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93 points), and snapped up by local buyers,
Terranea Resort among them, along with the
olive oil and bounty of fruits and vegetables
produced each year. e vineyards, et al.,
are courtesy of the home's current owners,
who originally hail from Greece and
reworked the lands anew. "ere was no
landscaping, there was absolutely nothing,"
says homeowner Dimitri Bizoumis of the
state of the property when he and wife Leah
purchased it in 2000. "To create something
like this, it doesn't matter how much money
you have. It's a lifetime process that we did
in parts." ese days, the land stands as a
scene plucked from their Mediterranean
childhoods, and they revel in the maturity of
their planting, completed over the last two
decades, which yields an Eden-like catalogue
of fruits and vegetables throughout the year.
"Everything will be ready for the next buyer,"
points out Bizoumis.
e home's architectural heritage has been
sagely maintained, starting from its low-lying,
angular exterior, decked mostly in glass and
softened by a low-pitched roof and vertical
white cladding. Stonework, consisting of gray
and beige Palos Verdes stone, reinforces the
terra firma atmosphere of the property and is
used strategically to clad chimneys and beams
on the exterior and interior, as well as to
introduce the residence, appearing along the
driveway and shaped into a sweeping staircase
that leads to the front door. An interesting
feature—a dense stone wall that flows from
the exterior entrance of the home and into
its foyer—signals the home's connection to
the outdoors. "e house actually probably
looks better today than when it was brand
new," remarks Bisignano, giving credit to
the current homeowners' for their careful
upgrades and upkeep.
e introduction of the home's interior is
a sun-filled great room with, at its center,
a sunken living room with a gently angled
ceiling of exposed ridge beam and rafters, and
tongue-and-groove roof planks painted soft
blue. Walnut floors, softly gleaming and rich
in character and color, lend a natural elegance
to rooms where little ornamentation is needed
so intense are the views. One is treated to
a panorama of blue skies, verdant natural
landscape and endless ocean, a view that's
forever thanks to the property's high elevation.
"A mid-century modern in Rolling Hills is
extremely rare," says Bisignano, pointing out
that homes located here are, nearly exclusively,
traditional ranch or Mediterranean in style.
