Estate Takes Cues From Tuscany
La Bella Toscana (the Tuscan Beauty) is the last available estate of nine built in a newly developed gated community in Rancho Santa Fe, which tops the Census Bureau’s list, released last week, of the 10 wealthiest communities in the United States. With 1,200 households, Rancho Santa Fe has an average per capita income of $113,132.
The house was developed by a rancher who was the visionary behind one of the first indoor shopping malls, during the ‘60s, in the Midwest. After building several personal luxury homes, he decided to develop a community of estates in Rancho Santa Fe. He picked the locale for its reputation, through the Robb Report and Barron’s magazine, as one of the best places to live in the United States.
After pacing the site of his proposed project there, he concluded that the area had a true flavor of Tuscany, which is why he called his development Tuscan Estates. It is seven miles east of the Pacific Ocean.
About this house: Built by San Diego-area builder Jim Sylvester, this house is the largest and priciest in its community, where asking prices started at $6 million before the other eight homes were sold. The smallest home site is two acres. The smallest home size is 10,000 square feet.
Asking price: $11.3 million.
Size: With about 22,000 square feet of living space, the home has five bedrooms, 6.5 bathrooms in the main villa; a detached two-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom guest villa; a detached office villa; and a garage with 10 car spaces. It sits on five acres with a gated entrance.
Features: The home, surrounded by manicured grounds and landscaping to provide privacy, has 11-foot-high hand-carved Honduran mahogany front doors; an 1,850-square-foot master suite; a butler’s pantry; a free-standing staircase connecting the music room and main floor to the upstairs office suite; a two-story library; a media room; a billiard room with a wet bar and wine cellar; a pool with a waterfall and a spa; and a pool pavilion with a bathroom, shower and changing room. Landscaping includes three rose gardens and a fruit orchard, including olive and date trees.
Where: Rancho Santa Fe, in the foothills of San Diego County.
Contact: Mary Leonard, (626) 791-9790.
