53.7 F
San Diego
Thursday, Mar 28, 2024
-Advertisement-

Sunshine Adds the Final Touch to Rancho Santa Fe’s Beauty

Downtown Rancho Santa Fe is just a few blocks long and is the busy epicenter of this exclusive enclave. On the west end is the historic Inn at Rancho Santa Fe that sits on a knoll with an easterly view of the charming, eucalyptus-lined shopping and dining district. The Inn and the “village,” as locals refer to it, were designed by noted San Diego architect Lilian Rice in the mid-to-late 1920s. Rice, a California native who grew up in National City, was drawn to and influenced by the Mexican/Spanish culture and style of architecture. Reflecting this influence, the village is two rows of white plaster commercial buildings with red-tiled roofs, ornamental grill work, interior sunlit courtyards and window boxes overflowing with flowers that delight residents and visitors alike.

The original plan in 1921 for the 6,200 acres known as the “covenant” was to take advantage of the rolling topography by plotting winding two-lane country roads lined with large residential lots. As a result, the rural feel of the area and the privacy afforded by the large parcels is appealing to many. But one downside is a lack of sidewalks that lead to the village. The homes that are closer to the village have an added bonus.

Linda Sansone, an exclusive affiliate of Willis Allen Real Estate has a listing that is less than a mile from the center of the village.

An example of the handmade tilework throughout the Spanish Colonial home at 17515 Avenida de Acacias in Rancho Santa Fe. Photo courtesy of Willis Allen Real Estate

In Walking Distance

“There are very few sidewalks in Rancho,” said Sansone, who specializes in luxury properties. “What’s really special about this property is its location. You are so close to the school, the village and post office, as well as the golf club; all are within walking distance.”

The home is at 17515 Avenida de Acacias and has five bedrooms, eight baths, and 8,735 square feet on 3.34 acres. The asking price is $7.795 million.

“The house was built by Sharratt Construction Inc. in 2005 and is a custom home,” Sansone said. “The workmanship and the materials in this house are unbelievable. It has beautiful materials throughout.”

Sansone said it was built in the style of a Spanish Colonial hacienda because the house wraps around a huge courtyard with olive trees, bougainvillea and a central fountain. A long driveway is flanked by tall landscaping that leads to the entrance of the gated, fully fenced home.

“It lives like an indoor/outdoor house,” Sansone said. “All of the tile work for the home is hand-made. It has informal and formal dining areas, a first-floor master suite with an oversized dressing room and large master bath with another separate room that has a Jacuzzi tub and fireplace.”

Upstairs is an art studio with a powder room and a “little outdoor deck that overlooks the grounds to the west; you capture some really great views from off that deck,” she said.

There is an attached children’s wing, and flanking the far side of the pool are two more outbuildings.

“One is a one-bedroom guest house,” Sansone said. “The other one is a pool house, workout room and game room with a full bath.”

There is another house for sale next door to the Willis Allen property and Mary Myers, a luxury real estate agent with P.S. Platinum Properties, has the listing.

A lily pond at a home at 17461 Avenida de Acacias in Rancho Santa Fe. Photo courtesy of Paul Body Photography

East Coast Traditional

It is a seven-bedroom, nine-bath home that has a 10,811-square-foot main house and 1,200-square-foot guest house on a flat 3.05 acres. It is at 17461 Avenida de Acacias and the asking price is $9.5 million.

“It is actually a very magical, one-of-a-kind place for Rancho Santa Fe,” Myers said. “One, because it is very unlike any other architecture that is currently out there. There are a lot of Santa Fe and Tuscan-style homes; this is more like an East Coast traditional.”

The second reason is that it has the same advantage as its neighbor of being able to walk into town.

“It’s a beautiful walking path that leads you all the way in,” she said. “That’s what the owners like about it.”

Myers said the house was designed by architect John D. Henderson, now retired, and built by Emilio & Sons Inc., founded by Emilio Cappelletti.

“The Cappelletti family does impeccable work, they are very high-end builders who stand behind their work for a lifetime,” Myers said. “They are well known in San Diego, especially in the Ranch.”

She said it feels like a traditional kind of home, not unlike those large sprawling residences in the suburbs of New York.

“What’s unique about it is that it lives very comfortably,” Myers said. “Even though it’s very large, it’s a warm, easy to live in home.”

Views to Front and Back

Del Mar-based Janine Brown Interiors decorated the home in an inviting, casual, yet sophisticated style.

Myers said another feature is that it’s not double-stacked where you have a hallway with rooms on each side.

When you enter each room there are views to the front and the back.

The landscaping is by Occidental Landscape Inc., specialists in native plants suited to the coastal climate. Myers describes a lush landscaping that creates an ambiance of warmth and comfort and that upon entry through the front door you see through to the back at a Monet-inspired view of the garden.

And with 3,800 square feet of covered outdoor living space, why would you ever want to leave?

Send luxury real estate items to sglidden@sdbj.com.

-Advertisement-

Featured Articles

-Advertisement-
-Advertisement-

Related Articles

-Advertisement-
-Advertisement-
-Advertisement-