Crossing a stone bridge over an arroyo among piñons and junipers, a private road leads through a 16-acre property to a sprawling Tuscan villa that appears to have stood on a hill outside of Santa Fe for centuries. Wilder Landscaping framed the tile-roofed residence (built in 2007) with fruit trees, aspens, grasses, and a vegetable garden while ensuring uninterrupted vistas of the Sangre de Cristo.
Inspired by travels through Tuscany and the Amalfi Coast, the owner wanted “an honest home with solid walls, beams that hold up the ceiling, and craftsmanship rarely experienced anymore.” His vision materialized over a 2.5-year period as he worked closely with Studio Arquitectura (now Plan A Architecture) to construct the six-bedroom, 13,780-square-foot manor.
The architecture conforms with the land, using earth-toned stucco, wooden beams, and paver portales common to both the Mediterranean and Southwestern cultures, plus Santa Fe’s official Spanish pueblo revival style. Features like the fieldstone exterior walls, window sills, and door surrounds by Berthold Haas Design add to the old-world charm that prompted architect Stephen Samuelson to say, “The house is new but has an old soul.”
In the hub of the home, a cozy fire crackles in a carved mantelpiece (topping one of 13 fireplaces), and an iron chandelier dangles from a skylight. Like spokes on a wheel, arched passageways radiate outward to the living spaces and verdant verandas, while the sophisticated Italian-villa interior design by Fern Santini of Abode Interiors of Austin exudes an earthy elegance and aged patina. Interiors include Jerusalem-stone floors, hand-hewn armoires and wooden doors, overstuffed sofas in vaulted rooms, antique chandeliers and sconces, and vintage Italian arched windows set into three-foot-thick adobe walls throughout.
Quaint courtyards, a formal dining room that seats 12, and a secluded two-bedroom guesthouse invite entertaining. The outdoors offer hiking, fishing, and snow-skiing in the mountains or strolling Santa Fe’s historic Plaza, trading post of colorful folk art, cafés, and annual fiestas. And when you get home, you can unwind by soaking in a deep tub carved from a single block of marble.
The property is available through Ray Rush and Tim Van Camp of Sotheby’s International Realty for $13.65 million.
New Mexico landscape Photo Credit: Courtesy
