Park and Party
November 1, 2007
When Danny Brose and his interior designer wife, Shelley, learned that their ground-level garage had to occupy at least 1,500 square feet to support the top floor of their 18,000-square-foot Italian Renaissance–style Southern California home, they decided to make the most of the space. What started out as a functional concrete box to house cars, developed into a formal space with a variety of uses. "When I come home, I feel like I’m driving into a glorious place," says Danny of his 3,200-square-foot garage that doubles as a 16th century Venetian–style ballroom. "It gives you the feeling of being in Italy."
In addition to housing the family’s primary transportation, the space also serves as a gallery to display the Broses’ nine-car collection that includes a Ferrari 360 Spider. "We needed a place to host black-tie dinners—the ballroom really suits our lifestyle," says Danny.
The Broses hired Italian-born and -trained art consultant
Roberto Pellecchia to supervise the 22 artists who produced all of the home’s
artwork, in addition to the garage. Here, two sidewalls and the interior
side of the door feature ballroom scenes and nobility at play in frescoes. From
the gilded coffers above, 17 paintings peer down at the marble mosaic floor,
which is fashioned after the Sala del Maggiore Consiglio in Venice.
Danny and Shelley Brose’s 3,200-square-foot ballroom-garage at their Southern
California home includes a marble mosaic floor and Italian paintings, as well as
a built-in bar and a smoking patio. Photograph by Cordero Studios/www.corderostudios.com
Aaron Andrew of Audio Video Design strategically placed the
ceiling speakers in the corners of the coffers so as not to detract from the
scene; the audio and lighting is managed via a Crestron touchscreen.
In this private party space, the Broses have hosted a political fundraiser for Rudy Giuliani, their own vow renewal ceremony with 400 guests and
their son’s wedding reception. "I can’t believe we use the ballroom as much as
we do," says Shelley.
The Design Studio, 949.488.3700
Roberto Pellecchia,
949.436.1000
Audio Video Design, 949.716.1099,
www.avdinc.com
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