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By Paul A. Greenburg
Staff writer
In a perfect world we would all live in
5,000-plus-square foot homes that have been built by creative
geniuses and designed inside and out by the best decorators.
Small-paned windows allow plenty
of light throughout the home. |
Those wondering what that dreamhouse might look
like should stop by the Northshore Designer Showhouse IV at 5
Ibis Lane in Mandeville’s Sanctuary subdivision. The drive
through thousands of stately pine trees and aged oak trees to
get there is worth the trip. The Sanctuary, an environmentally
sensitive subdivision, boasts extensive preservation of green
spaces and trees, and a lifestyle conducive to country living
with all the convenience of the city just minutes away. |
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Where Ibis Lane gently curves into a more
forested area is the West Indiies-style home that has been adorned
by some of the top names in local design. Situated on a one-acre
lot, the three-story house includes four bedrooms, a three-car
garage, generous living space and oversized windows throughout
to overlook the natural surroundings.
“This is a house we’ve been wating
to build and the timing was right,” said John Crosby, developer
of The Sanctuary. “This is a West Indies’style house
with a master suite that opens to a big front balcony and a formal
dining room that opens to another balcony. The house has an elevator
for convenience.”
The house also has the feel of a much older
structure. Built with the finest materials in a manner that suggests
quality from a time gone by, the Designer Showhouse looks new,
but feels well-established.
The first floor includes an entrance hall
with concrete floors that have been treated to look well-aged.
Concrete flooring has been artfully
designed in the entrance hall. |
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A large study has been decorated by Norwalk
furniture - The Furniture Idea, to feel warm and masculine, much
like the interior of a lodge. Brown leather furniture, game tables
and walls artfully finished to look like suede add to the ambiance.
Just up the marble stairway from the entrance hall is the main
level, featuring a 20 feet by 24 feet living room and spacious
dining area created Sylvia Berger of Georgia Furnishing and Berger
Home.
The West Indies-styled house is
on a one-acre lot surrounded by aged pine trees. |
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The master bath features an oversized
tub and a panoramic view of the natural surroundings. |
“This house was easy to work with,”
Berger said. “I wanted the living room to be a multi-purpose
space, including armoire for television and a separate armoire
for a computer center, both flanking an oversized cast stone
fireplace. Each armoire looks like a French antique, but they’re
new pieces from our store.”
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