I've been in Austin two years now and certainly don't claim to know my way around. Recently, I was at a meeting up north. It ended right during rush hour traffic, so to avoid the snags on the freeways, a suggestion was made to take Balcones Drive. That is one pretty drive! A good bit of that road goes through high-end neighborhoods, and it was fun seeing the gorgeous homes lining the street. This week's home (part of the Hooked on Houses Open House Blog Party), is on Balcones Drive. Enjoy! (As always, click on photos for larger views).
Imagine an oasis in the heart of West Austin on over two acres, covered with mature landscaping and distinguished oak trees and a home that has been meticulously designed and executed. Unlike any other, this estate is perched high above Balcones Drive and has endless views of Lake Austin and beyond. The architectural design, materials, amenities and tranquil setting all contribute to the spectacular nature of this property.
At 12,130 square feet, the main house features four bedrooms, seven full bathrooms, four half baths and NINE living areas. The guest house, at 1,543 square feet, has three bedrooms, three bathrooms and one living area.
I love how this mls photo shows the owner's dog. Cute! Notice the owners' collection of brass trays lining the wall.
I would love to know what that ceiling is. Wow!
Notice how all the santos are displayed.
I'm not a big fan of all the hanging several lanterns here, but I love how this idea shows that the owners don't take themselves too seriously.
This is the catering kitchen.
This is designated storage space. It's obvious these owners entertain a lot.
Isn't that a fabulous estate? Oh, how I would love a private tour. If you're wondering what the price is on this home, you're not alone. Apparently, it's so exclusive, the price wasn't part of the mls listing.
Thank you for joining me on this week's open house tour. For even more fun, check out the tours at Hooked on Houses.
31 comments:
Ok...They are pissing me off already. I am sure I could do three, no, four cartwheels in their bedroom alone. and a CATERING kitchen...??? WHA???
Ok. I am now composed.
WOWZA! Good find Sandra...dare ya to go sell them girl scout cookies(ducking).
Goodness! What a massive home! So pretty.
wow. WOW! that KITCHEN CEILING!
amazing.
OH MY! That is an amazing home! WOW!
My oh my! A catering kitchen?? Those views are fantastic. I love Austin. This is such a gorgeous dream home.
Oh my! Very grand. And the rugs! -Jane
WOW. thanks for the tour. mishelle
Wonderful place ~ when I enlarged the Kitchen photo...it looked like the backsplash was tumbled marble AND that the ceiling was the same thing?!? Awesome.
Love the view, too!
Jan's right--it looks like the ceiling in the kitchen is the same as the backsplash! What a wild idea. There's so much to say about this house. Like the elephant tusks in the master bedroom! And all those hanging lanterns, which I think are really cool and unexpected in a house like this. The catering kitchen could fit about three of my regular kitchen inside it.
I laughed when I saw the dog sitting there. Didn't expect that!
A friend who is Indian gave me a brass platter like the ones going up the stairs and I was never sure what to do with it. Now I know--buy about a dozen more and hang them in the stairwell! :-)
Thanks for joining the blog party, Sandra. Great tour!!
That is a beautiful estate, but not very 'homey' is it? I didn't see one place in there that I could really put my feet up and get comfy...no wonder why they're moving, lol;)
Ok, I sound catty...lol...it's truly a gorgeous home and the views are amazing and the dog is too cute...I just think it needs a hint of hominess (is that a word?) I think the right designer could pull it off.
Thanks for such a grand tour!!!
Bella
I'm speechless.
That home was amazing, but a little too perfect. Don't get me wrong, I'll take it! But I'd be more comfortable to see some Legos all over the floor and some kids splashing in that pool! Cute dog!
Oh my goodness! That's one big house. I'm thinking you could have 5, 6 families living there? LOL.
GREAT house though. I love the stone work and that kitchen - Yowza!
I used to live in Austin, and there are some amazing homes there! Great find! :)
HOLY COW! That is amazing; I just can't believe people live like that. I loved all the hanging lanterns; I saved that photo to an ongoing "house ideas" folder I keep. I have lots of cool ideas there, most of which I'll never actually use, but it makes for good dreams.
Wow - these rooms are so huge!
I've never ever seen a ceiling covered in those tiles (?) before - that is very unique. And I love all of the stone, not to mention their beautiful view. Thank you fo for this tour!
They do it big in Austin! It's a beautiful home, but too much for me. Although, I loved the dog shot and the wood ceilings were amazing. Oh and I could use some of that storage for sure! Thank you for sharing this :)
rue
We're afraid we'd never fill up that storage space! WOW! We love those light in the kitchen - not for us, but it is very whimsical!
Our favorite part are the grounds - quite lovely!!
Thanks for sharing!
Karla & Karrie
That home is incredible!!! I WANT that storage area!
Even though this home is an enormous monster, it still feels homey to me. I love all the wood and stone. Thanks for finding it for us!
Eh, I think I know who's house this is. hmmmm. i'll let you know for sure.
Sandra - email me direct - I don't know your email address! mine is mrballbox329@aol.com
This is my favorite house on the Blog Tour. I love Austin and everything about it. I left 14 years ago and still miss it. This house is very "Austin" and "TX Hill Country" and it makes me happy!
The designated storage space - wow! In Texas we don't have basements so a designated storage space is a dream. KV
"Designated storage space."
?!?!?!?!
Oh, MY. Their gym is nicer than the one I pay a membership fee to go to! I do love their Santos collection. But, WOWZA, 12,130 feet. What. A. House.
This house is enormous! It's also really excessive. I could just be saying that because the house tour I'm giving is 350 square feet in Prague!
The stone arches are my favorite part. I like how they resonate throughout the home yet are still a little different in many of the spaces. Thank you for sharing it.
Who owns this house Sandra? What does this person do for a living to warrant such an enormous house and a catering kitchen to boot? :-) This must be an interesting story/person behind the house! And why are they selling? Those are the kinds of things that make a house like this so interesting to me. lol Can you research all this please and get back to me?
Lisa, you're asking all the questions I have been. If an address had been included in the mls listing, it'd be a lot easier to figure out who lives here and why they're moving. Joni, Cote de Texas, thought it might be Michael Dell's brother, but nope. So we don't know who lives in that amazing house. :-/
Love, love, love the landscaping and views most of all! (Pool is divine!)
Nice to meet you, Sandra.when I see a mansion like this FOR SALE I wonder did the owners fall on hard times or are they looking to buy/build something larger... It is spectacular! ;-) Bo
Nice tour! I love the wine cellar. Very cool would love to see it in person. Thanks for stopping by the Lookiloos. We like your site too! We'll be back...thanks!
Wow-what a gorgeous home, it's nice to dream...Thanks for the great tour, I think I'll have to go look again :) -Pennie
That is amazing, fabulous, stunning! That photo looking off the balcony (?), the one with the chairs in the foreground, looks like a painting.
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