Designed to replicate an authenticly-aged Tuscan or Umbrian fattoria-- farmhouse-- the exterior materials provide a rustic composition equally appropriate for Colorado's natural, outdoor lifestyle. See the details page for information on the home's antique building materials and design. This private, cul-de-sac lot perches cliffside 350 feet above the Grand Valley and offers 360-degree, 50-mile views with the dramatic Colorado National Monument immediately visible in the background.

This facade offers three entrances: the keyless guest-wing entrance at right, the central fountain courtyard entrance, and the formal, two-story entrance at left. Notice the trellis allee, serving as a European front porch-- this one hosted monthly neighborhhod wine tastings-- which leads up to the antique architectural folly at far left.

A curving, slurry-grout Old World stone wall capped by thick Colorado-quarried stone provides a sweeping entry into the driveway and allowed the retention of a century-old juniper pine.  Here, Desert Four O'Clock, a drought-tolerant ground vine, drapes dramatically over the wall and serves as backdrop to the Impruneta terra cotta vase filled every year with geraniums.

Note that the driveway nearest the street and at the garage threshold is defined by hand-laid Colorado moss stone, providing a rustic perimeter to the stone-stamped and acid-stained concrete driveway.

Antique hand-hewn timbers, replete with adz marks, rest atop stone columns to create a structural trellis fronting the formal entry. This allee, adjacent to four, century-old juniper pines at right, serves as a privacy buffer for the front facade's three sets of French doors.

With two built-in stone benches, not visible at left, and two Lutyens benches at the end, this area serves as a front porch and gathering spot for neighborhood events.

See the details page for more information about the architectural folly visible at the left.

Deeply recessed within a massive stone structure, two antique French doors reclaimed from a French chateau serve as the formal entry, flanked by formal spiral junipers in oversize planters from Impruneta, Italy. Antique hand-pressed terra cotta pavers from France pave the exterior entry niche and continue into the interior foyer.

The faux second-story balcony above, scaled at 80 percent of normal height, boasts a 3-inch thick stone ledge and rests beneath an antique timber. Its hand-crafted wrought iron railing typically holds potted geraniums in summer and colorful poinsettias in winter.

Note the dramatic, in-ground landscape lighting and the warm glow radiating from the interior's yellow plaster walls.

The dramatic lion-corbel fireplace surround and mantel serves as the focal point of this room, with back-lit antique reclaimed French terra cotta roof tiles stacked in a honeycomb pattern above, backdrop for the 18th century Italian gilt mirror. Deeply-recessed rustic display niches boast putti console tables and gilt-trimmed shelving, showcasing the owners' antiques.  The furniture seen here, part of the optional turnkey package, includes a Toile Pierre Deux settee and leather Hemingway sofa.

At right, a French hotte, or grape harvest basket, balances the Venetian lamp at left, while authentic Savonarola chairs, a Renaissance design, flank the foreground and set the tone for an authentically Italian interior throughout the home.

Note the warm, acid-stained concrete floor, radiantly heated, which is distress-scored and grouted to maintain the appearance of aged stone slabs.

Flowing seamlessly with the formal spaces of the home, the dining room boasts two sets of operable French doors-- one is open here to allow the soothing strains of the fountain beyond to entertain diners and carries the sight line beyond, into another interior window graced with a custom wrought iron grill and stone sill.

The dining room's formality is emphasized by the 18th century Italian gilt chandelier and the gilt Sollevare cartouche in the background, both accented by an antique Italian 5-candle gilt sconce, far right, and the six gilt-finished candlesticks resting atop a terra cotta-capped stone wall. Even the custom-made electrical wall sconces are gilt accented.

Here, the Renaissance-design stretcher dining table furthers the Italian design theme. Also note the Alinari turn-of-the-century sepia photogrpah, at right, of Florence's duomo, offered with a matching antique print as part of the optional turnkey package.

Replicating a massive, old hearth (F.L. Wright called the hearth the "heart of the home"), the central wine bar and barware cabinet rests atop a cast-stone hearth. The home offers a four-bottle nitrogen wine bar similar to those found in restaurants-- two bottles are shown here. Above, red and white wine glasses are displayed in spotlit cabinets like jewels.

Below, the slide-out liquor cabinet provides ample storge while the matching cabinet actually serves as a rolling coffee cart for after-dinner service, complete with brandy snifter stemware racks.

The French Chocolatier trade sign, part of the optional turnkey package, can be accompanied by the Italian baccante, or wine goddess, bust who beckons visitors closer to the cellar entrance, to her right.

A custom-made French door allows a permanent view into the rustic wine cellar. In this front half of the 600-bottle cellar, wine storage takes a back seat to the display of additional wine antiques and the Old World terra cotta wine briques from France, used to keep bottles cool.

Note the authenticity of detail, down to the Bacchus-figure door pull, an antique reclaimed from a bronze candelabra.

To the left of the door, not shown, is a self-filling recirculating water fountain, providing enough humidity in the cellar to keep those long-stored corks nicely plump. It also seves as a visceral delight to the senses, accenting the floor's crunch of hand-laid pavers set in decomposed granite.

The architect homeowner, an avid Edgar Allen Poe fan, chose a tribute to Poe's short story, A Cask of Amontillado, as the focal point of the wine cellar's termination.  Here, the unfortunate Fortunato appears permanently bricked into the catacombs of the wine cellar with a snifter of the infamous Amontillado still in hand, a motion-activated spotlight highlighting the details of his permanent resting place.

This far end of the wine cellar stores the majority of the cellar's 600-bottle volume using Vintage View wine racks, shown at distant left (the bulk of the storage racks are not visible here).  The right wall has also been designed and wired to accomodate the potential future installation of two EuroCave Performance 283 storage cabinets, for the true connoisseur seeking expanded storage.

The formal entry sidewalk, requiring only one step leading to the front door (smooth wheelchair access is to the right), boasts ascending Italian ciatolla terra cotta planter bowls from Impruneta mounted, as in Italy, on stone-capped pedestals. Note the European address plaque on the tallest pedestal, which remains lit at night.

In the background, the left end of trellis allee-- used by the owners as a gathering spot for monthly neighborhood wine tasting events-- offers Lutyens bench seating around the antique architectural folly, a reclaimed cathedral cupola dramatically lit at night.

The home's architect calls this formal powder bath the European jewel box of the home. A custom door with Bouvet hardware (standard throughout the entire house) leads into the room, softly lit by two Murano Scavo-glass light pendants from Venice, shown here half-lit on a dimmer switch. Gilt candlesticks reflect back from the antiqued mirror from Milan, Italy.

The custom-carved limestone pedestal sink, crafted by artisans in Florence, replicates an Italian wall fountain, replete with a gold wall-mounted Herbeau dauphin faucet, fashioned after Louis XV's favored dauphin design (faucet enthusiasts will recognize this as a four-figure faucet, even at wholesale prices).

Note the rustic stone tiles facing the wainscot wall, topped by antique giallo French terra cotta pavers.

Flowing seamlessly with the open kitchen and breakfast nook, the family room boasts a garden decor. Its southeast orientation ensures bright, morning sun year-round and opens entirely on the right to the exterior veranda.

Here, an antique wall-mounted riddling rack, used in making Champagne, offers plentiful mounting space for dried lavender and other displays. Note the dried flowers above, hanging from antique hand-hewn timbers.

Below, an antique French flower vendor's cart reinforces the gardening theme. Adjacent, an early 18th-century French farm bench, part of the optional turnkey package, offers visitors the opportunity to participate in kitchen activities while serving as a mud bench for the adjacent vernada.

An open-air fireplace replicates the cooking-style fireplaces of Italian farmhouses and warms the adjacent rooms with the aroma of mesquite. The southeast daybed offers a favorite respite for morning lattes and the Sunday Times. In summer, an electric shade screen retains visibility but offers shade.

The hand-made potting bench and barnwood-lined wall beyond offers a wealth of antique European gardening and farming implements, offered as part of the turnkey package and all hand-chosen by the interior-designer owner. Antique bee skeps compliment an authentic chick hatchery, once used as a Hollywood movie prop.

Note the domed centerpiece beyond, replicating the famous dome of the central cathedral in Florence, also showcased in the home's antique sepia prints.

Designed to replicate a pre-icebox farmhouse kitchen, the room's Sub-Zero refrigerator replicates an armoire at far right.  Note the display ledge showcasing wine antiques above.

The custom, bench-made cabinetry replicates Habersham's distressed paint finish, with an over-sized island topped by antiqued French giallo reale.  The solid copper farmhouse sink lends to the rusticity of the room, as does the custom rooster chandelier above the nook's lyre-leg custom stretcher table.

Beyond, an antique pine kitchen table and curtain-lined corner cabinet, both FF&E inclusive in the price, showcases some of the kitchen's Italian ceramics collection, including an oversized Medici vase in the corner.

Few pantries offer an anteroom, as does this one, entered through an archway of antique French pavers.  The actual storage area is beyond the Indienne-fabric curtain, at left.

A distressed chicken-coop cubby displays fruits and vegetables, while the antique paver-topped shelf displays a British milk can and Italian ceramics.  The hanging serrano ham and salami further reinforce the food storage theme of the pantry.

As with many of the home's closets, a motion-activated switch immediately activates the custom iron sconce and interior lights upon entry to the anteroom.

This French custom-crafted Lacanche Cluny Classique range offers dual-fuel cooking in two ovens, topped by five burners ranging from 5,100 to 10,200 BTU's.  Several months in production from Burgundy, France, this professional-quality range doubles as the stunning beauty of the kitchen and is inclusive in the base price.

Custom-etched Italian fleur-de-lys tiles accent the range and are topped by groutless, thick rustic stone pavers serving as a backsplash.

Reflecting true Italian-farmhouse kitchens, upper cabinetry are all open-shelf, while lower cabinetry offers a range of finishes and styles, including woven-basket drawers.

The canyon-facing veranda flows seamlessly with the adjacent kitchen and family room-- no steps impede the casual flow of traffic.  Bounded by stone columns and antique hand-hewn timbers, this exterior "room" nestles directly against century-old junipers and pinon pines, providing a natural extension of the outdoors.

The gas-fed firepit proves equally inviting for formal sunset cocktails or family-style marshmellow roasting, and flows directly into the outdoor kitchen and dining veranda.  Here, the spa's outdoor shower is visible in the central background, set against the backdrop of the adjacent Colorado National Monument.

Note the antique reclaimed French terra cotta roof tile sconces mounted on the stone, providing dramatic up-and-down lighting on each column.

The drama of the rear yard's boulder cliff is equalled by the distant Bookcliff mountains beyond.  Note the distance down to the valley at far right, where the city lights light up the night view.

At 4,950 feet in elevation, the site boasts the highest lot in the city of Grand Junction, 350 feet above the valley floor, and offers 50-mile views from all directions.  Located at the end of a cul-de-sac backing to these perpetually unobstructed views, the home's privacy is unequalled, yet a regional shopping mall and hospital are only ten minutes away.

With a topography similar to Palm Springs' Coachella Valley, the Grand Valley is bounded on three sides by mountain ranges, providing the state's most temperate climate, ideal for wine production.

Here, a more westerly-facing view offers a glimpse of the Redlands Mesa Golf Course below.  While the home's golf cart garage is a short drive from the clubhouse, there are no nearby cart paths or tee boxes to impede on the home's privacy.

In the distance, the Bookcliff mountain range stretches into Utah.  Note the Colorado River just visible in the foreground of the lower valley floor.

The site's natural topography and preserved landscape is clearly evident here, revised only by the addition of a sunken spa drilled directly into the solid-granite cliff.

An antique French zinc hip bath serves as a planter, at left, reinforcing the spa theme.  Additionally, several Italian planter pots offer seasonal color among the coniferous landscape.

Beyond, the veranda firepit lights the night sky with dancing shadows visible from the spa.  With no street lighting and subdued house lighting restrictions, the night sky is crystal clear here.  The spa's pump and boiler are hidden away inside the interior boiler room, offering quiet solitude for soothing night soaks.

Just steps from the interior spa, gym and steam room, an outdoor shower boasts a ten-inch sunflower showerhead fully plumbed for hot water luxury.  Al fresco showers remain private, bounded by a century-old juniper pine facing the canyon.

Note the spa just visible beyond, only steps from the shower.  Colorado moss-rock stones provide a natural path from the interior to exterior spaces and uses.

Ask about the antique French walling stone, used to line the floor of the outdoor shower area-- the story is fascinating.

The spa/gym suite reflects a gardening theme, primarliy evidenced here by the antique British stone trough sink, reclaimed from a York farm. Set atop a zinc-topped bench, it replicates a potting sink with an oil-rubbed bronze faucet and antique French paver backsplash. The reclaimed window, now a mirror, reflects a collection of antique gardening implements. Recessed Italian terra cotta crests flank the sink.

The central laundry closet, resembling a potting shed roofed with reclaimed terra cotta tiles still boasting lichen, offers a European LG laundry/dryer combination unit, offered inclusive.

Note the cast iron Venus de Milo at left, available in the optional turnkey package, further reinforcing the spa them. She is joined on the spa veranda by a nude Athenian student statue, inclusive with the home.

An oversized mirror framed by antiqued Roma Italian moulding reflects the abundant light streaming into the adjacent canyon-facing spa suite.  Only antique timber posts enclose the suite, offering spa privacy with curtains when required, but allowing light penetration at all other times.

The central courtyard's mud-room entry benches, visible in the far end on the mirror, reflect the Italian farmhouse theme with a antique gun scabbord and leather pouch on the men's bench complimented by gardening clogs and hats on the women's bench, inclusive in the turnkey package.

Note the custom Italian-style hall chandelier reflected in the central mirror. 

Designed to appear as an addition to the original structure, the rustic stairway boasts a slurry-grout stone wall topped by 12th century terra cotta pavers reclaimed from an Umbrian monastery. The ledge offers ample opportunity for displaying antique architectural relics or overscale collectibles.

Tuscan cotto stone caps the stair risers and treads, while custom-crafted sconce light fixtures ascend the stairway wall. A reclaimed antique timber is just visible, above.

At left, the custom wrought iron railing is visible. Above, a custom Tuscan ceramic sconce lights the wall from behind a hand-painted coat of arms.

A nod to modernity, the double-sided, cherry-wood elevator offers luxurious conveneince for the homeowners from one side while also serving as the private entrance to the guest wing from the oposite side.

Custom solid-alder doors, at far left, conceal the elevator with an Old World appeal reinforced with antiqued Bouvet hardware.

Serving as the everyday, informal entrance to the home, the central courtyard boasts a dual-lion fountain offering a soothing refrain throughout the entire house. The custom Dutch door offers security while providing a constant connection to the outdoors.

Note the custom wrought iron grill over the adjacent window, offering an intimate scale to the space. Inside, red Indienne curtains reflect both the colorful bistro table and the plentiful geraniums abundant throughout the courtyard, including the planter pots from the deck above.

The adjacent wall, housing what would have been the historic stables (now the garage), combine stone with real antique French terra cotta pavers, as though the wall had been repaired multiple times over the centuries.

This morning photo of the central courtyard simply provides a closer look at the intimate details that create such an inviting atmosphere for morning coffee by the fountain.

Note the non-paved decomposed granite, similar to all European courtyards.  Colorado moss rock provides a paved walkway through the courtyard and as with most Italian gardens, potted gardens dominate the landscape theme.

The custom amber-glass lantern, at rear, casts a warm glow throughout the courtyard each evening.

Another intimate view of the central courtyard showcases the collection of freeze-proof Italian terra cotta planters from Impruneta. Note such details as the custom solid-wood shutters flanking the French doors, at left, and the antiqued copper gutter, above right, that transitions to an interior downspout, a hallmark of a true detail-conscious home.

Below the recessed window (left, in the courtyard), an antique barnwood shutter encloses a package delivery closet for UPS and FedEx.

Above the courtyard, the sunset view deck boasts a low timber railing with a custom wrought iron planter rail sporting geraniums in summer, dwarf Alberta spruce in winter. A hidden, ceramic radiant heater allows enjoyable sunsets even in cold weather.

Even when vacant, the home graciously supports visitors with their own, keyless entry whisking them by elevator directly up to the self-contained guest wing.

Here, an antique door from Belgium allows visitors entry by use of a customized four-digit access code input into a keypad to the right of the door-- over 250 code combinations are allowed.  Set up a individualized code customized for your guest (i.e., their phone number), or simply provide a general access code.  The same  code-entry system works equally well for support-personell access during your absence.

Note that a similar keypad-access entry is used for maintenance-service access to the rear boiler room (not shown).

Upon entry through the antique door, a motion dectector activates lights for well-lit access to the elevator.  Note the soft glow of light radiating through the Indienne-fabric curtain mounted inside a reclaimed antique window.  Flanking antique shutters actually hide access to the adjacent fountain controls.

The window at right allows visitors a peek into the central courtyard through a custom window atop a thick, natural stone sill.  The elevator door, at far right, takes visitors directly up to the self-contained guest wing.  Access to the home's lower hall is just beyond, at right.

Here, visitors truly receive the "red carpet" treatment!

The garage, designed to replicate Old World horse stables, boasts custom barn-style overhead garage doors (single-car width, naturally).  Wrought iron grill windows, custom-forged strap hinges, and heavy pull-rings complete the appearance of swing-open stable doors.  Also note the wall depth, replicating the appearance of a thick, solid-stone wall.

Note the horse tether ring mounted on the central pier, just below a motion-activated French carriage lantern.  In-ground landscape lighting bathes the garage in soft light at night.

The moss-rock threshold, just before the garage door, purposefully provides an uneven, textured entry to the garage, literally meant to shake off the work-day's concerns and psychologically transport the homeowner into another era, another country, another state of mind.

With an exterior-access French door, the ground-floor flex room may be used as a separate guest bedroom, caretaker's suite, or office.  The perpetually unobstructed view of the Colorado National Monument is fronted in the foreground by a decomposed granite courtyard hiding a concrete foundation, allowing future installation of a greenhouse.

When viewing the floor plan, note that the golf cart garage has been pre-plumbed for conversion to a caretaker's suite, which can be expanded to include this flex room, thanks to pre-planning in the wall framing and structural details.

The garage's spacious rear quarters provides ample room for golf cart storage for him, and easy-access gardening for her.

Here, the four-foot-long Kohler cast iron gardening sink is fed by a pull-out faucet for easy potting chores.  The rear double-hung windows (all other windows in the home are casements) allow outdoor access to the sink from the rear of the house.

A concrete foundation is pre-installed just beyond these windows for future greenhouse installation, and the window-header framing allows complete removal of both windows for expansion into a future greenhouse.

The architect-homeowner sought to provide a dual focal point for visitors entering the home and this upper-level display niche, visible from the formal entry, competes only with visitors' views straight through the rear French doors.

Since the homeowners also walk by this display niche en route to the private master suite, the antiques are double-lit with fixtures and spotlights activated by switches in both the living room below and also upstairs in the hall.

Here, a Dance of the Muses bust on an antique carved-oak pedestal overlooks Apollo, both gazing toward the antique reproduction Venetian chase sedan with carved-gilt appliques and a rich velvet interior.  The French town-hall style clock is visible from the street, bathed in a warm glow from the Venetian silk chandeliers.  All may be included in the optional turnkey package.

Authentic details are paramount in this home, and this close-up of the master suite hard-canopy awning, matched by an identical awning on the north facade, simply provides a closer look at a simple, but defining, detail.

Note the window configuration here, a complex combination found frequently throughout the house of casement and awning windows.  These metal-clad Pella windows, customized to recreate Italian-style simple mullion windows, are distressed and stained inside to maintain an Old World appearance.

These individualized windows of small panes cost substantially more than large, inoperable sheet-glass windows found in competing for-sale product but offer much better value.  After all, Colorado is perfect for indoor-outdoor living!

Soaring volumes and ample sunshine define this southeast-facing master suite, entered through an intimate anteroom, visible beyond through the photo-laden pass-through.  Electric-sash clerestory windows, above, and electric skylights offer ample cross-ventilation, requiring only the ceiling fan (not visible) for naturally cool nights.

Here, a wrought iron Firenze four-poster king-size bed fits exactly into a niche lit by Scavo-glass sconces from Venice.  Recessed nightstand cabinetry and the adjacent dressing mirrors are all framed by Roma distressed picture-frame moulding, reinforcing an Old World appearance.  Accenting the wall above, Renaissance-style painted-frame mirrors are available in the optional turnkey package.

Note that the dressing mirrors flanking the bed are actually pressure-activated doors, allowing access to individual robe closets and pillow storage.  The radiantly-heated floor is always toasty warm each morning.

Too sleepy to wander downstairs for your morning coffee?  What about that evening nightcap?  Both are accomodated by this full-service breakfast bar, complete with paneled Sub-Zero under-cabinet refrigerator and ice maker.  A timer-automated coffee maker makes your morning wake-up an aromatic delight.

The bar sink boasts an oil rubbed bronze European bridge faucet and matching-finish water filter faucet.  The reverse-osmosis water filter system (the kitchen provides another) hides the water storage tank in an adjacent closet, allowing maximum below-sink storage.

Just steps from the breakfast bar, this private master suite deck offers unparalleled views for miles.  Impruneta planters filled with box hedge and geraniums bring the outdoors up to your level.  The wall below is pre-plumbed and wired for a future in-wall fountain, and all decks are plumbed for timer-activated drip irrigation systems.

Note the thick, Colorado-quarried stone cap atop the low deck wall, allowing unobstructed views.  Prop your feet up and relax-- this deck is all yours!

Both the master suite and the adjacent open-air master shower offer separate access to this deck, allowing you to go from shower to breakfast with little more than a towel.

Luxury defines the master bath, from the raised-lip soaking tub with a mountain view to the dual-head open-air shower.  Morning sun floods both the east-facing exterior shower doors (partially frosted for privacy) and the 48-inch electric skylight, which offers a ten-inch sunflower shower head for nearly al fresco showering.  Natural stone tile lines the entire shower alcove, including rustic split-face travertine around the whirlpool tub.

Co-designed by the architect-homeowner's wife, this bath caters to both genders.  An electric heating element beneath the tile seating area, in foreground, and an anti-fogging heater behind the mirror allow her to groom comfortably, using the Roman hand-held shower.  Apothecary bottles filled with bath salts and lavender complete the perfect spa experience.

Note the flush-threshold shower, example of the home's aging-in-place design principals incorporated throughout the home.

Another focal gem of this home, the master bath's apothecary display stems from the architect's visit to the original Medici-sustained apothecary in Florence. The custom-designed Antica Farmacia mirror, in fact, takes its artwork from the apothecary's own label art, including the banner visible here proclaiming "dall' anno 1612."

Here, the owner's antique apothecary bottles are displayed with chemist's scales, a French pill maker and other apothecary antiques, available with the optional turnkey package. A Venetian Scavo light sonce mimics the blood-red fixtures of old apothecary shops.

The bench-made apothecary cabinet sports antique, enameled Latin bin labels and French apothecary drawer labels on what appear to be numerous drawers. In truth, the entire cabinet face pivots outward, offering access to a hidden linen hamper.

The master bath offers separate his-and-hers vanities, each boasting two Milan custom-framed mirror-faced medicine cabinets and a matching Renaissance-design over-sink mirror, also from Milan.

His vanity, here, sports a custom Bijou sink with embossed crest artwork (each sink wholesales for over four figures).  Antique French terra cotta backspalsh pavers accent the French giallo reale marble.  The wall-mount oil rubbed bronze faucet is reminiscent of those found in Europe and matches the towel ring hardware.

Typical of European cabinetry, all under-sink vanities throughout the home are faced with curtains rather than cabinet doors.  Beyond the curtain, however, fully-modernized cabinetry offers pull-out drawers, shelves and pop-out waste bins.

Although difficult to discern from the floor plan, the upper level hallway opens to the ground floor below, visible through the custom wrought iron railing (not visible here).  This semi-public portion of the hall, leading to the private Master Suite wing, offers dual custom bookcases and display ledges flanking an art niche dramatically lit with Xenon art lighting.

Distressed-finish pilasters with decorative Corinthian capitals support an upper display ledge, up-lit with recessed spotlights (note the reflected light near the end of the hallway).

A triple-panel sliding glass door floods the stairwell-- and all rooms nearby, upper and lower-- with light. When opened, the door offers a small "Romeo & Juliet" balcony with a hand-forged wrought iron railing, typical of those throughout the home. Note the disappearing Roll-Screen mounted at the left of the door.

As evidenced here, interaction with the adjacent deck is maximized, as is the view to the canyon and mountain range beyond.

While the lower half of the stairwell provides ample display room for architectural relics and overscale collectibles, the landing sports an antique French artist's easel with a Tuscan hilltown poster canvas. The Old World cartography tapestry above is dramatically spotlit and visible throughout most of the upper floor. Both can be inclusive in the optional turnkey package.

As previously mentioned, the home offers 360-degree views from all floors, and while some of those views stretch to 50 miles, the southwestern view from the rear of the home is unquestionably less distant, although perhaps the most dramatic.

The Colorado National Monument sits just over a mile from the lot, walking distance, for family hikes or picnics for those so inclined.  The Grand Valley's topography resembles that of eastern Utah (the state line is only 25 miles west), and offers the same temperate climate that can often support year-round golf.

Note the valley floor below.  This high-end residential area is sparsely populated, with the closest homes over a half mile distant and several hundred feet lower from the lot.

Designed to double as a sleeping porch, this deck offers an expandable daybed for evenings when the outdoors beckon.  Grandchildren love this porch for overnight visits!

Here, you can settle in with a good book and enjoy the astoundingly quiet solitude and dramatic vistas beyond.  Evenings, this porch is large enough to host visitors on the deck chairs.  Located immediately adjacent to the office and den, it's an excellent after-dinner retreat for the men or a daytime hiatus from work duties.

A 48-inch skylight further opens up this airy deck, and the ceiling fan above stirs a gentle breeze.  As with all outdoor decks and verandas, this deck is pre-plumbed for the future addition of ceiling-mounted gas heaters for cooler fall evenings.

Although distinctly separate from the den, the office space flows freely into the den/library from both ends, with a see-through peninsula fireplace creating a diaphanous connection between the two areas. Note that the floor plan layout provides room for his-and-hers office space, each wired for computer connectivity to the home's 4-computer LAN.

The home's only visible recessed lights are located here, ensuring maximum lighting capabilities (the architect-homeowner worked from this office). Two electric 48-inch skylights and dual casement pairs truly flood the office with natural light... and astounding views.

Note the photograph from the den, and you'll realize that the custom shelving and display ledges shown here runs the length of both rooms. Some of the fascinating collection of scientific and travel antiques can be inclusive in the optional turnkey package.

The den/theater and office spaces all visually flow into the stairwell, maximizing sight lines and creating more opportunites for the homeowner's display of antiques and collectibles.  Here, a display ledge is crafted of antique hand-pressed French terra cotta pavers with an antique barnwood fascia beneath.

Note the two brass photographer's lamps spotlighting items.  The display ledge provides three recessed electrical outlets, allowing maximum decorative lighting opportunities, all switch activated with the room's ambient lighting.  Almost every room in the home, in fact, offers some combination of ambient lighting, task lighting, and dramatic art lighting in the form of spotlights, downlights, or switch-activated outlets allowing independent fixtures as shown here.

A custom-crafted columnar library display ties the den together with the office space beyond. The unique dichotomy of rustic, antique timber and wrought iron columns bridged by gilt-edged, carved-moulding shelves proves a fascinating combination. Note the gesso-finished, carved-wood overscale mirror in the central bay.

To the left, the 42-inch Vidikron plasma theater system (inclusive) hangs above a wall of antique French pavers capped by 12th century monastery pavers from Umbria. Antique "grotesques" reclaimed from a French building flank the TV. Note the speaker just visible above, part of the six-point surround-sound system.

Upper shelves can further showcase antique collections, as shown here. In the foreground, note the British antique postal drop, inclusive in the optional turnkey package.

Dramatic vistas abound from this home, and this northeast view from the central, upper view deck is no exception, offering an expansive view of the Grand Valley 350 feet below the lot.  Here, Mt. Garfield anchors the Bookcliff mountain range in the distance.

A July 4th favorite, nightly sunset views are equally popular from this deck as the mountains shift from pink to purple.

Note the view of the golf course greens in the foreground.  The two-story clubhouse is visible at far left, a short walk away, offering lunch and dinner dining, swimming, a putting green, and private reception hall for catered events.  See www.RedlandsMesa.com for more information.

This intimate upper deck also doubles as a private "front porch," offering an unsurpassed view of the neighborhood (see the prior photo).  The ottoman-height timber at front provides a comfortable foot rest and drink ledge for sunset cocktails without obstructing sight lines.  At left, a hidden ceramic radiant heater prolongs use of the deck well into fall and early spring.

Note the custom hand-forged wrought iron railing at front, sporting five potted plants that can be changed out on a seasonal basis.

Flanking stone walls capped by antique terra cotta pavers provide additional rusticity to this deck and serve as side tables for al fresco dining with an unbeatable view.

The guest wing-- indeed, the enire home--  is designed to accomodate large, multi-generational family gatherings.  Your grandchildren will delight in the bunk room's sleeping loft, and the flexibility of the room offers boundless opportunities for various bunk configurations.

This multi-guest bunk room offers a walk-in closet with ample storage, and the room is wired for separate computer and entertainment facilities.  The en suite bathroom is split and doored separately to accomodate the maximum number of showering kids during busy mornings.

Note that the guest wing is accessible through a separate foyer, providing maximum privacy for both guests and homeowners.  If applicable, the separational door to the guest wing can be locked, limiting visitors' access to only this portion of the home.

Travel dictates the design theme in this all-encompassing guest suite. The room's display ledges are filled with antique luggage, vintage canvas travel posters, and travel books.

A pair of reclaimed antique French doors completely opens up the closet, which is stocked with a luggage rack and his-and-hers bath robes. The guest suite's entry door (not shown), also an antique, hails from Belgium and sets the tone for the suite's plethora of European antiques, many avaiable within the optional turnkey package.

Note the early 19th century Italian vanity, at right, with a pivot-hung gilt over gesso mirror. Flanking silk Venetian chandeliers cast a warm glow over this corner of the room, but the vanity is wired for additional make-up lighting.

Double French doors open to the guest suite deck, an exceedingly private and intimate venue for curling up on the daybed with a book, or simply enjoying the unsurpassed view that stretches into Utah.

Note the antique, reclaimed beam and rafter tails, all adding to the authenticity of a centuries' old appearance.  The copper downspout is most visible here, showcasing its Old World design and patinated copper construction.  While such details seem minor, the home's overall composition proves unmatched by comparables offering sawcut cedar and painted aluminum gutters.

Additional greens of the Redlands Mesa Golf Course are just visible in the distant foreground.

A custom-framed niche contains the guest bed's headboard and offers additional display ledges and shelving showcasing more of the suite's travel memorabilia. Not shown at the foot of the bed is an antique French parlor stove displayed on a raised platform of antique terra cotta tiles. Now outfitted with candles, its warm glow keeps guests entranced.

The charming putti corbels flanking the bed are gilt-finished reproductions of an original cast from the Paris opera house, yet another example of detail unmatched by any comparables on the market.

Note the variety of lighting showcased in this room: ambient lighting from the ceiling fan fixture, task lighting above the bed, and decor up-lighting in the display ledge. Dual French doors and four windows offer additional natural light to this airy suite.

This charming vignette showcases the detail spent on catering to a guest's every desire. The Paris apartment desk, tucked into a mirrored niche, offers antique Italian postcards for visitors to send home during their visit to Casa Sollevare, all potentially available within the optional turnkey package.

Here, the owners have showcased miniture Italian-language tomes on the desk, accompanied nearby by a small library of travel-themed and Italian-specific picture books and novels filling the built-in library shelving.

Luggage-label art decorates the marble tile countertop of this small guest breakfast bar, further reinforcing the room's travel theme.  Wine bottle storage and stemware racks, accompanied here by splits of Italian Prosecco, encourage guests to enjoy the cellar's vintages or to explore the Grand Valley's many wineries on their own.

The breakfast bar is wired for an automatic coffeemaker and the adjacent closet has been pre-wired to accomodate a small refrigerator, should you wish to truly spoil your guests.

Perhaps the most dramatic bathroom of the home, this soaring guest bath is entirely reflected in a 7-foot tall mirror framed with antiqued Roma Italian moulding.  Venetian Duponi silk pendant lights are activated by a dimmer switch, providing a soft, warm glow for an evening in the soaking tub, or more useful task lighting for mornings.  Also note the decorative up-lighting reflected in the mirror, here showcasing more of the owners' antique apothecary collection.

A rare Bijou Romanesque vessel sink rests atop the giallo reale marble slab, accompanied by an oil rubbed bronze European stem faucet.  Adjacent built-in shelving with a matching distressed-paint finish, not visible here, showcase the room's collection of Italian tolieteries and functional apothecary ceramics.  A gilt Roma-framed medicine cabinet tucks into the wall, at right.

Even ground-floor seating on the veranda offers unobstructed views of the colorful Colorado National Monument.  An immediate drop-off to the valley below ensures a perpetual view.

Here, the stone-stamped concrete veranda gives way to the true natural granite cap of the back-yard, interspersed with natural pinon pine, junipers, and Mormon tea plants.

The Italian Sollevare cartouche, custom-crafted in Florence specifically for this home, is just visible in the distance but can be better viewed in the web page header.  Naturally, it will remain with Casa Sollevare.

Antique barnwood roofs the 2-story entry hall, shown here with custom wrought iron truss stretchers, reflecting Old World construction techniques.  Electric-sash clerestory windows flanking each side provide cooling breezes in summer, drawing warm air up and out like a chimney flue.

French terra cotta cherubs, inclusive with the house, are lit with bronze art lighting while antique French terra cotta roof tiles are used to create sconce lighting on the wall.  This display ledge offers a switch-activated electrical outlet used over the holidays for lighting displays visible to the street through the faux balcony doors.

Located on the spa veranda, near the outdoor shower and sunken hot tub, this Athenian Student statue furthers the home's collection of statuary and busts, in keeping with the home's historical European theme.  This statue seems appropriately placed near the spa activities, and complements the Venus de Milo statue just inside the spa.

This particular statue is mounted in a solid concrete base that has been covered with natural stone tile, creating a useable end table for the spa veranda furniture, and remains with the house inclusive of the base price.

The majority of Casa Sollevare's lighting was custom crafted in California-- showcasing all the unique fixtures would be overwhelming.  This fixture, however, seems particularly appropriate as one of the more striking examples of the impact custom fixtures truly have on a home's interior.  Compare them, for example, to the fixtures in your comparables and see which offers the greater visual impact.

Fleu-de-lys theming repeats itself throughout the house, here as the backplate to a heavy, wrought iron sconce sporting a real-wax candle sleeve hiding the electrical socket.

Also note the extremely rare hand-crafted cartouche parchment shade, which not only adds to the aged appearance of the home, but also offers an especially warm glow of diffused light.

Residential wood-fired pizza ovens, while more common in the homeowners' previous home state of California, are rather rare in Colorado. On the dining veranda, Casa Sollevare hosts one of only two known such residential applications in the Grand Valley.

This 4-pizza Earthstone oven rests atop a cast-concrete countertop, offering plentiful wood storage beneath.  To break up the oven's mass, reclaimed antique roof tiles identical to those installed above the living room fireplace create a honeycomb effect.

Note the pizza flue at top, an antique British terra cotta chimney boasting over a century of age!  The outdoor kitchen area, replete with a gas line for the cooking grill and electrical outlets for the margarita blender, is to the right of the pizza oven.

The downstairs hall boasts flanking terra cotta light sconce fixtures, fired and hand-painted in central Tuscany.  Custom wrought iron holders, visible at the edge, were created here to hold the fixtures.

This colorful cartouche sports the colors and symbols of Tuscany and instills an unmistakable Italian tone to the interior decor.  The flanking sconce offers yet another painted design.

This charming putto-- Italian for cherub-- creates a unique and eye-catching console in the recessed living room niches flanking the central mantel.  His opposing mate holds the mirror opposite stance.  Both are solid cast stone and permanently affixed to their respective niches, inclusive in the home's base price.

Here, the homeowners' accessories and antiques displayed atop this console-- ranging from the antique sepia photograph of Florence's duomo to the Florentine hotel luggage label-- further reinforce the Italian theme of the home.

Note the rustic stone backdrop of the niche, a design theme carried throughout the house.

The Villa d'Este outside Rome served as inspiration for this architectural folly, or relic.  Wealthy Italians, or those who sought to emulate the wealthy, often recreated the ruins of the Roman Forum within their own gardens, as was done at the Villa d'Este.

Here, the reclaimed antique cupola from St. Joseph's cathedral in Chicago has been permanently re-constructed as a miniture reproduction of Bramonte's tempietto in Rome.  It serves as a focal point of the trellis alle at the front of the house, where monthly wine tasting events were held by the owners.  Note the adjacent Lutyens benches, where guests gather during such events.

Three landscape up-lights bathe the relic in a soft glow each evening.  It remains perhaps the single most unique architectural antique on the estate and is inclusive in the base price of the home.

All the street-facing doors in Casa Sollevare are custom, bench-made French doors of solid alder, antiqued and distressed to replicate the antiquity of the four, true antique French chateau doors also installed within the front facade.

The central courtyard's Dutch door is a favorite, however.  The top half can be bolted open with the Bouvet French door bolt, while the lower half remains closed and locked.  The outdoors, especially the strains of the adjacent fountain, are brought indoors with ease.  The central interior ledge doubles as a serving counter for outdoor parties.

Note the custom, hand-forged grill, recreated from an Tuscan farmhouse design, and the oxidized Bouvet latch set, below.  The enamel address plaque is from France.

Details make the difference!  See the floor plan photo of the formal powder bath to understand the context of this faucet.

Since the powder bath's pedestal sink, custom-carved of limestone in Florence, Italy for the owners, recreates an Italian wall fountain, not just any faucet would suffice.  The intent was to recreate a stylized fountain spigot that literally spouts water as a fountain would.

This gold, French-manufactured Herbeau dauphin spigot and faucet set (wholesale, priced at over four figures) proved an ideal, and beautiful, recreation of the designer's favorite fountain.  Water flow is restricted to ensure the arc of water flow hits the basin perfectly.  The adjacent towel ring and nearby paper holder are matching sets, sporting the French dauphin motif of a stylized dolphin head.

When shopping for an estate home, attention to construction materials and details offer telltale evidence of the builder's intent: a true custom-detailed home versus a speculative investment.

Comparables will offer new, rough-sawn cedar timbers, inattentive and artificial masonry, elastomeric stucco, and off-the-shelf lighting.

Here, antique hand-hewn timbers display their adz marks as a badge of authenticity.  Old World masonry techniques painstakingly replicate Italian slurry-grout finishes and stone textures.  The stucco is actual concrete, exactly as found in century-old Tuscan farmhouses.  And the exterior light sconces, also used inside, are crafted from antique French terra cotta roof tiles mounted vertically in a hand-forged framework.

Details make the difference!

Award-winning architect Mies van der Rohe is famous for quipping that "god is in the details."  Here, Bacchus is in the details!

Not content with an ordinary door pull for the wine cellar entrance, the architect-homeowner sought this antique bronze Bacchus figure, reclaimed from an old candelabra.  His devilish face sports a pointed goatee, large loop earrings, and a mischievous grin.  His scanty toga demonstrates the gods' good fortune of maintaining a toned midsection despite all that wine.  Would that we were all so fortunate!

Wine is an essential element of life in Italy, indeed in most of Europe, unlike America.  Casa Sollevare's broad collection of wine antiques, therefore, easily sets the tone for a European-themed decor.  That, and the current owner truly enjoys his wine!

Here, one of two museum-quality display cabinets flanking the wine cellar entrance demonstrates the reverence for wine.  Like the nearby wine bar cabinetry, these display cabinets are crafted with actual art-frame moulding from Italian manufacturer Roma Moulding, whose Renaissance designs and distressed finishes are widely popular among fans of historical design.

This antique hand-blown vessel, once filled with Poire William d'Alsace, is inclusive in the optional turnkey package.

Fine architectural details, when at eye-level, prove as intimate as the most cherished of antiques.  Case in point...

This cherub-faced corbel, hand-finished in gilt with a warm, red bole undertone, joins three brethern in upholding the guest suite's headboard niche.  Your guests will be stroking their cheeks and saying goodnight to these little gents each evening, simply because of their proximity to the guest bed.

These corbels are a reproduction of an original cast from the Paris opera house.  That provenience is delightful enough, but feel free to embellish it with your own touch when guests come to visit.

Special care went into the selection of this lantern, gracing the central courtyard, as it lights the "everyday" entrance path to the house and casts a special glow over the entire courtyard.  See the floor plan photo of the dining room, with this lantern clearly visible just a few feet from the dining table.

In a home almost entirely stocked with custom light fixtures, this lantern is the largest, with its graceful curves and exterior scale.  The amber milk glass replicates the glow of gas-fed lanterns and has easily proven the owner's favorite exterior lamp.

Note the detail of the lion fountain in the background.

Italian life revolves around wine, so it seemed natural to place the wine bar centrally, highly visible, easily accessible.  Being such a centerpiece, care was taken to provide the utmost detail in its design and construction.

Actual art-frame moulding faces the silk-lined cabinet doors and wine goblet display boxes, framing the spotlit glasses like fine jewelry.  Below, giallo and rosso stone tiles, some etched with the Italian Fleur-de-lys, create a backsplash.

This nitrogen wine bar is a smaller version of those found in restaurant installations.  Nitrogen bottles remain hidden away (only the small, white nub protrudes), providing the ability to maintain freshness for weeks of four bottles of your favorite Ornellaia or Sassicaia, if you can avoid the tempation to finish the bottle.

With facial features similar to a gargoyle, grotesques were figures used as ornamental or structural corbels on European building facades.

Crafted of horsehair and plaster, this French fellow and his matching twin, flanking the theater niche, only appear to pose a stern countenance.  In truth, they match the Mona Lisa for eye trickery: their eyes twinkle when you least expect it.

Reclaimed from a French building about to be demolished, these grotesques are mounted above 12th century terra cotta pavers from an Umbrian monastery.  Listen hard, and you can imagine the whispers between them and the spirits of those monks!

See the floor plan photo of the theater and den to place this photo in context.  It's but one of three gilt-edged, wood-carved display shelves bridging the den's columnar library shelves.

This central-bay shelf faces an Old World style gesso and gilt wood-carved mirror, a permanent fixture and inclusive in the home's base price, as are the custom display shelving.  Two up-lights and one down-light hide within each shelf, highlighting the owner's collection of scientific, sporting, and travel memorabilia and antiques.

Casa Sollevare was designed to appear as though the home evolved over several centuries, with a new section added with progressive generations.  Three separate entrances in the front facade mark each of those generational additions, and each entrance offers its own unique address numerals.

Here, the theoretical "oldest" and "original" entrance, now the guest wing entrance, offers the most rustic address numbering system, oxidized metal numerals peg-mounted from the stone wall, up-lit at night by in-ground lighting.

By comparision, see the central courtyard's Dutch door (also in the Details section) and the floor plan photo of the formal entrance to note the progressively-formal address numbering system.

Casa Sollevare offers a diverse range of custom sinks, from a $3,500 solid copper farmhouse kitchen sink to the custom-carved limestone pedestal powder bath sink from Florence.

Here, the rustic, gardening-theme spa/gym bath sports a utilitarian, carved-stone sink once used as a horse trough from a York, England, farm.  Meant to replicate a potting sink, it rests atop a zinc-wrapped bench with antique French giallo terra cotta pavers as a backsplash.

The custom wrought iron shelf above holds a variety of antique gardening tools and dried lavender, nicely reflected in the reclaimed potting-shed window now transformed into a mirror (inclusive with the home).  Note the edge of the Tuscan terra cotta cartouche inlaid above the sink, at left.

Formality defines the dining room in Casa Sollevare, with gilt finishes predominating the room.  While the balance of this Italian farmhouse boasts rustic, wrought iron lighting or terra cotta roof tile sconces, the dining room demanded the grace of carved wood.

This 18th-century Italian hand-carved chandelier-- purchased for several thousand dollars and inclusive with the house-- is now electrified and installed on a dimmer switch, providing a rich warmth with it's aged gilt finish.  Black toile shades and a silk chandelier-chain sleeve balance the degree of formality expected in a "simple" farmhouse.

Note, as an aside, the French terra cotta cherub in the distant background, also inclusive with the home's base price, blessing diners with his grinning gaze.

The colorful Italian wood cartouche shown in the web page header was created after Sollevare was conceived but before it was built.  This cartouche, however, was created during construction, partially to reiterate the estate name, but partially to add a sense of gilt-toned formality to the dining room, where it rests above the courtyard French doors.

Although this cartouch isn't permanently affixed to the wall, it seems natural that it should stay with its namesake estate for the buyer wise enough to invest in the turnkey package.

This charming kidney-shaped desk has an irristable sense of scale, warmly inviting but small enough not to overpower the multi-functional guest suite, where it rests in this mirrored niche.

The accoutrements to this vignette are perfectly matched, also part of the turnkey package.  Note the matching-colored book jacket, entitled "An Italian Holiday," meant to ensure your guests truly feel as though they're enjoying one.  To further that state of mind, a drawer of antique Italian postcards fills the side drawer, ready to be mailed back home during a visit to Casa Sollevare.  The miniture Italian-language tomes are quite rare, dating from 1862, and range from Dante to Macchiavelli.

Florence's Santa Maria del Fiore cathedral is well known throughout the Roman empire-- indeed, most of the world-- for Brunelleschi's famous ribbed dome, one of the strongest symbols of the Renaissance.  Its presence instantly transports the viewer to Florence, ideal for a home whose entire design is meant to perform exactly that function.

Casa Sollevare contains two of these large-scale Alinari sepia photogrpahs from the turn-of-the-century (the other is from the Boboli Gardens of the Medici palace).  Both are framed with Roma moulding, the Italian moulding company known for their Renaissance-era designs and finishes.  Additionally, several smaller antique Alinari photos are scattered throughout the home, all depicting life in the Tuscan countryside.  All are inclusive in the turnkey package.

Galileo.  da Vinci.  Copernicus.  All were Renaissance-era scientists and inventors with ties to Italy whose work was likely to be revered by the hypothetical Italian family who built Casa Sollevare over the generations.

The thought of such a collection inspired a decade-long acquisition of scientific antiques and collectibles, all showcased throughout the office and den-- these are but a few.  The armillary sphere shown here, for instance, is accompanied elsewhere by a reproduction Copernican globe.  While some are antiques and others merely collectibles, all are inclusive in the turnkey package.

Girolamo Savonarola, the Italian Renaissance monk and political reformer, remains famous today for two things: his "bonfire of the vanities" (yes, Tom Woolfe simply borrowed that phrase for his book), and this chair.

The most recognized historical Italian chair in the world, the Savonarola chair dominates the hallways of the Uffizi Palace in Florence, where so many of them line the walls like folding chairs.  In fact, they are folding chairs-- with the back removed, the x-shaped frame folds vertically.  Two of these chairs set a Renaissance tone in the living room.

Additionally, not shown here, an antique leather-backed Dante chair, purchased by the owner at the Arrezo antiques market, is also inclusive in the full turnkey package.

The guest suite, as currently furnished, seeks to thrill visitors to Casa Sollevare with the notion of exotic travel to foreign, far away places.  Italy, of course, is but one of those destinations, as evidenced by the Pisa travel canvas poster seen here.

A collection of antique luggage, only partially showcased here, populates the display ledges of the guest suite with luggage that is better traveled than any of us could hope to be.  Still, one can always aspire to membership in the Seven Continents Club!  And acquiring this luggage collection with the turnkey package is a good start.

Knock-off ceramics are painfully obvious to the seasoned traveller, so the homeowners scoured Tuscany and Umbria to collect their favorite ceramics directly from the source.

The Umbrian hilltown of Gubbio is famous for their style of majolica, three of which are showcased here, including the huge red vase at far right, all purchased directly from Signor Magnelli. Although his ceramics once were sold exclusively through the now-defunct California company, Cottura, you can gain an entire collection with the turnkey package.

The home's total collection, not all pictured here, include ceramics from Deruta, Orvieto, Cortona and San Gimignano.

Ralph Lauren's store designers would salivate over the collection of sporting antiques, some of which are pictured here.

The antique fencing mask, center, is surrounded by two antique sabres.  At left is an Italian crossbow, balanced at right by an old leather gun scabbord.  This is but one of three display shelves in the den and theater, all three of which are inclusive in the turnkey package.

The architect designed a special niche in the stone retaining wall adjacent to the old "stables" (now the garage) of Casa Sollevare specifically to showcase this antique European farm cart.  Even from the entry walk, it helps set the tone for the rustic Italian farmhouse theme of the estate.

Season-specifc landscape displays make the cart even more of a showpiece.  Here, pansies and lavender provide both color and scent, while a huge chocolate-mint geranium replaces the goat that once pulled this charming cart. 

This British neighborhood mail drop is always a conversation piece.  It rests in the home office, naturally, but is visible from the den.  Note the original colorful lichen still spotting the lid.

Formed of solid terra cotta (and weighing a ton!), mail was dropped into the front slot, visible here, with the postman removing the day's collection from a locking, rear door.  The baked-on black finish has worn slightly, but makes it no less worthy of investing in the turnkey package.

The Juliet Binoche movie, "Chocolat," remains one of the architect-homeowner's favorite movies, so this antique is a real trophy.  It's one half of what was a double-sided French trade sign for the village chocolate maker.

See the floor plan photo of the central wine bar to get a sense of the scale of this piece, over five feet long and a meter high.  To sweeten the investment for the right purchaser, the bar below will remain stocked with its bottle of Godiva liquer.

Antiquities give an instant sense of history, and the scale of architectural pieces provide such focal drama that it seems sensible to highlight architectural antiquities in a home meant to appear three centuries old.

This relic once adorned a European building.  Which building and what country is unknown, but he provides a certain Roman-Empiresque appeal for an Italian home.  It sits within a living room display niche, backlit for drama, and is inclusive in the turnkey package.

Dominican monks formally established Florence, Italy's Farmacia di Santa Maria Novella in 1612 after 400 years of creating herbal remedies and scents for the likes of Caterina de' Medici.  The howeowner-architect's visit to this world-famous institution led to the creation of this focal point in the master bath.

The custom-created apothecary mirror reflects much of the artwork from the Farmacia (note the Coat of Arms at lower right) and reflects a few of the owner's collection of antique apothecary bottles & ceramics and, at right, chemist scales.  All are included in the turnkey package.

The French love their baguettes-- the longer, the better, it seems.  French bakers would carry their day's production of baguettes to the outdoor market in this tall basket, a sort of portable bakery, if you will.

Here, this antique basket is used as the spa towel hamper in the spa suite.  It sits adjacent to the French doors leading to the outdoor shower and sunken spa, only two steps from the spa suite's laundry.

See the floor plan photos for the context of this photo.  The stairway was designed extra wide to create the terra cotta-capped ledge you see in the foreground.  Those thick pavers are 12th century, reclaimed from an old monastery in Umbria, Italy.

This wide ledge was created for the display of architectural relics and antiquities, and it stairsteps up with the staircase such that three levels of antiques are eye-level as one ascends the stairs.  Here, an antique wooden quatrefoil window from a French cathedral sits adajcent to an early 20th century ceramic-faced building block with a French fleur-de-lys.  The terra cotta columns at right are unknown in origin but their age is evident in their darkened hue (compared to the new terra cotta vase at far right).  All are inclusive in the turnkey package.

The upper, central deck was created to double as a sleeping porch, as well as a secondary, outdoor entertaining area.  The daybed shown includes a pop-up trundle, transforming the bed into a king-size mattress area.

Additional deck chairs are upholstered in the same colorful striped Sunbrella fabric, and potted garden collections, as shown here, enliven the decks with French Anduze pots and terra cotta planters from Impruneta, Italy.  All deck furnishing are inclusive in the turnkey package.

The semi-nude Venus de Milo seemed an appropriate focal point in the spa suite, where steam baths and massages are enjoyed before outdoor visits to the sunken spa or outdoor rainhead shower.

The rust finish on this cast iron reproduction perfectly suits the room's rustic gardening theme.  Miss V, as she's called, sits atop a custom pedestal crafted from antique, hand-pressed French terra cotta pavers in darker, umber tones.  With four strong men, Miss V can be transported, but it seems better that she stay with Casa Sollevare, as part of the optional turnkey package.

The spa suite boasts a rustic gardening theme, further exemplified here with the use of this antique French farm straw feeder as a spa towel holder.  Historically, loose straw was stored dialy in this wall-hung feeder, and goats were able to feed from it by pulling the loose straw from between the open slats.  It sits directly beneath a farm-style gooseneck lamp.

Note that the room's rusticity is tempered by the bistro-style wrought iron mirrored coat racks, flanking this towel holder.  They provide an abundance of robe and towel hooks for plenty of spa users.  All are included in the turnkey package.

Eye-catching whimsey always provides delight in a home full of surprises around every corner.  Here, visitors to the central courtyard do a double-take as they're greeted by this young woman always in need of a haircut.  She also provides an intimate scale to the courtyard.

This antique French cartouche of unknown provenience provides a dramatic sense of formality to the dining room, where gilt finishes predominate.  In all, Casa Sollevare boasts four cartouches-- two antiques, like this one, and two uniquely crafted for the home.

The all-inclusive guest suite provides more historical flair with this intimate French parlor stove than any fireplace could offer, and prevents the room from feeling too small.  The ornamentation is exquisite, including the pearl-draped bust of a young woman directly above the firebox.

Once used to burn coal or peat moss, the stove's firebox now boasts a custom-made tray for holding scented candles.  Also note the antique bellows, at left.  The stove rests atop a raised hearth of reclaimed French terra cotta tiles, adding to the sense of antiquity in the room.  Your guests here will always remain toasty-- the room offers its own thermostat for the radiantly-heated floor.

The intimate scale of this 19th century Italian vanity adds more historical flair than functionality to the guest suite, although it was designed with an electrical outlet to support a modern-lit make-up mirror, unlike the antique gilt-and-gesso pedestal mirror, at right.  The gilt mirror on pivot keys makes an excellent dressing mirror.

Flanking Venetian silk pendant lights provide a warm glow in this corner and frame this vanity perfectly, the best of reasons to include it in the optional turnkey package.

This gilt-on-wood carved Italian sconce adorns the formal dining room with dramatic flair.  The antique mirror reflects light from five candles radiating around this 26-inch tall sconce.

See the accompanying photo in the Details section for a photo of the 18th century Italian gilt chandelier in the dining room.  These two fixtures are perfectly suited together, prompting this sconce's inclusion in the turnkey package.

This antique French hotte was once used to harvest grapes, worn on the back like an oversized backpack into which freshly-cut grape bundles were tossed.  Once filled, the basket was carried to a central wagon for collection, slipped off the worker's back, and, using the handle, tipped upside down to empty the contents.

Here, the hotte is hung near the wine cellar entrance, used to display a bounty of colorful sunflowers.

While antique hottes in varying degrees of preservation can still be found, this 30-inch tall hotte was an extremely rare find, being in perfect condition.  Banded hottes are also very unusual, and the bottom handle even rarer yet.

While not an antique, this 5' by 7' tall patinated gilt mirror offers a finish that belies its true age, a rarity in modern mirrors.  This overscale mirror-- Casa Sollevare offers several-- brings a striking formal drama to the master suite.  Resting opposite the east-facing windows, it reflects the morning light and brightens the entire suite considerably.

Note in the reflection the wrought iron four-poster bed with Yves Delorme toile duvet, the Renaissance-design mirrors, and the antique gilt cane-back sette, all furnishings inclusive in the optional turnkey package.

If the fliply seductive pose didn't give her identity away, the grape-intwined hair identifies this maiden as a bacchante, a reveler in the court of Bacchus, Roman god of wine.  She beckons guests to visit the wine cellar, immediately adjacent to her resting spot.

A solid cast-stone reproduction cast from an 1870 Italian original, she sports an aged finish, sits a yard tall, and weighs well over 200 pounds.

Although both its provenience and age are unknown, this carved-wood gilt-and-paint cartouche sports an Italian or Spanish coat of arms and adds an instant historical, European flair to the den, where it hangs beneath gilt-edged display ledges of scientific, sporting and travel antiques and memorabilia.  All are inclusive in the turnkey furnishings package.

Two entry-flanking, cymbal-playing French cherubs adorn the display ledge above the formal entry, within eyesight of the Italian putti console tables in the living room.  Since, by definition, cherubs occupy the highest angelic orders in the heavens, they seemed a natural fit for this high display ledge, where they gaze down on their admirers.

Their rustic finish matches the antique terra cotta roof tile, partially visible in the background and installed here as a light sconce, which boasts over a century of lichen patina.

Although built in Colorado, Casa Sollevare attempts to replicate its Italian roots even with the exterior landscape.  The local dry, sunny climate and rocky soil don't easily support lush, in-ground gardens, just as in Italy, so potted gardens are ideal.

The formal entry walk leading to the two-story entrance is flanked by four oversized pots sporting box trees and spiral junipers.  Here, another oversize "ovale" planter (oval in shape) adorns the throat of the central courtyard.  Note the raised Medici coat of arms in the center.

All the home's primary terra cotta pieces-- tens of thousands in value-- are imported freeze-proof terra cotta from Impruneta, Italy, widely recognized as the most durable in the world.

This LaCanche French range was custom-built in Burgundy, sold doemstically through Art Culinaire (see www.FrenchRanges.com for details & specs).  This model, the Cluny, is 40 inches wide with 5 burners, ranging from 18,000 to 5,000 Btu/hr, with dual-fuel ovens-- one gas, and one electric.  Seldom used, excellent condition, not put into service until October 2004.  The 2003 new order price was $7,465; now asking $4,995.

Dining table is Drexel Heritage "At Home in Tuscany" line, by Frances Mayes ("Under the Tuscan Sun"), 82" x 42" Tavola Table in black crackle finish with gold striping.  Two armchairs are also Drexel Heritage "Young Contessa" arcmchairs, 26" w x 27" D x 43" high.  Four antique French cane-back chairs have been refurbished, refinished and upholstered to match.  Entire set at 2003 price was $7,249; now asking $3,299.

Custom built breakfast nook table, based upon a 17th century Spanish antique, this lion's-foot, lyre-leg stretcher table was built of maple in 1998 by custom French furniture maker Beau Sejour of Los Angeles.  The 36" x 52" table is heavily distressed, the stretcher is solid wrought iron.  Custom French armchairs (22W x 19D x 39H) are alder with a crackle finish and moss-green toile cushions atop tight-weave cane rush seats.  Entire set in 1998 was $3,452; now asking $1,199.

Ball-foot corner kitchen cabinet by Ballard Designs in distressed cream/light yellow finish, dual glass-pane doors with antique-style skeleton-key lock.  Custom curtains are French Indienne fabric in a sunflower motif.  Interior is stained wood with three fixed shelves.  Requires 32" of wall space, protrudes 24" from corner, excellent condition (no kids in this family!).  Purchased new, including custom curtains, for $1,180; now asking $475.

Antique Irish pine kitchen table, turned-lathe legs, mortise & tenon joinery, full bottom shelf behind French Indienne-fabric curtains.  Dimensions: 27"D x 43"W x 32"H (note: widest top plank is 16.5" wide, a real antique).  Originally $650 wholesale from Charles & Charles in Los Angeles, now asking $299, inclusive of curtains.

Antique 18th century French fireside bench in oak & cherry, all mortise & tenon joinery, hinges have been added for lifting seat for bench storage inside.  Bench is 41" W x 16.5" D x 38" H.  Originally from West World Imports in Pasadena, Ca, purchased for $2,475, now asking $850.

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Antique chess game table in original condition, measures 28" square x 27" tall, with middle drawer and fluted-column leg.  Originally $525 from Los Angeles antique dealer, now asking $225.

Den furniture available together as a set or individually.  Loveseat from Krauses Sofa Factory in CA is upholstered in silk stripe (needs cleaning), measures 36" D x 60" W x 32" T, originally $980, now asking $295.  Two matching new Barcalounger "lectern lounger" recliners upholstered in microsuede (with Stainsafe finish) from Michael Handler in Denver, each measure 36" W x 34" D x 37" T.  Originally $952 each, now asking $475 each.

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This room contained a huge collection of European gardening and farming antiques, most of them displayed here.  Several of these pieces have been sold, but if interested, I can email you photos of the remaining items available (there are several smaller items remaining).

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This Colefax Armchair by Ballard Designs is covered in C.O.M. custom premier upholestry, as is the matching Classic Footstool, all with turned-wood legs (note casters on armchair).  Seldom used guest room chair, no pets, no children, brand new condition.  New price was $685 for armchair and $180 for the footstool ($865 total), plus custom upholestry, now asking $395.

A classic antique with a wonderful patina, this cast iron and wood public park bench measures 49" W x 24" D x 33" T.  Originally paid $400, was asking $150, now $100.

NOTE: I HAVE TAKEN A 50% DEPOSIT TOWARD SALE (if interested, leave your contact info as a back-up offer). 

These European Bosch front-load units are small enough to fit under a countertop (they're only 34" tall), or stack nicely, as shown here in this custom built-in cabinet (not available).  The units measure 23" W x 24" deep.  The washer uses HE (high efficiency) detergent only, found at Target.  Bosch makes the cadillac of washers, able to handle the gentlest hand-wash cycle or heavy soiling with equal ease.  Originally $1,723 together, now asking $999, sold only as a pair.  NOTE: I am still using these units until I move (about 45 days longer), but can take a 50% deposit to hold them (will provide a bill of sale) and will call two weeks prior to my departure for final pick-up.

This antique French goat straw feeder, now used as a spa towel holder, is hand-crafted with mortise & tenor joinery of ash, purchased from West World Imports in Pasadena for $390, now asking $175.

SOLD

This standard twin sized mattress is custom upholstered in a rich, gold-weave upholstery-grade fabric with piping top and bottom and zipper access to the mattress.  The five custom-upholstered back cushions are covered in a lemonia-themed fabric.  All currently fit within a built-in daybed-- sorry, it's permanent-- but this set, mattress included, could brighten your own daybed frame.  Asking $500 for the entire set.

This charming French country chick hatchery is the real thing, not a re-created display piece.  The metal at right is part of the plumbing that hooked up the hot water supply to the interior water pan, warming the eggs in the tray drawer below while also keeping warm the newly-born chicks in the screened compartment above (the carved mother hen at top is sitting atop a collection of eggs).  Extremely rare and in excellent condition.  Originally purchased for $800, now asking $350.

These French country kitchen counter stools (meant for a standard 36" countertop height) boast a distressed-paint finish and cane-rush seating with French Indienne-fabric reversible cushions.  The sliding coaster feet keep your floors in good shape.  Sold as a set only, all three stools and cushions for only $250. 

This antique cherry secretary (meaning the flat, tabel-like writing surface flips up when closed) offers plenty of nooks, crannies, and hidden compartments.  The claw-footed ball feet are very unique.  Needs refinished, but all hardware is in place (more photos available on request).  Now asking $200.

This extremely rare piece was just one of probably six child's metal carousel swings from a French traveling carousel.  The swing was held by a chain from the bolts in the center, and each side of the swing boasts a tiny wooden seat (French children apparently had no obesity problems!).  The slatted bottom allowed rainwater to pass through.  Absolutely charming, and a real conversation piece, we used it as a planter holder (holding plants instead of children in the little seats).  Originally purchased for $900, now asking $400.

A must-have for World Travelers and Latin lovers, this Old World tapestry is from French company Pierre Deux and hangs on a display rod from the Antique Drapery Rod company, known for their premier European-style hardware line.  Tapestry measures 74" wide x 52" tall.  Selling the tapestry, rod and brackets together, now asking $350 for the set.

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This is what Grand-pere dusted off every four weeks for his monthly bath, whether he needed it or not.  The Grand-pere who owned this luxury, two-ply zinc "Slipper Tub" was apparently rich, for this is a very rare model that included widened armrests in addition to the raised back.  We've drilled holes in the bottom and used it as a planter near the outdoor hot tub-- it also makes a good learning tool for kids who think their jacuzzi is too small..!  Now asking $150.

SOLD

Custom upholstered tuft-cushion queen-sized headboard, never installed or used.  Fabric is a heavy, upholstery-grade, light gold fabric.  Originally purchased for $480, now asking $200.

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