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[music] >> Welcome to
"Behind the Gates."
On this episode, we've gained access
to the most extreme homes on the West Coast.
You don't have to be pre-approved to look
at these jaw-dropping properties.
Join host Vic Alavi as he takes us behind the gates
of five over-the-top tricked out estates.
From a Tuscan-themed winery, an exclusive VIP passport
to Bali, and we'll even explore an old Wild West ranch.
We welcome you to the good life as we open up the gates
to the most extreme and lavish abodes around.
We're allowing you platinum access to the mansions
you've only dreamed about, until now.
[theme music] Welcome to the extraordinary
Rocky Oaks Estate.
This Tuscan-inspired home is located on a 37-acre parcel
amidst the winery-rich area of Malibu,
and Vic has the keys to get us in to this wine lover's
paradise.
>> It is sitting on top of a mountain top here in Malibu.
Three hundred and sixty degree views in every direction
from the ocean, to the mountaintops,
to snow-capped mountains, to anything you see here--
>> You got everything here.
>> Everything.
>> How did it come about?
Why did they build a house right on top of this hill?
>> Well, what they were creating was Tuscan villa in the midst
of a vineyard.
It's on 37 acres, and-- > Thirty-seven.
>> --they've planted vines.
They have an award-winning vineyard here, and so you
come here and you feel like you're in Tuscany in Malibu.
>> Ha-ha-ha, best of both worlds.
>> Yeah.
>> As if touring an impressive home
wasn't enough, this award-winning vineyard
produces around 2,800 cases of wine a year.
The property also holds a newly completed magnificent
Tuscan home, helicopter landing site,
and additional pads for a possible guest house
and a guard gate.
Well, we're standing in the master bedroom up here
looking down on the living room.
How would you describe the decor of this house--the interior
design of this house?
>> Other than beautiful?
>> It's absolutely beautiful.
>> Really is the representation of a Tuscan villa
that you would find in Italy, and the materials here
are exquisite.
You have imported French limestone,
Egyptian limestone, you have walnut floors,
you have just the most beautiful materials, just--
really very, very special.
>> Well I was told by an architect that the volume,
or the height of the ceiling is just as important
as the square footage of the house.
This house you feel it because everywhere you go
you have really high ceilings and it makes it so much larger.
>> Yeah, yeah, it has the volume,
and not only that, you have the whole outdoors
is part of your indoors.
There's glass and windows everywhere, the outdoor's
so exquisite with the views and the vistas that that becomes
part of your indoor living space.
[music] >> The brand new home
features an imported French limestone exterior,
and also offers an approximately 9,000 square feet of grand
and opulent living space with state-of-the-art amenities.
What kind of amenities has been built into the house?
>> Well the home has everything.
It's new, it's exquisite, it has exceptional quality.
It has five bedrooms, six and a half bathrooms,
beautiful, beautiful infinity pool overlooking
the vistas.
Inside, there are, you know there's an elevator,
there's a media room, there's a wine-tasting area.
>> The home also encompasses an Egyptian limestone
deck of approximately 5,000 square feet.
Surrounding the exquisite infinity pool and spa.
The legacy of Rocky Oak Estate will endure as an irreplaceable
landmark, an incomparable treasure, this property
comes with a hefty price tag.
Is it for sale or is it for rent?
>> It's for sale.
>> And how much does it go for?
>> Forty three million dollars.
>> Oh, is that all?
>> Ha-ha-ha!
[music] >> Well, let's look at some
of the views over there.
>> Okay, happy to do that.
>> Please.
The estate boasts a breathtaking 360 degree
panoramic view of the ocean and vistas of twinkling lights
for miles in all directions which makes this location
highly desirable.
Now someone who's trying to sell this property,
how--what would make this property stand out
more than the rest?
>> Well, it just stands out more than the rest.
>> Bingo.
>> But just the fact that you're in Malibu
and yet we're on top of the world, totally private,
the long drive up, you're looking down on
everything and everyone.
You're in the middle of it all.
You have the vineyards, you have the wine,
you have the whole ambience of that whole Tuscan feeling
and a brand hew exquisite home and here you are.
>> So much of what I see can only be described
as an architect's dream come to life,
and this home was no exception.
The next round of mansions would all promise to be amazing,
but the final choice would be a competition
of who can dream bigger.
>> Coming up next, an outdoor bar
that would even have Charlie Sheen's party stamp
of approval.
And don't worry about having your passport.
We're taking you to Bali without even leaving the States.
When "Behind the Gates" returns.
We're back in search of getting into the most
extreme homes around, and so far, our host
has had the pleasure of touring a luxurious
Tuscan-inspired home on the hillsides of Malibu
and now heads south to Pacific Beach
to an extravagant home with an ultimate
outdoor living space.
>> Behind these gates is a custom-built
contemporary mansion that possesses ocean bay
and city views.
>> When you go inside this home and there are four levels
and each level is more interesting than the next.
That's what they like.
They actually want something many times that's understated.
Beautiful from the outside but that someone doesn't
necessarily know what's behind the gates.
>> After visiting with Marty I had the chance that I don't
often get.
I chatted with owners Olaf and Beth on how
they created their dream home.
How did this project came about--how did you decide
to build here?
>> Well, we had a house down on the bay, and we decided
that we wanted to have an ocean view, and at the time
it was very difficult to find a good ocean view,
and we were fortunate enough to have a realtor that was able
to find a property that was not on the market,
and we were able to get a view of it
and fell in love with it, and we opted to buy
that property and designed our own house.
>> So we actually got an architect that was involved
in a lot of contemporary building.
We wanted contemporary but a warm contemporary house.
>> Mm-hm.
>> And so that's how we ended up with this.
It was a lot of months involved with the architect,
and it was our baby.
It was our dream house.
>> This is not your standard design.
>> No.
>> There is no straight line in this house.
>> No.
>> Everything is a curve which is beautiful,
and then you know down to the bathroom fittings
everything is curved.
Is that something you intentionally wanted
to do from the word go?
>> We decided that, uh, something in more of
a very geometrical round, contoured shape was something
that we really wanted.
We wanted something ultra-modern and some--
we could display some very ultra-modern art in.
>> We wanted to use the view and set the house on it
to capture all of it, and as you can see
it's an incredible view, and so we wanted the whole
back of the house to be glass, which we did.
You know, we wanted the windows to open up into the walls
to make indoor living part of outdoor living
and vice versa.
[music] >> You have the pool area
which is really exciting, and the bar next to the pool,
so all of that is your ideas, you put it together
into an architect's mind and he came out with this.
>> Yeah, well the pool area is very special,
and we really wanted something unique down there,
and our friends really like that bar, so--
Ha-ha-ha!
>> Who wouldn't?
A bar next to a pool seems like heaven.
>> Nice warm water and uh, with the TV
and the--well you mix those things together, it creates
a good environment.
>> If you had to change something about this house
at this stage?
>> Ha-ha-ha!
>> What would it be?
Because I can't find anything wrong with it?
>> We love the house.
There's really--I don't think there's anything
that we missed personally.
We've been here for a number of years now.
It's just exactly what we wanted.
>> With dramatic curved linear architecture,
four bedrooms, plus an office, theater,
wine cellar, exercise room, gourmet kitchen,
and a list that goes on and on, the features of the house
were nothing less than impressive.
But I had a lingering feeling that the next few houses
would prove to be even more outrageous.
I should have packed my six shooters
for the next property.
It's not your typical mansion, but it does transport you
back to the tumbleweed days of the Wild West.
I'm going behind the gates of Rancho del Rio,
located in San Juan Capistrano, California.
Thank you for letting us in to this house.
This is an odd one.
A hundred eighty-seven acres of land?
>> A hundred and eight-seven acres.
>> How--how is that utilized at the moment?
>> Well, it's always been used as a ranch.
It's the largest residential property in Orange County.
>> Okay.
>> So it's on two parcels but it's a magnificent property
for a variety of reasons.
>> I was amazed at all the unique building materials
used in this home.
The estate was very intriguing, and it would be
a perfect location to just get away
from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Besides, I have never known a cowboy to enjoy the vast
residential vista of the suburbs.
>> It's a totally self-contained ranch.
>> Okay.
>> What I mean by that: we have three water wells
on the property, it has its own generators,
it has its own gas, it has everything.
>> So it's ready for you to just shape it any way
you like?
>> Exactly.
[music] >> Let's talk about
the amenities on this property, what amenities come
with this property?
>> The amenities are as follows, we have the main house
which has this magnificent game room with billiard table
and lounges and fireplaces and all the facilities,
magnificent bar, all this is handmade
mostly from materials that were honed right here
on this property, all the stonework that you see--
>> Everything is from the land itself?
>> It's from the land itself.
We have a guest house, there's some casitas,
there's three suites of casitas, totally
self-contained in themselves, fireplace, full bathing
facilities and so on, patio--private patios.
[music] >> The parcel also has
a notorious past.
>> Originally it was owned by a cartel,
a Venezuelan cartel, the Girl Scouts of America
owned this property, but it has a helicopter pad
and when George Bush, Sr., was in office, he landed
Marine One helicopter here, and announced his war
on drugs to the nation.
>> Oh, I see, okay.
>> So it has a lot of history to it in that regard.
>> Was that owned by the Scouts or by the cartel at the time?
>> It was owned by the--well-- no, the cartel did own it
previously-- >> I see, okay.
>> --and the government seized it from the cartel--
>> I see.
>> --and that's how the war on drugs started.
>> Oh, I see, so this is like an example of what happens.
>> Exactly.
>> How much is this little beauty going for?
>> Twelve million, nine hundred thousand dollars.
>> And obviously in this market it's negotiable.
>> When you factor in the cost per acre
it's a really bargain.
It's a real bargain.
>> Still to come, a Balinese-inspired mansion
and an impressive grand estate that could host the Rat Pack
in its retro Las Vegas casino.
[music] Welcome back
to "Behind the Gates."
So far, we've toured three completely different
extreme estates.
Our host is now back in La Jolla, California,
to explore a mansion that will have you feeling like
you're on a permanent vacation.
>> This breathtaking Balinese residence immediately
transported me.
It was almost as if the owners had created a meticulously
crafted mirage beyond their wooden doors.
This is a unique house.
You would never imagine all of this inside if you just
walk past the house.
>> It is very unique, and whenever I meet a buyer,
I approach them coming to the door, I open it
and say "Welcome to Bali."
>> Ha-ha-ha!
>> The home was intricately detailed with tiki adornments
that added an exotic feel to the living space.
>> The master bedroom has a spectacular view.
It also has a wonderful lanai, a big lanai that makes you want
to go out there and also spend time outside.
And then upstairs on the very top
there's a rooftop deck where you can sit out
and really enjoy the view 'cause it's on the very top
of the house.
The house is about just under 9,000 feet and that's
on three floors, so there's a main level,
the master bedroom and the other bedrooms
all suites are on the upstairs level, and then downstairs
is the basement, the yoga room, wine cellar, guest bedroom,
and an office.
[music] We're asking $7.8 million
and you could not build this home for that by that lot
and get these specific qualities and imports that he's done
it's just--the time and energy to do that is--is something
only he can do.
>> Frank, the owner of the Bali-inspired estate,
shared with me the inspirations behind the property.
>> We've been fortunate enough that, you know, I went to school
in Bali in my early 20's, and you know have traveled
pretty extensively through the South Pacific
and the Mediterranean, and drew a lot of inspiration
by the seamless transition of indoor and outdoor living
spaces and my inspiration was first to create a place
that was warm and comfortable.
>> Mm-hm.
>> And to me, warm and comfortable
and tranquil is being able to have fun,
so as you see our home is really based--there might be
a lot of beautiful architectural details,
but we tried to have fun when we were doing this home
so our kids can go out and jump up on the trampoline,
go in the pool, go down into the basement, and you know
play pool or ping pong, and we could have a lot of kids
and friends and family over to entertain and everyone
can really do what they would want to do
and have a lot of freedom to live and enjoy the home.
>> The majority of the decor has been imported mainly
from Indonesia, and they are all
one of a kind pieces.
>> I wanted to do some things that nobody else was doing,
you know the stone on the front it was from a chief's burial.
In Sumba, when they had an earthquake
over in Indonesia, one of the stones fell off
his burial site, and they would never sell
anything unless it was damaged so we bought that stone
and we cast it and that's the whole exterior
of the home, that detail.
So those were the sort of little details that were
really special, and every time I look at it I think
of those places.
This was a home that we built ourselves, and every little
detail, you know, all of the designer
and the architects and everyone became close friends.
This was a passion project.
>> A labor of love, you might say.
>> It was.
>> This is so specialized.
Did you ever think that you were ever gonna
sell this house?
>> We did because somebody pretty famous approached us,
and offered to buy the home, and the number was at a point
that we would've sold it, and that's when we started
in the process, and then they pulled out
as the economy turned and decided not to
follow through which for us was a blessing because
we got to live in the home and actually see
our vision through.
>> This tranquil estate has been flawlessly crafted
using distinctive design elements, and a unique interior
appointments, most of which were custom-made and imported
from Bali, creating a property with a class of its own.
>> We've saved the best for last.
Stay right there, because this next house
is the definition of luxury, when "Behind the Gates"
returns.
We're back to give you an exclusive glimpse
into the world of the powerful and elite.
So far, we've had the privilege to tour four extreme properties
that all had very extraordinary amenities.
But this last place will have you living
like royalty.
>> My final mansion was located in Poway, California.
Casa Piena, or Full House, was inspired by a classic
Italian villa.
Poway isn't the first name that jumps to mind
when you say luxury, but the realtor promised
I would be more than surprised.
As I walked into the main living space, I could tell
that no expenses were spared on building the 39-room
mega-mansion.
This is really, really interesting.
The design and the way it's laid out, tell me about this.
>> Right, yeah, this is a-- this is quite a centerpiece
to the house.
It's a perfect example of the symmetry and design
that's carried throughout the whole house.
So there's actually five different types of marble
that are incorporated into this, and then each piece
was custom cut.
[music] The dome is hand-painted
with the murals, and then we added
those little added windows around the side.
>> Those are a great touch, by the way.
>> Right.
And everything, all of the molding that you see
in the house, the builder was very much of a purist,
and he didn't believe in using artificial materials,
so all of those--the crown moldings and the--the details
that you see are all made out of wood.
[music] >> The fireplace.
It's quite amazing--everything is like hand-carved here
or outside?
>> Right, so everything is imported, hand-carved stone.
>> I see.
>> Obviously this was custom-made for this space here,
and it has the homeowner's initials there carved
into the mantelpiece, and each of the fireplaces
in the house are hand-carved, custom designs,
unique and one-of-a-kind.
>> Let's talk about the ceiling.
>> Yeah.
>> This is like a mini version of Sistine Chapel.
>> Yeah, right, although unlike Michelangelo
we didn't have our faux painters laying on their back for weeks
and months on end.
These were actually painted in a studio, and then
once the canvases were done they were actually applied
up there on to the ceiling.
The three chandeliers here in the living room,
they are hand-blown glass from the island of Murano
which is just off the coast of Venice in Italy,
and these were all custom designed and custom-made
for this space.
>> Although I don't want to leave this space,
but can we see the rest of the house?
>> Sure, come on.
>> Please.
>> So, this is the kitchen.
>> Wow.
>> It's a grand kitchen, but it's also done
in an unassuming way.
There's actually 13 top-of-the-line appliances
in this kitchen, but many of them have been
concealed in such a way that you don't necessarily
see them right away.
>> I see a couple of ovens here.
>> Right.
>> Uh, that's just about it.
[music] Let's move to the great room.
>> All right, sounds good.
[music] This is the, the great room.
>> Uh-huh.
>> And basically one of the large entertaining areas
of the house.
So one of the key features here is of course the ceiling.
>> Oh, look at the details on those.
>> Yeah, it's quite a magnificent ceiling,
so there are actually 400 beams in the ceiling here,
that were all hand-painted and stenciled.
>> How long did you say this project took?
>> The whole house altogether took about five years
to put together.
>> I'm not surprised, those details are amazing.
>> Right, yeah, this ceiling alone was
about eight or nine months in putting it all together.
>> If you are too busy to catch a game
on one of the three TVs in the entertainment room,
you can get your work done in one of two offices.
[music] >> The carpenter that built this
actually went back East and he found a walnut tree
that he bought, he had cut down, and then kiln-dried,
and then flitched, which means cut into little veneers,
and then he carefully marked each layer as it came off
the tree.
So what happens is if you look, you can see the grain pattern
that starts at the top and goes all the way down
to the bottom.
That's one continuous strip of wood.
>> Oh wow.
>> And then as you go around the room, each of those
are in the same sequence match as they came off the tree.
>> So basically one tree covers the whole room.
>> Also the ceiling was designed by yacht makers.
>> Oh, okay.
>> And so, you know, when you're building a yacht,
you don't use nails and conventional fasteners
because of the way the walls flex and things.
So that was the way that this was built.
So you'll actually won't see any visible nail holes anywhere
because this was all done with a series of finger joints
and gluing-- >> Fantails and stuff like--
>> Right, exactly, and that's how everything--
>> Just glue and wood.
>> Right, exactly, exactly.
>> And this house doesn't stop to amaze.
Every single detail there's a story to it.
>> There is, yup.
>> From work to play, I could imagine myself spending
my time as easily as my money in this retro Vegas-style
game room.
>> This is the casino room.
They wanted to have a casino here but the idea was really
to kind of create the old world casino, you know,
the days of-- >> Sixties, fifties--
>> Right, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, the Rat Pack,
so that was the idea here.
So as you can tell there's an incredible amount
of, of detail here, all of this molding,
this ornate molding that, that covers the walls
and the ceiling, all done with gold and silver leaf
that was hand-applied by our crew of faux painters.
And as you can see there's a lot of--a lot of fixtures here, um,
once we were done we counted up all the light
bulbs and we have over 300 light bulbs in this room.
About 13,000 watts, so...
>> Thirteen thousand just in this room.
>> Yeah, right, so fortunately we have the solar array outside.
>> I was gonna say we need more solar panels out there.
>> Just for this room, right, exactly, just to power
this room.
>> The bathroom is really, really, intricately designed.
>> This is a hand-blown crystal sink, it's a
one-of-a-kind crystal sink, and then these crystal uplit
lights on either side of the sink complement it
together and then the faucet coming out of the wall
and the crystal handles as well.
>> So master bedroom.
>> Correct, right.
>> This is a, an unusual master bedroom.
Tell me about the ceiling.
>> That recessed section in the ceiling is
a hand-hammered copper leaf.
>> Copper leaf.
>> And then we put in some inset lighting around the perimeter
to give it a little illumination and backlit depth.
[music] >> The master suite also
included dual his-and-hers master bathrooms.
[music] We're on top of the hill
on four-acre flat piece of land, so this kind of gives us
amazing views, am I right?
>> That's right.
All the way around the property.
>> And you have a zero edge pool, too.
>> That's right.
>> Oh, great, let's go have a look at those.
>> Okay.
>> Please, after you.
[music] In addition to the four
structures, the property includes a sunken tennis court
and a swimming pool with several high-end features.
What about the pool?
It seems like a large pool for a residential.
>> It is.
It's over 3,000 square feet, the surface area of the pool.
And it really incorporates every possible feature
that we could pack into the pool.
The pool is deep enough for the boys can jump off
the diving rocks and not worry about hitting their head,
we have the vanishing edge, zero edge pool
which takes advantage of the spectacular,
panoramic views.
Two waterfalls, a beach entry, a shamu ledge,
a kiddie pond, even a swim-up small little lazy stream
that goes from the Jacuzzi area into the main section
of the pool.
[music] >> These five properties
were all labors of love.
Built by the inspiration of their owners,
they all had their own personalities, but Casa Piena
was by far one of the most impressive mansions I have
gained exclusive access to.
We can all dream big, but if I have learned anything
from this experience, there is no shame in dreaming
a little bigger.
>> We'll see you next time on "Behind the Gates,"
where we'll give you the keys to the most elite properties
in the world.
Captioned by Video Caption Corporation www.vicaps.com