Mediterranean in spirit from the outset, the approach unfolds through a landscaped courtyard and bougainvillea-framed entry. “This creates a stronger sense of arrival – a moment to pause before continuing through the house toward the tennis court beyond,” says architect Brian Meyerson, co-principal of MHNDU. Inside, what Lawless describes as “a thing of beauty” is the sculptural staircase. “It’s deliberately grand without feeling overbearing or ostentatious,” she says. To the left, steps descend to a library bathed in afternoon light; to the right, the living and family rooms extend past a double-sided, stucco-clad fireplace to the dining area, kitchen and scullery, with each space opening through arched doors to internal gardens or the pool terrace.
Upstairs, the connection to light and views continues, with each bedroom opening onto its own terrace and ensuite, while the main suite extends to a large dressing room and timber-lined study. At lower-ground level are a gym, sauna, ice bath, cinema and cellar. “Even as a large house, each room has a reason for being there. No space is wasted,” says Lawless. That also extends beyond the footprint of the home itself to the neighbouring property, acquired to make way for a tennis court.
