Special Places · Pelican Ridge, Newport Coast
A Rotunda Staircase and Canyon Views
The whole house is built around a domed rotunda at the top of the entry stairs -- wrought iron railing curving around an open circle, a round window catching light on one side, the front doors visible straight down through the middle. It's the kind of architectural centerpiece that only works from a couple of specific angles, so a good part of the shoot was just walking the second floor landing to find the one that let the ironwork, the dome, and the sightline to the entry all line up. From there the house opens into canyon views on nearly every side -- the great room and primary suite both look straight out over Pelican Ridge's hillside toward the coast, and the backyard pool and spa are cut right into that same slope. A big, formal, guard-gated property, but one with enough real architectural detail that it didn't need staging tricks to photograph well.
