace. Saltillo terracotta floor tiles unite indoor and outdoor spaces: A rectangular lap-pool and a spacious pool terrace provide plenty of room for lounging and entertaining. Off the kitchen is an open-air dining pavilion under a wooden pergola. The lower level also housed the owner’s suite, with bedroom, bath and private porch. The guest house echoes the design of the main house with matching columns, brilliant hues, and oversized bi-fold glass doors. A wraparound glass wall frames the sea views. All this is just five minutes’ drive from Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour, the main ferry dock, the commercial center of Spanish Town, and the airport.

Playfully Colorful Villa in Bratislava, Slovakia

With its whimsical color scheme, this villa is a peaceful oasis in the Slovakian capital of Bratislava. The interiors are modern, comfortable, and ultimately luxurious. Entered through a covered walkway, the single-story villa invites with an entrance hall leading into a sunlit living room, with a skylight, and a terrace running the entire length of the room. Farther along is an eat-in kitchen with a charming view of the gardens. Four bedrooms, one of which is the main suite, and two bathrooms are on the main floor. A gym, wine cellar, and shooting range are on the lower level. Three garages offer parking for five cars. Surrounding the home are lovely gardens graced with a variety of mature trees, plants and flowers, and a greenhouse.

Redwood in Bar Harbor, Maine

Redwood, a year-round residence designed by architect William Ralph Emerson and built in 1879, is acclaimed as the first and finest of his major shingle-style cottages. Its distinctive silhouette, clad in dusky rose shingles, unites disparate geometric forms and architectural details on a human scale that is simply magnificent. Framed by the red maples which inspired its name, Redwood overlooks Frenchman Bay and its dramatic islands from a very quiet neighborhood of beautiful homes within an easy walk of the village of Bar Harbor. The long, winding driveway circles to the welcoming front entrance foyer. Beyond are formal living and dining rooms with fireplaces, and a large sunroom which opens to a wide, wraparound sundeck. The open kitchen utilizes a large pantry and additional utility room. Several of the six bedrooms have fireplaces. The level lawn ends at the ocean bulkhead, bounded by granite ledges and crashing surf.