Inwood Mortgage Home of the Week: Pull Up a Chair and Some Vino for This Rockbrook Palace Four Years in the Making
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Dang , my heart is still palpitating from touring 9800 Rockbrook yesterday. You are in for a rare treat today thanks to our good friends at Inwood Mortgage. Look at this property, does it look like it’s in Dallas? No, this estate screams Santa Barbara or Montecito!
Let me tell you one sure thing about this house: it has the best lawn sprinkler system in the world. The owner and crafter of this home is a former superstar college football player at SMU who also played on several pro ball teams, including the Atlanta Falcons, Houston Oilers, Denver Gold, San Antonio Gunslingers, and Green Bay Packers. He is President and CEO of the largest residential and commercial irrigation contractor in the United States. So you know that right off the bat, this home has the Rolls Royce equivalent of irrigation systems. The same can be said of basically everything else in the home, as well. It’s like a Rolls on steroids!
The home started being built in 2001, and took four years to complete, according to the agent broker, Rogers Healy. That could be because it is 10,600 square feet and has so much detailed perfection it pops. Every single wall surface is not just texture and paint but museum-quality plaster with special paint finishes, from the crackle in the family room to smooth red in the exercise room. I am not kidding — hallways, rounded archways, moldings, even the laundry room has a special finish.
But the most special finish of all comes in the media room. Since the home was constructed around 9/11, the fatal attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the plane that crashed in a western Pennsylvania field, the owners created a 360 degree skyline mural of New York City in the media room that is quite spectacular and moving.
The home is nestled on a bluff overlooking a finger of White Rock Creek and has a majestic drive-up, as well as water views and lush, dense woods from nearly every window. There are multiple balconies off each room — even off the master bedroom closet — so you can take in these exquisite, priceless views from all sides of the home.
Vitals: five bedrooms, five full and four half baths on 1.73 creekside acres. Four car garage, media room, exercise room, outside sport court, 1875 square foot guest house overlooking the pool with bar and grill, 15 by 16 utility room/crafts room with desk and island, infinity pool, hot tub and fountains, fountains everywhere.
Another unique thing about this house: the huge granite bar with walk-in wine cooler is right in the foyer. Once upon a time I may have had a problem with this, but when we almost bought a home in the Hill Country that also had a big bar in the foyer, I was loving it. (Kari Schlegel Kloewer also has a bar in her W penthouse, right in the foyer.) This is actually a perfect spot for a bar when entertaining — people walk in, get their drink, and don’t cluster in the family room or kitchen where you are preparing food. It’s like the best welcome wagon ever, gives women a place to immediately set down her bags. I mean, what else do you use a foyer for?
There is so much to say about this house, it is, after all, more than 10,000 square feet. Let me point out the highlights then let you be: the custom kitchen cabinets are made of a highly glossed and lacquered burl wood, I believe — if I am wrong, I will update. The photos really do not do them justice. Most floors are of limestone, even the stairs and second story. There are rotundas and hand-painted ceilings. The custom Vent-A-Hood is made of platinum and I will guess it cost as much as a collector car. The master suite is truly a suite — it is tucked away, private, designed for a couple who enjoy each other, not someone who would rather see their spouse three times a year if they have to: Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. The master bath is huge with a round tub spa that could induce a party. Um, there’s room for four, ahem. The master closet is like no other I have seen with the exception of Champs d’Or and Phil Romano’s place on Strait Lane. I like this one better, actually: again, huge custom cabinets of that lacquered wood, same as in the mammoth master bedroom where they hide a huge media center and coffee bar. There is a huge center island made of exotic green granite for packing and sorting, and off this a closet for the lady of the house with built-in shoe cabinets and more storage than Noah’s arc. There is a TV and treadmill in here as well, and doors to that balcony.
Outside are multiple terraces, and the water features. The spa with fountain is on the upper level, an infinity pool is a few stone steps down and appears to be floating over the creek. Did I tell you about the sport court? Oh one more thing: the children’s bedrooms are upstairs and adorable, each with a huge private bath and closet — more like suites, really. How much has Rogers priced this majestic baby at: $12,000,000. And guess what else — it’s not in the MLS. So looks like you have to know someone to know someone… to see Santa Barbara on Rockbrook! And if you have to know someone to get a mortgage on a place like this, call over to Inwood Mortgage and tell them Candy sent you!
Wow!
Wow!
We lived down the street from this house…..one word….TACKY!
We lived down the street from this house…..one word….TACKY!
Damn…do I have stories on this property….5 designers went through the chopping block on this place!
Damn…do I have stories on this property….5 designers went through the chopping block on this place!
It has a magical, peaceful quality about it. Maybe you have to see it but it really is beautiful and totally Santa Barbara.
I usually prefer more minimal settings, but this home has some rooms where I have to pick my jaw up off the floor!
It has a magical, peaceful quality about it. Maybe you have to see it but it really is beautiful and totally Santa Barbara.
I usually prefer more minimal settings, but this home has some rooms where I have to pick my jaw up off the floor!
The view looking out across the pool is amazing. Someone did a great job with the landscape architecture.
The view looking out across the pool is amazing. Someone did a great job with the landscape architecture.
[…] house they were touring was 9800 Rockbrook, which we showed you over a month ago. Rogers told Carlisle that the no-MLS route gives buyers the illusion of exclusivity, and has been […]
[…] house they were touring was 9800 Rockbrook, which we showed you over a month ago. Rogers told Carlisle that the no-MLS route gives buyers the illusion of exclusivity, and has been […]