Mansion Project - Formal Dining Room

Hi everyone.  It's been a while since my last post, but I have continued to work on the mansion.  I have just finished some initial renderings of the formal dining room.  The formal dining room is situated centrally in the home, near the grand staircase and reception hall.  The dining room itself has its own reception area, separated from the dining room by a pair of large columns.  The large central fireplace is the focal point of the room, flanked by a set of arches, one of which leads to the hall of china and family kitchen, and the other to the morning room.  I have used a warm wood floor in this room, which complements the wall colour. 

The dining room will be serviced as well by the catering kitchen located on the lower level, which is accessed by the nearby east staircase and service elevator. 

The ceiling detail is yet to be completed, so stay tuned for details.  Specifications to follow.  I have included the chair to give an appreciation of the scale. 

Your thoughts are most welcomed!  As always, click the image for a larger view.

Jonathan

My own "mini" Mansion

Hi everyone

While I continue to work on the "mega" mansion project, I thought I'd share with you my own "mini" mansion. It is small in comparison to the Mansion Project, but in reality it's not that "mini" at all.  It measures approximately 18,000 square feet on three floors.  It is a design that I hope to build for myself one day (hopefully sooner rather than later).

Your comments would be greatly appreciated.

Introducing the "Mini" Mansion Project

The Front Exterior Elevation (watercolor effect)

The front entry is adorned by Tuscan columns.  The garage is in a sideways configuration, which allows it to be concealed from this viewing angle.  Symmetry is largely maintained, with some minor variation.

 The Rear Exterior Elevation (watercolor effect)

The rear of the home exposes the third (lower) floor.  Twin staircases rise to the large entertaining area at the rear of the home.  The bottom floor contains the entertaining areas, including wet bar/billiards area, spa, indoor pool, exercise room, change rooms, wet and dry sauna, cigar lounge, wine cellar.

The Formal Dining Room

The formal dining room is immediately entered from the reception hall/main foyer.  The circular shape of the table is reflected in what I coin the "Las Vegas style" ceiling (as it is similar to the ceiling found in a local casino near my home).  The dining room has direct access to a butler's pantry/wet bar which leads into the kitchen.

The Formal Living/Music Room

As a musician myself, no mansion is complete without an adequate space for a beautiful grand piano.  Warm woods envelop the living room, and each of the pilasters is topped with a fleur de lys motif.

The Formal Living/Music Room (2)

Another surprise regarding the living room/music room is the spiral staircase which leads up to a viewing area, overlooking the piano, and a private office.  

The Family Kitchen/Breakfast Nook

This kitchen was meant to be a family gathering spot.  It features a breakfast nook/family dining area, and is directly open to the two storey family room.  A set of stairs leads up to the bedroom quarters.

Rear Exterior Rendering

Again, the exterior of the home demonstrating symmetry.

Thanks for all who have been supporting me on my endeavours so far.  Help this site grow by telling others to check it out!

Jonathan

Exterior Rendering - The two-storey Great Library

Here is more detail of the exterior.  This is a rendering of the exterior of the two storey great library.

I have made some modifications, including changing the overall colour of the exterior to a lighter colour.  I have also replaced the fluted pilasters with plain ones.  Let me know what you think of the changes! 

I was having "out of memory problems" with my old computer, and so purchased a new one to be able to continue with the project.  Talk about dedication!

As always, I am eager to hear your feedback.  More will be coming in the very near future so stay tuned to the "Mansion Project."

Exterior Facade - Additional renderings

I will update this post as new additional renderings of the exterior facade are created.

2. Southwest Corner (Conservatory)

Here's another rendering of the southwest corner of the mega-mansion.  In the centre is the conservatory, which is flanked by the central and west wings of the mansion.  It gives an impression of the scale, with the width of the central wing approximately equal to that of each of the two wings (east and west).  This would be the view as one approaches the west entrance of the mansion, en route to the grand ballroom.

West Facade - Initial Rendering

Continuing with the exterior of the ground and second floor I have created an initial rendering of the West Facade.

 

(Click image above for larger view)

I have done some shuffling, and have essentially created a mirror image of my original plans.  As such, the ground floor of the west wing now houses the business suite (oval office with private bathroom, reception hall, conference centre, executive guest suite), portrait hall, as well as the modified two storey ballroom and two storey conservatory (as requested by readers of the blog).  I really enjoy incorporating readers' suggestions into the project, which is why feedback is always appreciated!

The second floor of the west wing features the master suite, which has master sitting room, private kitchen, bedroom, separate his and her closets, dressing rooms, and ensuites bathrooms.  To finish off the "upper" west wing, There is a viewing gallery (with a private terrace) that overlooks the ballroom.

The west wing also houses a staircase and service elevator, which services all floors of the mansion.  There is also a secret passageway which traverses the master bedroom and oval office (bathroom) leading to a panic room and escape tunnel in the basement.

I have continued the limestone cladding on the exterior facade.  The "oval office" inspiration is carried through to the exterior, with the west facade of this mega mansion resembling the south facade of the white house.  The two storey columns allow for private terraces off of both the oval office and the master bedroom suite above.

The west entrance leads to the portrait hall which serves as a place to welcome guests and provides direct access to the ballroom and conservatory. Vehicles will be able to pull up to west entrance, which could be adorned with a red carpet for the most "distinguished" of parties.  

Again, this is the initial rendering, and much work is left to be done with the mill work and of course the roof and basement elevation.  I just wanted to again share with you the mansion's progress!

Thanks to those of you who have been following the mansion project.  It gives me inspiration to keep creating!  As always, your comments are always welcomed!

Front Facade - Initial Rendering

Just wanted to update you about continued progress on the mega-mansion. 

Currently, the ground and second floor designs have been completed.  I am overall very happy with the layout and the use of space. For a change of gears, I have decided to start working on the exterior design elements, and have just completed the front facade. 

I want the entire feel of the home to be of "old world" character, and, as such, you won't find any modern elements on the exterior facade.  I love French Second Empire (Napoleon III style) architecture, and think this mansion is worthy of that styling.  As I may have mentioned before I love symmetry, and the home is largely symmetrical with the exception of minor deviations in the East and West wings. 
 

(Please click the image for a larger view)

The exterior is sheathed with limestone.  The front entry is flanked by twenty-four foot (24') high columns, which provide a grand first impression.  A large window sits atop the front entry which is capped with a rounded lintel.  The lintels are repeated on some of the second story windows.  The heavy balustrades provide a sense of strength to the overall exterior appearance.  Fluted pilasters finish off exterior corners, adding a delicate touch.  The roof is yet to be completed, but will feature a Mansard roof.

Your comments would be most appreciated!

(The image was created using Chief Architect, amazing software with virtually unlimited possibilities!  I would love to try out the new software, Chief Architect X3)

First "Mansion Project" Video

A picture is worth a thousand words so a video must at least be worth a few million.  Presenting the first promotional video for the Mansion Project, featuring the Grand Staircase and the Formal Library.  The rooms are incomplete to date, more to come in the near future.

I think the video does a good job conveying spatial relationships which aren't always obvious in pictures alone.

As always, your comments are welcome!

-Jonathan