Victory Garden

Sustainable lifestyle brand Flamingo Estate partners with JW Marriott for an exclusive product line fashioned from herbs and florals

- LAURIE BROOKINS

Nestled high on a Los Angeles hillside, a historic estate has been lovingly restored, from the interiors that reflect the owner’s passion for a mid-century modern aesthetic to the lush surrounding gardens, carefully planned and devoted to a sustainable lifestyle. It has also attracted the attention of one of the world’s biggest hotel brands—though not in the way you might expect.

Before Flamingo Estate became synonymous with a collection of wellness and lifestyle products, it was the home of Australian-born Richard Christiansen, who fell in love with the 1940s Spanish colonial mansion the first moment he saw it, even though the house was in disrepair and its expansive gardens sadly neglected. The man who owned it at the time also confessed to Christiansen that it had been used as a studio for adult films for decades. But Christiansen, an advertising executive who owned Chandelier Creative—which oversees clients including Hermès, Equinox and Maserati—saw the home’s potential while believing the backstory only added to its lore. He purchased Flamingo Estate in 2013 and dove into its restoration, inside and out.