Rachel and Terry Winter’s property is stunning. Perched high up on a hill in the coveted Royal Oaks neighborhood in Encino, the sprawling home is surrounded by 2.6 acres of mature trees and sophisticated landscaping. A long, circular driveway shaded by pine and oak trees leads visitors to a showstopping entrance that features a chevron-patterned, mint green wooden door, framed by red bricks and glass. It is instantly clear: This is no ordinary house.
Above: Immense yet elegant Mondrian-inspired windows create light-filled spaces in both the living room (shown here) and the family room.
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Rachel is an accomplished producer who was nominated for an Oscar for Dallas Buyers Club. Her husband, Terence, who goes by Terry, is an acclaimed Emmy-award winning writer of The Sopranos and an Oscar winner for best adapted screenplay for The Wolf of Wall Street. He also created the Emmy-winning HBO series Boardwalk Empire and is currently executive producer of the series Tulsa King.
Inside, a light-filled entry showcases a curved wooden staircase enhanced by a multicolored runner with bold, geometric patterns. Rachel worked with a textile artist to create something that would set the tone for the entire house. “Color is what connects the rooms,” she says, pointing to the runner and its five featured shades: coral pink, oyster white, black, red and green.
Above: The kitchen cabinetry is lacquered in a coral pink hue. Countertops are avocado green quartzite and the center island is trimmed in bamboo. Small images: The view through a circular window in the Polynesian-style cabana; Rachel in the family room.
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A black, industrial-looking Jonathan Entler light fixture—a commissioned piece—juts down from above. Rachel jokingly refers to it as “my Yellow Submarine moment” as it resembles the periscopes that rise from the top of the vessel on the cover of The Beatles album.
A vintage bench and a brass bird that once belonged to her grandmother complete the foyer, along with a kitschy, mint green mirror adorned with white cranes. Rachel spotted the unusual piece at a glass shop, where it was being refurbished for a customer. She offered to buy it, but was told it was not for sale. Undeterred, Rachel got ahold of the owner. This fearless “I commit to something I love” attitude is evident throughout the 11,762-square-foot house.
The art in the home tends to “speak to us,” says Rachel. The painting on the right depicts a camera lens. “I just loved it, but also happen to be a filmmaker, so it was perfect.” The painting on the left depicting someone getting punched is by Roy Lichtenstein. “Terry and I both see comedy in absurd human behavior, and violence can play a part in that.”
The dining room beckons just off the foyer. The walls, covered in dramatic red, black and white glossy abstract wallpaper, feature delicate vintage sconces repurposed from the couple’s New York apartment. A sizable, oblong-shaped, vintage Italian light fixture hovers over a wooden table that seats 12—a piece Rachel inherited from a relative. But the knockout feature: a massive antique Tibetan console that displays varying patterns of traditional Royal Crown Derby china.
The house boasts six bedrooms, including a primary suite with a sitting room and dual bathrooms. Their teenage kids, Simone and Max, occupy two bedrooms. The house also features a gym, theater, game room, his-and-hers offices, a sun terrace, a pool cabana and 12 bathrooms.
But the sheer size and space of this haven are not what make it noteworthy—rather it is the extraordinary design, bold choices and meticulous attention to details. When the couple bought the property in 2017, they hired a top-notch team: architect Linda Brettler and contractors MS Elite. The California ranch-style structure was taken down to the studs and reimagined as a family home that would blend seamlessly into the lush landscape.
“Color is what connects the rooms.”
Rachel’s love of the vibrant colors and geometric lines of Asian aesthetics is in full force in the dining room. Having grown up in the Valley, she also drew on her love of California ranch-style homes while working on the interiors. “I call it Asian prairie style,” she quips.The project took four years to complete. Rachel handled all the interiors herself. When asked how someone with a busy “day job” managed to pull this off, she replies, “I don’t sleep much.” Terry says he trusted Rachel’s vision implicitly, but kiddingly shares that he had veto power, in case anything “got too out-there.”
Other eye-catching details that are a testament to Rachel’s distinctive vision: the stand-alone metal and ceramic fireplace, for example, that Rachel discovered at an Italian salvage yard. And the magnificent paneled closet doors—originally from the Pierre Hotel in New York—that were converted from a headboard. Also noteworthy: Several barstools in the playroom are props from The Sopranos set for “The Bada Bing”—the bar where character Tony Soprano ran his mob business. I’m guessing Tony (played by actor James Gandolfini) spent some serious time perched on those stools.
Above: A chandelier by Jon Entler is the centerpiece of the main staircase. The primary bedroom features a laser-cut wood screen the couple and their design team created. The circular shape is echoed throughout the home including on the front door and on the windows in the peach-hued pool cabana.
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The couple’s eclectic taste is evident in the artwork and sculptures throughout the expansive property. A Slim Aarons photograph that captures a Beverly Hills poolside party adds a touch of glam to a hallway. An outdoor installation—the work of artist and landscape designer Dustin Gimbel—catches your eye from the family room, while a nearby credenza displays a treasure trove of colorful Gilt lava pottery that Rachel became enamored with on trip to Iceland.
Rachel’s ability to curate, collect and design—not to mention her ability to artfully combine the old with the new—imbues the home with a feeling of permanence, timelessness and antiquity. Before leaving, I ask Rachel what she considers the heart of the home. She pauses and then responds: “There’s an emotional quality to sitting in the yard, knowing it all came together.”
The Winters’ time here will soon come to a close. As the couple prepares to be empty nesters, they’d like to downsize. The house has been listed with Craig Knizek at The Agency. Yet Rachel is pragmatic; she has created before and knows she will create again. As for the Encino property, she can’t help but be wistful. “I feel lucky to have lived here.”
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