Tuscan-Style Villa

NEW HOME DESIGN IN CALIFORNIA

Sitting with a lovely couple in the foothills of California one day, we discussed the dreams they had for their 5-acre property overlooking Folsom Lake. Inspired by Tuscan villas, I could clearly visualize the home that they described and set out to help them create their vision.

Chiseled out of the exposed granite hillside, the tower entrance would open onto a central outdoor courtyard, the heart of the home surrounding it. A wood-burning pizza oven and large island table would separate a grand, open-plan kitchen from the family room. From here, a retractable wall of windows would open onto a portico framed by an arcade of columns leading to the pool whose water would drop off into the lake view beyond.

The master bedroom ensuite would be their retreat, evoking the relaxation of a luxury spa with its bathroom connected to the outdoors through an additional enclosed courtyard. The upper level of bedrooms would flank a family entertainment room with a wall of French doors opening onto a large deck, connecting to the pool below down a spiral iron staircase.

Every detail — the stone, the tile roof, the heavy timber beams, the iron accents and fountains — would reference an Italian villa, transporting the family from El Dorado Hills to the hills of Tuscany.

This dream has now become a reality.

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Planning