THE SUN SHINES, tHE PALMS SWAY, and the waves ebb and flow.
These delightful circumstances have been central to Palm Beach’s radiant, waterfront magnetism for over a century, and they’re integral to the genius of 115 Via La Selva. Owing to a design by Maurice Fatio, this landmarked c. 1928 estate fully harnesses its environment for maximum benefit. The natural flow of light, heavenly courtyard cross-breezes, and Atlantic waves within earshot are only the beginning.
Alongside Addison Mizner, Howard Major, John Volk, and Marion Sims Wyeth, Swiss-born Maurice Fatio defined Palm Beach architecture. A sterling reputation followed Fatio to Palm Beach from New York, where he’d helped create country manors outside the city before partnering with William A. Treanor to design or remodel now-historic edifices in Manhattan’s Upper East Side, Carnegie Hill, and Madison Square Park areas.
Upon arriving in Palm Beach circa 1925, Fatio was utterly taken with how the easygoing climate fostered an effortlessly social lifestyle. This dynamic directly informed his signature works, and attracted a society-minded clientele that thrived on hosting as many as possible, as often as possible.
by JEREMY KLEIN
This landmarked oceanside estate by the legendary architect pairs classic Mediterranean Revival design with timeless luxury.
Connection and indoor-outdoor movement distinguish the home.
The first floor surrounds a glorious courtyard. In equal measure, this palm-shaded nexus provides shortcuts between rooms and fosters gentle outside-in airflow. Simply open a set of French doors to get started. This courtyard also has two loggias, each a mighty fine place to pass time in the open air. One is akin to an al fresco great room, featuring a bar, a dining room, and a living room with a fireplace (all beneath a vaulted ceiling), while the other boasts a sitting area between columned archways and further links to the pool area.
Yet, before you even glimpse the courtyard, the home’s impression is as immediate as they come. Done up in stucco with a red clay tile roof, wrought-iron detailing, and other eye-catching embellishments, the exterior has something of an armory aura — no doubt aided by the residence’s upwardly minded crow’s nest tower. Fatio’s Mediterranean influence is abundantly apparent. Pops of green from monolith-like hedges and a red brick front walk offset the overall neutral palette.
While working for the Kennedys, at La Querida, multiple Vanderbilts, and more of the era’s prominent socialites, Fatio designed or expanded over 200 Palm Beach buildings and crafted an array of elaborately timeless homes. Among them all, the Mediterranean Revival manse at 115 Via La Selva perhaps encapsulates Fatio at his best.
Old-world flair pervades, instilling the sense that this home has a history in which you are the latest chapter.
Enter and step up into the foyer, which introduces the home’s oft-recurring red tile floors beneath a partially beamed ceiling. A staircase featuring expressive Spanish tile risers and intricately carved handrails, balusters, and newels only embellishes the interior’s acutely honed character.
DETAILS aWAIT AT EVERY tURN.
Turn left and move into a family room with a ceiling somehow even more astounding — coffered, wooden, and emblazoned with expertly crafted stencil work — and robust built-in shelving. This space blends directly into a radiant sunroom, a naturally lit wonder that’s also only a few steps removed from the pool.
A right off the foyer leads to the dining room, whose immense wood-paneled walls and ceiling convey an understated grandeur. Whether or not the French doors are open to the courtyard, the space is extremely well-equipped for large-scale gatherings. Immediately adjacent (and suited for pre- or post-dinner drinks) is the living room, which flaunts crown moldings, a fireplace with a carved stone mantel, and an alluring mix of hardwood and tile flooring. Further eye-catching finishes await in the home office. Its etched copper ceiling is a stunning sight to behold in a space with floor-to-ceiling wainscotting, a substantial built-in, and room enough for a desk and a sitting area.
Of course, the primary bedroom walks out to the courtyard. However, there is far more to the space beyond that convenience, including a handsome built-in that traverses over the head of the bed (and has a cutout with a pillowside lamp), chevron-patterned hardwood floors, and an ensuite flaunting a soaking tub and an arched shower. All other bedrooms are on the home’s second floor, offering more than enough sleeping quarters, bathrooms, and personal space for family and guests of all ages.
Form and function coalesce with gratifying ease in the windowed kitchen.
Home chefs will delight in copious cabinetry and counter space, a Viking range with two ovens and six burners (among other high-end appliances), an extra-large marble-and-wood island, and an adjoining breakfast nook. The room’s titular window overlooks the pool, allowing you to wash dishes and daydream about a dip simultaneously.
Don’t dream idly, though. Once your kitchen duties are done, hit the pool. That same approach can be applied to the home gym, which also has access to the backyard and pool. Sweat it up and then cool it off. Alternatively, take advantage of the vast lawn area to sunbathe and lounge away some of the day in this singular setting.
It’s well-suited for guests, boasting its own living room, bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom. But the home’s most serene escape might be up in the aforementioned tower. This de facto third floor can be a media room, a den, a reading nook — really, whatever you need when you need whatever. Arched windows and a vaulted wood ceiling make it a warmly inviting escape room.
Looking not enough?
This estate flaunts deeded beach access and a private, gated entrance to pristine Atlantic Ocean sands, which you can reach in about the time it takes to finish reading this sentence.
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Connection and indoor-outdoor movement distinguish the home.
The first floor surrounds a glorious courtyard. In equal measure, this palm-shaded nexus provides shortcuts between rooms and fosters gentle outside-in airflow. Simply open a set of French doors to get started. This courtyard also has two loggias, each a mighty fine place to pass time in the open air. One is akin to an al fresco great room, featuring a bar, a dining room, and a living room with a fireplace (all beneath a vaulted ceiling), while the other boasts a sitting area between columned archways and further links to the pool area.
Yet, before you even glimpse the courtyard, the home’s impression is as immediate as they come. Done up in stucco with a red clay tile roof, wrought-iron detailing, and other eye-catching embellishments, the exterior has something of an armory aura — no doubt aided by the residence’s upwardly minded crow’s nest tower. Fatio’s Mediterranean influence is abundantly apparent. Pops of green from monolith-like hedges and a red brick front walk offset the overall neutral palette.
