Alright. I’ll confess to having a bias against new builds, unless modern.
They often come off as bombastic, with ground floors as cold as hotel lobbies, sightlines from front to back, rooms which seem to be all opening and no wall, and, depressingly built on semi-desolate lots with puny trees. It would appear that freshly minted charm is nearly unattainable.
How gratifying, then, to stumble upon a rustically stately and charming Mediterranean villa built in 2009 at 7001 Sanctuary Heights Road, in gated Mira Vista. The curb appeal couldn’t be stronger with a deep setback on a near-acre lot and perfect, mature landscaped, grounds. The listing boasts of over 90 trees. The 5,500-square-foot residence is composed of attractive blocks with the appearance of organic spontaneity. Materials are confined to a disciplined repertoire of stone and stucco.
Inside the same stone is intermittently deployed in the staircase, fireplace walls, and niches and screened porch, creating a consistency of ambience. Oversized concrete tile floors mimic limestone and add to the feeling of timeless solidity. Owner directed design details, such as the hand-hewn beams and stair treads from Amish country contribute to the warmth of the customized decor.
And space is deftly managed with a proper vestibule on entering and a gracious flow between clearly purposed rooms. The living area is divided into manageable spaces of human scale. The dining room shares a fireplace with the living room.
The eat-in kitchen features side-by-side SubZero refrigerator and freezer. The gas cooktop is a Dacor six-burner model crowned with a massive hood. And take in all of the cabinetry and work space! I eye the center table, another custom feature from reclaimed wood, with envy imagining making pasta or pastry in calm comfort.
The master suite is located on the ground floor. The master bath is equipped with separate vanities, separate showers with body spray and steam features, linen closet and custom, walk-in, double-height closets. There is another private bedroom suite on the first floor. A handsome study and large laundry complete the inventory of first floor rooms. The remaining two bedrooms are upstairs connected by a third Jack-and-Jill bath. There is also a large game room that could assume multiple uses.
The second downstairs bath terminates in an antique barred window, possibly from Argentina.
The screened-in porch with stunning views of the rambling back garden has a second kitchen with an attached vented grill.
The back garden, indisputably the most beautiful feature of this listing, is a breathtaking combination of rustic covered pergolas, fire pit, squirrel proof caged garden and greenhouse all executed in a handsome stone hardscape with rambling pathways snaking throughout.
Most of the truly ingenious planning is the effort of the justifiably proud owner who tamed a plain, sloped lot with an extensive series of limestone retaining walls, creating attractive parterres. The greenhouse is entirely her design. The screened garden has stone-framed, raised beds with suspended irrigation. At the time of my visit, a variety of lettuces were still thriving and herbs were beginning to peek above the soil’s surface. The marvel of all of this is that it’s only 10 years old and yet has the air of spontaneously evolved timelessness.
DeeAnn Moore who has made something of a specialty of the Mira Vista addition, has priced 7001 Sanctuary Heights Road at $1.7 million.
