by Kristina Wrenn
photos by Stephen Tilmon and Photography By Spross
Casa Estrella is a villa that sits on a half-acre wooded lot in the High Hill Resort Community. It is as named, a star home, in the master planned community and luxury vacation resort envisioned and developed by Jason Romano. The villa has four bedrooms and over 3,500 square feet with direct access to the white sand beach surrounding the stunning man-made lake.
The villa shines in the East Texas Piney Woods sun in gleaming white French plaster, accented with roughhewn, rustic beams and a grey metal roof. It takes indoor-outdoor living to new heights with a magical, third story observation deck (you can just see it peeking above the roofline here) with 360-degree views of the surrounding landscape, the front balcony and the chic screened porch to the right.
The offset, angled entranceway sets up Casa Estella’s signature charm as soon as you arrive. When you walk through the celadon front door you are transported to the mediterranean entering a private courtyard with gurgling fountain that truly allows you to leave your cares behind.
Proceeding into the open floorplan first floor, you are enveloped in the heart of the home. Here designer, Yvette Leihgeber, embraces the High Hill hues, the cohesive color palette of the community. Polished concrete floors are cooling in the summer months and are softened with sisal area rugs for a breezy beach feel. The straw pendant lights in the covered area of the courtyard offset the wood plank ceiling.
The white walls and cabinets are the perfect backdrop for the natural stone hearth and the grey-veined marble counter tops. Minimalist palm fronds and branches complement the high-ceilinged living space. Opening the French doors on either side enables a pleasant cross breeze from courtyard to back pool patio. The idyllic views out the wall of doors underscore the relaxation the house affords by design.
Dining al fresco never looked so good as right off the living space at Casa Estrella. Although there are so many additional places to sit and eat, you’ll be hard pressed to not want to take every meal outside seated in the luxury canvas campaign chairs around this table enjoying a view of the pool.
The sitting area adjacent to the screen porch continues the color palette and incorporates the beauty of the landscaping of the villa with sweeping views to the outside. Built with lot placement and views in mind these rooms all masterfully showcase and harness natural light. The French door to the right of the straw lounge chair is open to the entry courtyard. Here the open floor plan can also be fully open air.
From the second floor landing you can see the spiral staircase to the previously mentioned third floor observation deck as well as the doors to the front balcony. You might want to bring
two cups of coffee with you when you ascend the stairs so you can savor one on the balcony and the other one in the observation deck.
The gourmet kitchen is a chef’s dream with top-of-the-line appliances, quiet close cabinets and ingenious storage for pots, pans and utensils. Here the woodwork takes centerstage with the ribbed detailing and wood quality. Ceiling height cabinets allow for storage of seasonal items, vases and lesser used items and are a hallmark of true luxury.
Guests and family alike can belly up to the bar (or island in this case) to chat, watch TV or eat. Thoughtfully chosen white pendant lighting offers a warm glow to the space but disappears in the overall room drawing the eye to the surroundings yet again. The wood accents, pottery and herbs complete the trip to a Southern Italian coastal village. You’ll just need to order groceries delivered to create a multi-course meal complete with limoncello.
In the breakfast room, floor to ceiling clay-colored curtains coordinate with the window and exterior door trim in a very pleasing way. The modern white table looks like something flown over from the Milan furniture fair. By incorporating the wrought iron mirror, it not only increases the play of the light, but completes the mediterranean look and feel of the room. One might sneak out to the screen porch from here.
In the primary bedroom the JR Construction wood craftmanship is evident again with the mounted floating bed and deep display shelving. Using the same material as the clay-colored curtains for the bedcover nails the home’s aesthetic. What a serene room and a wonderful place to read a book with the telescoping lamps and the abundant sunlight. Here the wispy white drapes evoke a dream like movement. The use of a white pendant lamp gives interest but does not obstruct the view. You should turn the chair around towards the windows and plan your day of exploring the resort, vineyard or popping over to the Côte Restaurant.
The counters and cabinets in the primary bath are repeated from the kitchen and the wrought iron mirrors seal the cohesive deal with the adjacent living space. The straw baskets and fluffy white towels scream vacation and leisurely days in the tub or by the pool.
Bunking in for the night has never been so attractive. Though usually planned for bedding multiple kids, the choice of mattresses here will have adults just as happy to call this space theirs. The wood floors of the second floor are an ideal counterpoint to the whitewash polish of Casa Estrella.
Having a controra in one of the two fancy hammocks, or tanning on a lounge chair, is another way this villa sets up the perfect day to be lived again and again. One can choose to dip in the pool or the lake, rinse and repeat. Can you hear the East Texas birds chirping and the water lapping? From this vantage point you can also enjoy the similar and equally designed architecture of the other named homes in the community and observe your private boardwalk to the beach.
Ending your day by the fire in the courtyard with smores or a nightcap, the sound of crushed granite underfoot rounds off the experiential nature of Casa Estrella and all the homes in the High Hill Resort Community. Purchase your own piece of this dream or engage one of these homes for a week or long weekend. For more information visit highhillresort.com.