Bluffview Estates Mediterranean With Character and Style

Have you noticed that character is largely missing in homes today? There are plenty of beautiful luxury properties being built and finished out with a proven style that appeals to a tribal mentality. And, it’s becoming a bit boring. So, when we saw this magnificent Bluffview Estates Mediterranean that just oozed character — oh my, did it turn heads around here!It goes against the grain of almost everything being constructed today, and that’s why we love it. Of course, it was built in 2005 by Robert Hopson Construction Group, and because it’s a custom house, the owners were not interested in who might come along later to purchase their dream home. They wanted to create a house that spoke to their needs, dreams, and design vision. That’s exactly what custom means and this 7,409-square-foot Bluffview Estates Mediterranean at 4618 Cherokee Trail will take you into another world.

Stained glass windows and a turret give a hint of what is to be found as you enter the antique gates on the front of the home. The gates open into a traditional breezeway and a courtyard with a fountain. It’s like stepping through the looking glass, but no Mad Hatters here! Instead, you’ll feel more like you’ve entered a majestic luxury resort in San Miguel than a magnificent estate in Bluffview.

A guest casita opens off one side of the courtyard, and the two-story house is on the other.

There are four bedrooms, five bathrooms, two powder baths, and something we rarely see — a full basement with a media room, a wet bar, an exercise room, a 2,000-bottle wine room, and a full bath. Whew. The deal sealer for us, however, is that this Bluffview Estates Mediterranean boasts three kitchens. There’s the family kitchen, the outdoor kitchen, and the prep kitchen. If you entertain a lot, you know the absolute necessity — and joy — a prep kitchen delivers.

We’d be remiss in not pointing out some of the bold color choices we love that drown out that gray-wall-and-white-trim mentality that is assumed to be the definition of style today. The vestibule and dining room color, for instance, are the antithesis of what every seller is told when preparing a home for sale. But if you painted these rooms white they’d be blah and boring. Now that’s not carte blanche to do this everywhere, or in a home without character. Colors have to suit a home, and they suit this one beautifully. Check out the margarita green kitchen island and (gasp!), stained kitchen cabinets — not white! Such a relief!

You’ll find and charm in every square inch of this property, and it does not stop at the back door. More of that warm terracotta color washes the courtyard walls creating an intimate dining space just off the prep kitchen.

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“The house was built towards the front of the lot, so it offers a larger than expected backyard,” Dave Perry-Miller listing agent Michelle Hopson said. “There is a full kitchen, heated swimming pool with fountains, and a lot of room for entertaining.”

“Everyone that has seen this home has been charmed by it,” Hopson said. “We’re beginning to hear how tired people are of all-white houses. They can’t remember them!”

This Bluffview Estates Mediterranean will doubtless remain in the memory banks of everyone that walks through those antique gates.

Now, if only you can get to it before someone else with a penchant for character and entertaining does! Give Hopson a call and get out the checkbook. This one is only a cool $3.895 million.

Karen Eubank is the owner of Eubank Staging and Design. She has been an award-winning professional home stager for more than 25 years and a professional writer for 20 years. Karen is the mother of a son who’s studying music at The University of Miami. An ardent animal lover, she doesn’t mind one bit if your fur baby jumps right into her lap. Find Karen at www.eubankstaging.com