This fall, style and sophistication once again take up residence in Los Angeles at this year’s Esquire House, the eighth iteration of Esquire magazine’s successful “Signature Space” program the transformation of a remarkable physical space into the epitome of 21st century living.
Located in the storied Hollywood Hills, this 9,000-square-foot home has been completely rebuilt from the ground up and newly outfitted by top designers to create a dynamic living environment. Dubbed “The Ultimate Bachelor Pad,” the House will also continue its tradition of playing host to some of the season’s most highly anticipated charity and celebrity events.
“Our Signature Spaces, which we have created annually for close to a decade now, have become another touchpoint for the consumer and dimensionalize Esquire in a relevant lifestyle way that also serves our advertisers,” notes Kevin O’Malley, VP/publisher, Esquire. “We strive to offer our guests, readers and clients the ultimate Esquire experience, whether that’s by reading our magazine, perusing our Web site, diving into our iPad app, or enjoying a cocktail in our House.”
The 2010 Esquire House, located in the Doheny Estates in the Hollywood Hills, commonly known as the “Bird Streets,” is a magnificent residence with some of LA’s most breathtaking views. What was once a family home has been transformed into a contemporary indoor-outdoor lifestyle property. The House was completely renovated for Esquire, overseen by lead designer Elaine Culotti of Porta Bella. It features 11 rooms, nine baths, a two-story pool house, infinity pool, hot tub, and gym.
Some of the most remarkable aspects of the 2010 Esquire House L.A. include a $500,000 music studio complete with state-of-the-art recording equipment (outfitted by Blue Microphones), a one-of-a-kind $200,000 flight simulator created by Luxurious Animals that responds to body movements, and an interactive 65-inch Multi-Touch Video Wall from Obscura Digital featuring Hard Rock memorabilia.
The grand opening of the Esquire House will take place on Friday, October 15, with a benefit for the International Medical Corps, a global, humanitarian, nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives and relieving suffering through health care training and relief and development programs, hosted by Sienna Miller, Jude Law and Felicity Huffman. Additional fundraising fetes currently scheduled include OXFAM, Oceana, and City of Hope, with such luminaries as Mark Ruffalo, Colin Firth, Giada De Laurentiis, Minnie Driver, and Emile Hirsch, among others. All events are by invitation only and attract a vibrant mix of celebrities, high-profile philanthropists, Esquire clients, and other VIPs.
New to the project this year is a cable TV show on the making of the Esquire House. The DIY Network is creating a one-hour special on the House to air in January 2011 and Amy Matthews, host of the DIY Network shows This New House, Sweat Equity, Bathroom Renovations, and Blog Cabin, is designing the Media Room. In addition, Esquire’s first collection of furniture, rugs and accessories – Esquire Home – decorates the Home Office.
Another new media addition to the Esquire House this year is a dedicated tab on Esquire’s Facebook page (facebook.com/esquire) for those who are not able to visit the Los Angeles property. In addition to virtual tours of each room, visitors will be able to view red-carpet event photos and videos and explore the project’s charity and brand partners. The Esquire House content is scheduled to launch on Facebook at the beginning of October
Top designers contributing to the innovative and stylish interiors of this year’s Esquire House include Elaine Culotti who, in addition to overseeing the renovations, created the Great Room and Bar for Hugo Boss, Mark Cutler for Corum [Study], Luxurious Animals and Noam Maitless for Lufthansa [Virtual Reality Lounge], Annette English for Ferragamo [Master Bedroom], Lonni Paul for ASICS [Gym], John Everage for Esquire Home [Home Office], Amy Matthews for DIY Network [Media Room], Kyle Schuneman for DonQ [Outdoor Terrace], Denise Kuriger and Blue Microphones for Absolut [Recording Studio], and Lisa Delena and Obscura Digital for Heineken [Music Lounge]. Additional contributing designers include Lisa Adams of L.A. Closets [Master Closet], Eytan Poznansky of H20 Studios [Fountains] and Ron Boren [Landscaping].
To help create this year’s space, Esquire has brought together leading advertisers and marketers, several of whom have participated in prior years, including Absolut, Acura, ASICS, Bombardier, DonQ, Ferragamo, Glenfiddich, Heineken, Hugo Boss, LG Electronics, Lufthansa, Parmigiani, Robinson’s Prime Reserve, and Woodford Reserve. New to the project this year are Corum, Cyrus, Esquire Home, Graniti Fiandre, Infiniti, Montecristo Cigars, and Philips Norelco. Additional partners include Cosentino, Crystal Fountains, Kohler, L’Hermitage Beverly Hills, and Mohawk Flooring.
This year’s Esquire House is the eighth “Signature Space” and the fourth property Esquire has created in Los Angeles. The Esquire House concept was conceived in 2003 and since then has alternated between New York and Los Angeles. Previous locations in LA have included Esquire House Hollywood Hills (2008), Esquire House 360° (2006) and Esquire House Los Angeles (2004). Previous New York City locations have included Esquire Soho (2009), Esquire North (2007), Esquire Downtown at Astor Place (2005), and the original Esquire Apartment at Trump World Tower (2003).
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