Posted: Mon, 8 Feb 2010 09:34 AM - 9,785 Readers
By: Nicole Villalpando
At the end of the gated Lakecliff subdivision in Spicewood rests Castello Sul Lago, Italian for Castle on the Lake. The more than 17,000-square-foot estate sits on about 31/2 acres overlooking a deep bend in Lake Travis.
The home, built for a Houston couple and completed at the end of last year, is a model of Italianate opulence. Marble floors run throughout. Two-story Corinthian columns set off stunning views of the lake below. Wrought-iron and gold-leaf railings connect the floors in spiral staircases and balcony railings.
At $16 million, the estate is the most expensive single-family home on the Austin-area market. Luisa Maura of Marathon Real Estate and Rusty Ross of AvenueOne Properties have the listing.
Upon entering the stucco and stone three-story house, the foyer gives way to the formal living room. Swathed in cream marble, the two-story room guides visitors to the wall of windows overlooking the lake and a national wildlife refuge on the opposite shore. A built-in wet bar is one of three in the home.
The dining room is tucked beneath the grand staircase.
Down one hallway, a powder room features an antique sink with gold faucets. Nearby is a meditation courtyard.
The library is a magnificent two-story room with red walls, gold-leaf fireplace surround, two levels of columns, wrought-iron railings and a chandelier. All of the home's chandeliers are antiques from France, Belgium and Italy, dating from 1870 to 1925.
The master bedroom with an ornate fireplace culminates in a V-shape with frameless windows, creating a sitting area with uninterrupted lake views.
The master bathroom is almost as large as the bedroom. Dual vanities feature gold fixtures. The large tub offers a swan faucet and chandelier above. The dual-head shower room provides a bench and rainwater shower. The room also has a toilet and a bidet.
Two closet rooms and a cedar closet complete the master suite. The closets feature pull-down storage to provide more storage than would normally be within reach. Built-in glass-fronted cabinets and drawers with crystal knobs create elegant organization.
The master suite offers access to an outdoor hot tub down a few steps. The home's stucco exterior has been built to age and crack naturally. A sprayer system removes cobwebs from the eaves.
Elsewhere on the first level, a stone and wood-ceilinged wine cellar offers space for more than 1,000 bottles with barrel storage and room for a table.
This room and the library distinguish the house for Mauro.
"My favorite rooms are the library with the wrought-iron railing with the wrought-iron staircase as the only way to get to the second floor, and the wine cellar reminds me — it's as if I'm in Italy in a winery. I can just see all the barrels all around me," she says.
The two-story great room peaks with wood beams across from high windows. Three wrought-iron chandeliers give this room a grand castle feeling. Windows look out onto the three negative-edge pools and more than 6,000 square feet of outdoor terraces and balconies.
The kitchen offers a center island with Verona marble and a wrought-iron chandelier above. The range is set inside the island. The rest of the room offers floor-to-ceiling white cabinets, two dishwashers, a built-in refrigerator/freezer and two ovens.
This floor also offers a three-room art gallery, designed to display three different eras of art.
Though the grand staircase is a focal point for the home, an elevator provides access to all three floors.
On the second floor, an office overlooks the great room. A media room provides a wet bar with a refrigerator, sink and wine storage.
Four bedrooms on this floor depart from the marble floors, opting for carpet. Each features a balcony and a full bathroom. A Japanese soaking tub in one of the bathrooms is 21/2 feet deep.
The smaller third floor was designed to be a ballroom. On one side of this floor is a wet bar with wine storage, refrigerator and sink. A powder room also is close by.
Across the home's multilevel terraces, the one-bedroom guest house offers a marble full kitchen, fireplace and a bedroom with a large terrace.
Beneath the guest house are the workout room and a meditation room with natural stone walls, arched windows and a 19th-century French wood altar.
The house has room for a tennis court or sports court near the guest house.
The two garages have room for seven cars. The main home's utility room with catering kitchen leads to the five-car garage. A cat room is between the garage and the utility room.
The housekeeper's quarters rest above the five-car garage and feature a studio setup with a full kitchen. The housekeeper has a separate entrance but also can enter the main house near the second-floor media room.
The two-car garage is air-conditioned and can be used as storage or as a man cave.
A pathway leads to the lake and a space for the boat dock, which will be built to the new homeowner's specifications. Until then, boat supplies can be stored in a room that is built into the hillside. The property features 900 feet of frontage on Lake Travis, and this part of the lake still had 50 feet of water last summer.
The entire property will be gated, and also is in the gated Lakecliff neighborhood.
Ross expects a buyer to come from outside the United States or be an American celebrity or sports figure.
"They all know Austin," he says. "They know it's the best place to be in the United States."
