Patios
Three tiers of outdoor living start with the spacious (approx. 2,060 sq. ft.) main covered back patio. The same neoclassical hand carved solid cantera stone pillars used throughout the property and grounded to solid granite hand cut pedestal finishes anchors it. It has floor to ceiling and wall to wall glass doors. Look down and you’ll see rough-honed matching outdoor travertine transitioning from inside the great room’s honed and polished travertine – this creates a beautiful negative edge and seamless entry view from inside the home.
This massive main patio announces and encourages the inside/out living closest to the main house. There’s a cook’s gas barbeque near the kitchen on the east side of the patio with a pass-through window that makes everyday grilling easy for the cook. This main back patio area is surrounded by a matching hand-honed and solid cantera stone master mason created balustrade.
In addition, extending from the east side of the main patio, there’s a secluded fire pit sitting area and/or padded Jacuzzi area leading from the nearby cook’s herb garden. It’s all shaded with large trees and bordered with grape vines. It’s nestled between the side walls of the home and side cement block fence on the east side of the backyard.
Also complementing the backyard patio and sitting area is a side garden on the northwest side of the pool with exotic fauna, dazzling hibiscus bushes and protected by exotic king bamboo. Plus, there’s another outdoor fireplace area on the west side of the pool.
Naturally flowing from the pool level, you will step down extra thick top quality integrated flagstone steps. They are anchored with seamless in step lighting with solid granite strategically placed boulders transitioning down from the pool to the court level. Courtside seating areas ring the court area with three-foot wrap around retaining wall (no chasing the balls), real grass area on the east side of the court, Astroturf on the west side of the court, industrial quality bench side court seating, and a stainless steel commercial cold water drinking fountain.
An intimate elevated covered patio with climbing yellow flowered cat’s claw vines overlooks the court on the west side of the pool. This is accessed from the multi media room exit to the backyard. This west wing patio with custom iron railing, shell stone flooring and four steps that transition into the flagstone area surrounding the pool is another favorite “secret hideaway” of the property.
The north facing walled, gated and security buffer zone created for the front courtyard was designed with special drainage, soil and vegetation that whisk the homeowner and visitors away to another time and place. Exotic flora and fauna abound, the smells, moisture, frogs, birds, fish and entire ecosystem was created for your enjoyment. The front courtyard boasts three distinct separate sitting areas each with unique views tied together with a custom built and designed natural pond system. It consists of a bog area complete with water plants, small trickle pond, roaring waterfall pond and a trickling lazy stream tying it all together. Visitors literally cross over a flagstone and travertine bridge to step up from the frontcourt area into the entryway of the home.
Directly out the formal dining room front window (on the east side of the front courtyard) is the owners’ favorite sitting area. Views of majestic mountains greet you sunrise and sunset. The ivy and fern ringed stone pathway leading from the travertine entry area and massive custom designed steel doors bring you the feeling of weaving your way to privacy. This is complemented by the coolness of north shade combined with the trickle of the drop pond flowing down the stream into the large waterfall pond with a back drop of the bog area growing plants that have the color of deep green you rarely see in Arizona’s deserts makes this a very special place that evokes feelings of peacefulness and tranquility.
This front courtyard sitting area is behind the cascading waterfall and a north facing non-covered sitting area, ringed by king bamboo and under the shade of huge “popcorn trees.” The sound of the large volume rock waterfall, opposite home front facing perspective makes this secluded sitting area another special treat.
Finally, in the courtyard is the uncovered sitting area for the winter months with a romantic swinging bench for two anchored with gorgeous granite stones embedded into the flagstone with slight traces of gleaming quartz used as a cocktail table tucked between the bog and large waterfall directly facing the front of the house.