Luxury Estates And Mansions Make A Modern Transition

Like all fashions, architecture and interior design are constantly evolving. With each new decade comes new styles and techniques—some are passing fads while others stand the test of time.

Caught between the push and pull of timeless and modern, many designers and homebuilders today have opted for a marriage of the two: transitional style.

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Defined as the blend traditional forms with modern techniques and materials, transitional architecture allows builders and buyers to break out of rigid forms and combine elements from a range of styles.

Whether it’s inspired by 16th-century French villas, Renaissance Italian estates or Beaux-Arts manors, these three new, transitional residences combine the perennial with the vogue.

Stately Living In Toronto, Ontario

Asking price: CAD 5.65 million (about $4.44 million)

Toronto neighborhood, St. Andrews, where this first home is set to be located, is known for a combination of affluence and a ‘countryside’ feel, and as such, the area’s homes possess a certain rural opulence.

Inspired by French Provincial architecture, the two-story abode will be faced by a dramatic limestone exterior.

Other bold, traditional elements like an arched portico, a central rounded window and a mansard roof blend with more subtle hints of current trends, like black-framed windows and a heated entryway.

Inside, renderings display decorative finishes like herringbone wood floors, coffered ceilings and embossed wallpaper, making for an air of a classic French estate throughout the four-bedroom, five-bathroom layout.

Modern touches can be seen in the 4,600 square foot home’s utility fixtures, like state-of-the-art kitchen appliances, glass steam showers, and a sleek stone-faced gas fireplace.

Other highlights include a sound-proof theater room, lower level gym and a covered terrace.

Ballantrae Farms Mansion In Mclean, Virginia

Asking price: $24 million

Planned to have 20,000 square feet of space, this roomy Ballantrae Farms estate is a true transitional, featuring an array of architectural styles from across the ages.

Renderings depict a frontal exterior with inspirations ranging from Italianate to Georgian to French Provincial with design elements like decorative roof spires, French doors leading to balconies outfitted with ornate balusters and a hemispherical dome, to name a few.

The interior is even more eclectic. In one living space alone, a rounded recessed ceiling adorned with gold accents and lights evoke Art-Deco, herringbone wood floors give a French Chateau feel, and walls with charcoals tones bring a modern touch.

While the eight-bedroom, 13-bathroom home may cover a variety of styles, the interior feels unified by a shared elegance, emphasizing bold yet tasteful designs.

Also to be included in the three-story mansion’s layout are a Finnish-style sauna, an elevator, two kitchens, a media room and a wet bar.

Beaux Arts-Style In Potomac, Maryland

Asking price: $13.95 million

While this over 16,500 square foot completed estate primarily follows Beaux-Arts designs, high-tech features and contemporary techniques bring it into transitional territory.

Situated on almost two acres in one of Washington D.C.’s most desirable neighborhoods, the six-bedroom mansion is fronted by a gated drive circling a neoclassical fountain.

Through the entryway adorned with towering columns and an arch of windows lies a breathtaking grand foyer, where marble flooring leads to a bifurcated staircase with 24-karat gold embellishments.

While the home’s size and wealth of luxury spaces—amenities include an indoor swimming pool, a 12-car showroom and a home theater—may be first to catch the eye, it’s the elaborate details that genuinely impress. These include ornamental flourishes like wave-framed french doors, Italian kitchen cabinetry and an array of crystal chandeliers.

Among the glamorous designs are technological amenities that provide modern comforts like heated flooring, a Lutron lighting system and a state-of-the-art security system.

The palatial mansion also features a wine room, sauna and a two-story library.

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Barry Cohen Homes and Long & Foster Real Estate are exclusive members of Forbes Global Properties, a consumer marketplace and membership network of elite brokerages selling the world’s most luxurious homes.