Posted: Sat, 26 Nov 2011 01:19 PM - 11,680 Readers
By: Nicole Villalpando
photography by Paul Finkel
Roger and Sandy Dorf loved their home in Barton Creek so much that they bought another one by the same builder in 2003. When they bought 13226 Shore Vista Drive, it was an unfinished home in the newly minted Caslano on Lake Austin neighborhood in the Steiner Ranch area.
The home, designed by architect Charles Travis and built by Greg Hurd of Sereno Homes, already was slated to be the 2004 Women's Symphony League of Austin Showhouse.
The Dorfs became part of the process of creating the showhouse. They worked with designers to provide input on their style preferences and bought many of the furniture and accessory pieces that designers brought into the home.
Today, the 7,751-square-foot home still reflects its showhouse status in its details such as stenciling on walls and ceilings, murals and the general put-together feel it provides.
The Dorfs — he a semiretired consultant who worked for IBM for 20 years and a series of startups, and she a homemaker — are ready to downsize now that the grandchildren are older and coming less often to Austin. They plan on finding a lock-and-go house or condominium that will allow them to travel with ease.
They have put the former showhouse on the market for $3.65 million with Charlotte Lipscomb of Keller Williams Realty's Portfolio Properties.
The house presents itself through a quiet, gated courtyard. The foyer leads to the open, flexible space that is both living room and dining room. Arched doorways on the back wall lead to the covered patio and pool area with views of Lake Austin below. A carved limestone fireplace sits along one wall in the living room area. Wood beams on the ceiling, plaster walls and travertine floors give this room and the whole house a casual, Old World feel.
"The house has lovely galleries that don't feel like a hallway," Lipscomb says.
Across the hall from the dining area, a climate-controlled wine room is decked in brick walls and floors.
A wet bar connects the kitchen, dining room and wine room, creating an easy flow for entertaining. Dressed in black granite and seeded-glass-fronted cabinets, the bar area offers a copper sink, refrigerator, ice-maker and dishwasher.
The kitchen underneath an arched ceiling is a chef's dream with a freezer and refrigerator, a warming drawer and a six-burner Wolf range with two ovens that can be convection.
The range sits underneath a glass-tiled backsplash and a pot filler. A large island provides plenty of prep space and bar stool seating. A kitchen window provides views of the courtyard garden.
An oversize pantry is nearby as is the breakfast nook with a curved ceiling and doors to the patio.
A step down leads to the cozy family room with a fireplace and views of another covered patio. That patio offers an outdoor fireplace and access to the pool and spa.
The almost 3-acre lot provides plenty of lawn before leading down a paved pathway to the two-slip boathouse and the lot's 230 feet of waterfront.
"It's so quiet out here," Sandy Dorf says of the home's location on the lake.
Near the patio off the family room is the casita. The living room provides a kitchenette and lake views. The bedroom offers an ample walk-in closet and a full bathroom. The casita has its own patio area, which is connected to the summer kitchen with a built-in grill.
The master suite at the other side of the first floor begins with the office with coffered ceilings, large arched windows and a wall of built-in bookcases. A closet work space provides a hideaway for printers and other electronics.
The master bedroom is spacious with a fireplace, coffered ceilings and a large window under an arched alcove.
The bathroom takes the owners to their private spa, complete with a standalone bathtub and a sitting area. The shower room features red travertine tiles with a rain shower head, a window to the outside and plenty of space.
An exercise room is off the bathroom, as is the large walk-in closet. The closet provides plenty of built-ins and more storage than most homeowners would need.
The first floor also offers two half-bathrooms, the laundry room and an oversize garage.
The stairs to the second floors curve to provide multiple landings underneath an impressive chandelier.
The game room with a covered balcony sits between two bedroom suites. Both have large walk-in closets. One has its own full bathroom and a Juliet balcony. The other has a full bathroom that it shares with the game room.
Lipscomb expects the house would appeal to an empty-nester couple who will appreciate the setting and the privacy, but despite its exclusiveness, the neighborhood has more than 30 children in it, so it also might appeal to a family looking for the Leader school district.
Dorf says she loves the space in the house.
"I love the way it all came together, the colors and everything," she says. "It's its own vacation spot, really."
