When you’re building a new home, the options for backyard features can be overwhelming. What’s popular? What’s possible? What materials are readily available here, and not just an obscurity found in Architectural Digest? That’s where local builders like Tony Visconti and Bella Custom Homes come in. Browse their gallery-filled website and social media channels to find what’s being dreamed up here in Dallas-Fort Worth.
So, why not draw inspiration from one of Tony’s most stunning projects? This 14,000-square-foot home on Deloache Avenue is an absolute crown jewel of stunning backyard architecture and design. Actually, we’ve been fawning over this $14 million Italian Mediterranean estate for years now, and it’s attracted the attention of the most discriminating buyers as we’ve reported over the years.
This custom build is set on 1.645 acres, so there’s a lot of backyard to cover, but Bella Custom Homes takes full advantage of the large lot by introducing multiple levels for its rear elevation. At home level, you’ll find the covered patio with a dark tongue-and-groove planked ceiling and dual-sided fireplace, separating the outdoor dining area from the larger, two-story living area.
Separating the dining and living spaces creates two different moods, says Stacy Brotemarkle, Vice President and Interior Designer with Bella Custom Homes. The outdoor dining room offers incredible intimacy with its lower ceiling and nearby fireplace, giving an aura of dining by candlelight. On the other side of the see-through cast stone fireplace, the space opens upward to two stories as a large outdoor living and lounging area. The outdoor spaces have easy access not only from the kitchen but also from the great room and formal living room via double French doors.
There is even a smaller covered area right off the master bedroom, perfect for morning coffee while enjoying the view of the backyard oasis. All of this makes for perfect flow while entertaining family and friends.
Notice how the loggia’s column arches perfectly frame the pool. Perfection! It’s those kinds of details you can expect from Bella Custom Homes.
Loggias have become popular features in Dallas’ most beautiful homes, but this loggia is a perfect nod to the home’s Mediterranean design roots. Of course, loggias originated as an architectural feature from Italy, where open-air homes took advantage of the Mediterranean breezes circulating through a courtyard or patio. The columns and arches provided protection from the sun or rain without impeding the view beyond. For this Preston Hollow Mediterranean home, the two-story loggia offers architectural interest and practical shade for its residents.
A tier down, there is a spa with a waterfall edge that feeds into the fountain feature just below it. A few of the backyard’s original trees from its wooded lot were saved and are seen at the far left of the photo. It’s rare to find mature trees like this at the tree farm and if you do, they’re a fortune. So if you have them, keep them!
“During construction, we went to great lengths to protect the existing trees on the lot,” Brotemarkle says. “We fenced them and kept them watered to make sure they stayed healthy.”
On the lowest level, you’ll find a custom-shaped pool with a combination of hard surfaces and grass pavers. This checkerboard pattern of pavers and grass helps keep the backyard a bit cooler by cutting down on total paved spaces. But not all pavers are created alike. Rough cobblestones can be difficult to walk on, while ultra-smooth polished granite can become slippery when wet. Bella Custom Homes used a mix of imported travertine materials, handpicked by Stacy, and concrete pavers to create an ideal backyard space. Bella Custom Homes imports a lot of its high-quality materials like stone, tile, and doors.
And for the sports enthusiasts, there is even space in the grassy area for a tennis or sports court, just beyond the fire pit.
Before a single brick was laid — metaphorically speaking because this stunner is made of stucco — Mat Hannus of Marlin Landscape designed all the landscaping and drew the design of the white plaster pool. “Mat dreamt up the backyard before we even broke ground,” Stacy says.
Designing dream homes is a passion for graduate master builder Tony Visconti. That’s why happy homeowners who’ve worked with Bella Custom Homes remark how detailed and organized Tony is with every aspect of a custom home. Every detail matters.
Bella Custom Homes is known for its classic European designs, but can design any style of home with the classic craftmanship of homes that stand the test of time. The options are, well, overwhelming. Large movable glass walls that seamlessly blend the indoors and outdoors. Outdoor kitchens that rival your indoor kitchen. Firepits, fountains, waterfalls, cabanas, and guest houses.
Tony, Stacy, and the talented team at Bella Custom Homes make a collaborative effort to create the perfect backyard oasis for their clients.
“We want our clients to feel like they are on vacation at a high-end resort every time they walk into their backyard,” Visconti says.
Ready to get your new home started? Reach out to Tony at 214-232-3690 or [email protected], or visit bellacustomhomes.com.
