 |
 | Villa
Tuscany shows the methodical design and work that went into building the $7,350,000
estate home on a one-acre lot overlooking Roberts Bay. | |
It's
like the Academy Awards. The winners are not announced until during the ceremony.
Everett Van Hoesen and the staff of the Vanguard Development Group were both surprised
and pleased when the Villa Tuscany home on Caxambas Court on Marco was named the
winner of two Sand Dollar Awards at the Collier Building Industry Association's
dinner held at The Registry in Naples on May 18.
A testimonial to the desirability of the 14,000
square foot classical Italian estate, listed at $7,350,000, was that it sold within
17 days of its listing in April. The Villa Tuscany is now open by appointment
only for showing through Prudential Florida WCI Realty. "The
Villa Tuscany has just been built -- but it appears as if it has been here forever,"
Van Hoesen emphasized. "Much of the statuary is imported from Italy. The
marble floor has a Travertina texture with an unhond surface. The marble with
tile inlays came from Brazil." "The
interior doors are Spanish cedar from Peru," Robert Van Winkle, superintendent,
said. "They were distressed and stained here to look much older than they
really are. There are hurricane-proof windows throughout so shutters are not necessary."
The imposing
central building is at the end of a long paved stone driveway with a fountain
in the center courtyard. The two-story building has an elevator. From the central
living area, the pool with a "negative edge" waterfall appears to blend
into Roberts Bay. The lighting fixtures and stair railings are matching coated
iron. Five coats
went into having faux painting covering the walls and ceiling to further accent
the feeling that the building is much older. The kitchen sink is a solid block
of marble that was hand carved in Italy. Stained glass windows are in the stairwells.
Two reproductions of medieval tapestries are in the den and dining areas and murals
are on the walls. Van Hoesen said that 10 miles of wiring went into the building
to provide a full range of comfort, amenities and security. A
separate garden villa building to one side of the entry drive can be utilized
for either additional guest facilities to supplement the bedrooms in the main
house or as additional garage space. Van Hoesen reported it had originally been
set up as a sales office before the estate unexpectedly and quickly sold. Van
Hoesen, who runs Vanguard with his son David, cites a number of Marco area businesses
for their work in preparing the Villa Tuscany -- including Island Kitchen for
the cabinetry, Stephen Muldoon Studios for the murals, Stan Saran Design
Group for the carved glass, C. W. Fishell Painting, the Florida Paint and Decorating
Center, Marco Contract Cleaning, Danforth's Pool Service and Marco Building Supplies.
The spacious
Villa Tuscany is built on a one-acre lot -- which is unusually large for Marco.
The total living area is 14,000 square feet, with 8,200 square feet under air.
The Villa Tuscany
received the Sand Dollar awards for the Best Interior Merchandising and the Product
Design of the Year. "We
expect to be starting to build a new home on the adjacent one-acre lot, which
we also own," Van Hoesen said. "It will be of comparable quality and
uniqueness." Everett
Van Hoesen and the Vanguard Design Group can be contacted at 642-7088 or by e-mail
at vanguard@sprynet.com. | 
