Naples Daily News
Sunday August 24, 2003

THE LAZIO BY HARWICK HOMES EMPHASIZES OUTDOOR SPECIAL PLACES

Harwick Homes' Lazio, a four-bedroom, 4 ½ bath single-family model home in Mediterra, showcases the builder's emphasis on outdoor living and attention to detail. Offering 6,149 square feet of air-conditioned living space and 10,132 total square feet under roof, the home enjoys water and golf course views from an outdoor living room, private balconies and its Eagle Watch, an open-air, under roof rotunda on the second floor.

Located in Bello Lago, The Lazio overlooks a crescent lake and the 16th hole of the Tom Fazio-designed South Course. It is priced at $5.4 million, furnished and features interior design by Collins & DuPont.

The foyer introduces the iron beige vecchio stone used as the main flooring throughout The Lazio, as well as 12-inch baseboards and crown molding. A 48-inch round Byzantine gold floral mosaic medallion is inset into the foyer floor. Ahead, is the living room and view of the home's water features and setting.

The living room's 24-foot ceiling is bordered with a trio of individual trays accented with moldings and rope lighting. Individual French doors flank three similar sized windows and overlook a fountain with six jets shooting continuous streams of water. Transoms above the doors and windows and a second tier of five arched windows provide natural light. The fireplace has a precast stone mantel and is flanked on each side by two lighted arched niches with faux finishing and stone ledges. The vecchio stone from the floor is repeated on the wall above the fireplace and stops just below a three-dimensional stone frame with a circular stained-glass inset of toned-down reds and oranges, backlit by windows in the stairwell on the other side.

The master bedroom's barrel ceiling is accented with precast stone ribs. A banquette is set into a lighted arch to the left of a built-in armoire, and four clerestory windows punctuate the headboard wall. Block-like precast stone columns frame the entry to the sitting area and the hallway to his-and-her walk-in closets and the bathroom.

The bathroom's barrel-vaulted ceiling ends in a partial groin vault above three arched windows. The raised tub is positioned headlong in the middle window, which overlooks palm trees and a trellis in a garden beyond. Rope lighting is tucked into crown molding above his-and-her aged wood vanities, which are topped with Spanish marble counters. Some cabinetry offers opaque stained-glass door panels and is framed in precast stone. Stone also frames the arched open entry into the door less shower, which also offers views to the garden through five mitered-glass windows. The Castania floor is accented by a Spoleto border and Lorenzo inserts. The hallway to the right of the foyer leads past the dining room, staircase and auxiliary hallways before ending at a desk set into a bay window overlooking the side yard.

The entry to the dining room is indicated by square block-type precise stone columns on each side of the opening and a band of gold travertine tumbled stone on the floor. Gold travertine forms a border in the middle of the floor. The dining room's 22-foot barrel ceiling culminates in a partial groin vault within a bay area of four windows. A second level of arched windows provides additional natural light, and paneling and molding accent the walls. The black metal railing of a second-floor hallway can be seen opposite the windows.

A guest room has a walk-in closet, sitting area with a bay window, and full bathroom that also doubles as the pool bath. Hand-painted Mexican tile in vibrant hues add a splash of color as accents in the bathroom's sandstone perola stone floor and wall, and complements the bright colors of the hand-painted fish-motif sink. Deep niches with glass shelves flank each side of the tile countertop and tumbled marble is used at the baseboard, as accents in the floor and in the glass-enclosed shower. The wall below the tile chair rails is accented with alternating talavera inserts.

The kitchen's center island is its cooking station with six gas burners and golden wave granite countertop. The island is fashioned from precast stone with a stone hood supported by four stone columns and has three lighted niches with glass shelves and paneling built into the side facing the leisure room. The maple cabinetry has an antiqued rub-through finish and offer an oven tower with two Wolf ovens. Glacier glass doors accented with iron leading and jewel-tone insets replace solid panel fronts in two sections of upper cabinetry and the side-by-side refrigerator with four freezer drawers below is housed in armoire-style cabinetry with an antique river birch crackle finish. The primary backsplash is iron beige vecchio with accent inserts; however, wood-toned bead board is also used. A farm sink is located within the breakfast bar counter area.

The breakfast nook is situated in a sunny area formed by five mitered windows and offers U-shaped banquette seating overlooking the fountain. Its octagonal tray ceiling is clad in wood. Wood beams are introduced in the kitchen ceiling and continued into the adjoining leisure room, where 90-degree sliding glass doors on each side of a built-in entertainment center pocket into the walls. A wet bar is set into a niche and has an icemaker, new Sahara gold granite countertops, maple cabinetry with an antique pine finish and a giallo reale tumbled-stone backsplash.

The Lazio's covered outdoor living room is to the right of the leisure room and has a precast stone fireplace flanked by iron lanterns, a stone floor arranged in a herringbone pattern and an iron spiral staircase leading to the Eagle Watch. Its boundaries are defined by a low wall that incorporates stucco-and-precast-stone planters, two stone benches and stone columns. Wood beams, accent the southern pine ceiling and four steps descend to a turn area.

The summer kitchen is directly behind the leisure room entertainment center and offers a Wolf grill, solid surface sink and refrigerator/ice maker. An incomplete O-shape provides lots of counter space, and finishes include gold Venezia granite countertops, cypress cabinetry and a southern yellow pine ceiling with suspended beams.

Upstairs, double doors lead from the landing onto a balcony overlooking a motor court. A hallway provides overlooks to the dining room and living room. A second master suite has a morning kitchen equipped with a refrigerator and pantry, a full bath and dual sinks, private balcony and private access to the Eagle Watch and spiral staircase to the ground-level outdoor living area.