The Chautauqua Residence is a hillside contemporary home in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, designed by Studio William Hefner, with a U-shaped plan, a double-height great room and a long lap pool that ends at a canyon edge. It is a strong candidate for the ultimate bachelor house, and this guide covers the design, the layout and what to take from it.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Name | Chautauqua Residence |
| Architect | Studio William Hefner (founded 1989, Los Angeles) |
| Location | Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, California |
| Style | Contemporary, warm wood and stone palette |
| Size | Reportedly about 6,900 sq ft of living space plus a 700 sq ft garage (engineering record for a Chautauqua Boulevard residence by the same studio) |
| Signature features | Double-height great room, canyon-edge lap pool, library, glass lounges |
What is the Chautauqua Residence?
The Chautauqua Residence is a private home by Studio William Hefner, a Los Angeles firm that has combined architecture, interiors and garden design in one process since 1989. It sits on a hilltop site in a canyon, with a wilderness preserve on one side and the Los Angeles skyline on the other.
The firm’s public project page does not give an address, lot size or room count, so we do not publish those. A structural engineering record for a Chautauqua Boulevard residence by the same studio lists a two-story, wood-framed house of 6,900 square feet of living space, which we treat as a likely match but not a confirmed one.
The layout
The plan is a flared U with a daytime arm and a nighttime arm. The south-facing wing holds the owner’s work spaces and looks toward the Santa Monica Mountains. The north wing holds the kitchen, dining and family areas.
A double-height great room connects the two wings and works as the entertaining center. The master suite is upstairs and positioned to see the city lights at night.
The interior
Exposed, high-quality woodwork runs through the house, with built-in, cabinet-like furniture inspired by Japanese design. A staircase with inset shelves and a glass balcony sits in an atrium-like great room, and a library holds archival bookcases for the owner’s collections.
Details include a quilted silk headboard and a fireplace wall clad in gold leaf panels. The palette is masculine, warm and natural, which suits the wooded canyon setting.
The pool and grounds
A long lap pool runs from the central pavilion toward a waterfall edge that appears to drop over the canyon. Glass-walled lounge areas on either side open to the surrounding terrain, and mature eucalyptus trees border the lot and soften the line between house and hillside.
It is easy to see the party appeal. The pool terrace, the great room and the lounges give guests several places to gather, inside and out, without crowding.
About Studio William Hefner
William Hefner is a fifth-generation Californian who founded the studio in 1989. His firm works on new and restoration architecture, interior and furniture design, and garden design, mostly for luxury homes, and covers both traditional and modernist styles. Hefner works with his wife, interior designer Kazuko Hoshino, who leads the interiors side.
He says the studio wants no signature look, aiming instead to be classic and never trendy. If you prefer a very different kind of retreat, our look at the Greek-god style Mount Olympus home is the opposite end of the spectrum.
” Our approach to design centers on the client. We listen for their dreams as well as their requirements. We observe; we talk; we test ideas and options.
Our work begins with how the client will actually use the space, designing from the inside out. Ours is a holistic vision: architecture, interiors and landscape form a single environment. ”
Is it the ultimate bachelor house?
In our view, yes, for one reason: the plan separates work, family and entertaining so well. A single owner gets a quiet daytime wing, a social center and a private upstairs suite, and each can be used without disturbing the others.
We do not know who owns the house, and an earlier version of this article described the owner as a bachelor with frequent family visits. We cannot verify that, so we leave it out. Tell us what you think in the comments and share the article with your friends.
Keep reading
- More luxury homes: our full collection of home features.
- Mount Olympus home: a very different take on an extravagant house.
FAQ
Who designed the Chautauqua Residence?
Studio William Hefner, the Los Angeles firm founded by William Hefner in 1989, designed it.
Where is the Chautauqua Residence?
It is in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, on a hilltop canyon site with views from the city to the sea.
What does the house look like?
It is a flared, U-shaped contemporary house with a double-height great room, warm exposed woodwork and a canyon-edge lap pool.
How big is the Chautauqua Residence?
The architect’s page gives no size. A structural record for a Chautauqua Boulevard house by the same studio lists 6,900 square feet of living space, but we cannot confirm it is the same house.
Who owns the Chautauqua Residence?
We do not know. The architect does not name the owner, and we have not verified any ownership claim.
Why is it called a bachelor house?
That is our opinion: the daytime wing, social great room and private upstairs suite suit a single owner who entertains.
Last updated: October 2026.
