How do you inject soul into a 12,000-square-foot new-build property?

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…and not just any new build, but one meticulously conceived to evoke a contemporary French château? For Expert Christina Cole Abboud, founder of Christina Cole and Co., the solution was simple: raid the very best of mother nature’s reserves. With a cast of veiny marbles, graphic quartzites, and tactile limestones, she fueled a sense of refinement in this statuesque dwelling in Encino, California.

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She also doubled down on elegant metals which would acquire a desirable patina. “The idea was that they would age relatively quickly to lend some charm,” explains the Austin, Texas-based designer. A fine case in point: the kitchen, with its hammered brass island, Calacatta Caldia backsplash, and cabinets boasting unusual, radius-edge corners, feels jewel-like rather than utilitarian.

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“We looked at the details of old china cabinets and antique pieces,” says Christina of the research process, adding how the raised beading on the door fronts gives a little shadow line. “Some of those details are often overlooked, but you feel them when you interact with them and understand that there's a finer scale at work.” She applied the same intention to the pantry, where a walnut wood engineered on the end grain to create a butcher’s block counter will age like a fine wine.

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A major challenge of the house’s vast footprint was creating cohesion while distinguishing certain areas. “That’s the definition of luxury: when your own house can satisfy not just different functions, but experiences too,” muses Christina. She addressed this by repeating aspects of the design language throughout.

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For instance, the oak paneling that adorns the foyer is mirrored in the principal bathroom, where its impact is softened with a large stitched artwork by British artist Lawrence Calver. But she also tried something new in cladding the dining room millwork with hand-antiqued mirrors to create a more formal ambiance.

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Christina’s work is underpinned by a sense of restraint and a masterful practice of tension. This explains the purposefully minimal fireplace surrounds—Negroso quartzite in the formal living room, limestone for the great room—and how they contrast against the heavy, timbered ceilings. She applied the same approach to the office: juxtaposing the old-world palette and traditional parquet in the office (which yes, is flanked by a showcase garage for a collector’s car) against paper-thin metal shelves suspended on fusion quartzite. “It creates a resistance between the more classic details,” she says.

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Furnishing the property proved the icing on the cake. Vintage finds help ground the newness of the house’s bones, which is why Christina chose the soft mid-century silhouettes by Alfred Christiansen and Erik Worts from The Expert Vintage, alongside the timeless appeal of the Classic Curved Chair from The Expert Collection. But her favorite piece is hands-down the Extended Signature Bed: “I love this bed, it’s almost like a built-in because it extends past the edge of the mattress to hold the nightstands. It's very spatial, and great for anchoring a room.”

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