Property Description
Villa Kalorama is St. John's most beautiful contemporary home with a dramatic view across Pillsbury Sound to the twinkling lights of St. Thomas and the cays beyond. The 5 bedroom, 4.5 bath home also features ''walls of glass'' sliding doors that create indoor-outdoor living beyond words! Virgin Grand Estates is a premier gated community and this custom designed & built home features native stone work, ipe & other hardwoods that create a classic modern look. Large verandas, 40ft pool and more make this a wonderful family home or short term rental property. Buyer to honor all rental reservations. Buyer & Seller to equally split stamp tax.Villa Kalorama is a custom-designed (Michael Milne, Barefoot Architects) and custom-built (Ned Gerard, Iroquois Builders) home that marries classic modern design with indoor-outdoor Caribbean living. Featuring walls of glass, native stone and tropical hardwoods, as well as an open floor plan filled with comfortable furnishings and amenities, the home is unique for the St. John market.
The house is designed to capture the panoramic westerly views that stretch from the Atlantic to the Caribbean and take in stunning sunsets and numerous islands and cays, including the island of St. Thomas with its twinkling lights at night.
Specific features of the house include:
Walls of glass. One of the unique designs of the home is its expansive use of glass sliding doors (with screens) that allows the house to open to the outdoors and take advantage of the tropical climate. When open, the sliders recess and disappear. The sliders are particularly dramatic in the great room, where they open at the corner and rise to 10 feet (with transom windows above) - allowing the entire great room to act as a covered veranda. All doors and windows are custom-designed by Fleetwood and manufactured in the USA.
Stone wall. The centerpiece of the design is a 4-foot thick native stone wall that anchors the house and shields the primary views until entering the house, where the spectacular vistas unfold. Many of the stones used in the wall were quarried on site during construction of the home.
Tropical hardwoods. The house features extensive use of ipe - a tropical hardwood that naturally resists wear, rot, splintering, and termites. Portions of the interior and exterior walls, ceilings and floors feature this beautiful hardwood.
Flooring. All of the interior and exterior flooring on the main level and upper veranda feature brushed travertine 16" square tiles in Oasis Beige from Turkey. The tiles were chosen for their beauty, durability and non-skid surface, allowing them to be used inside and outside to maintain continuity.
Custom cabinetry. All of the cabinetry is custom-designed for the house, and is made out of sapele - an African mahogany that blends beautifully with the ipe used elsewhere in the home. The cabinetry features knobs and pulls from Rocky Mountain Hardware.
Air conditioning. Each of the bedrooms features powerful built-in air conditioners (not the exposed wall-mounted units found in many Caribbean homes) that cool the bedrooms and ensuite baths in minutes. The house was designed so that air conditioning can be added to the great room, if desired.
Pool/water elements. Water elements also play a key and calming role in the design. The L-shaped design centers on a 40-foot long pool ï¿¿ in constant view throughout the entire main level of the villa ï¿¿ which features a 30-foot long bench designed for relaxing while taking in the western vistas and sunsets. Both the pool and courtyard feature fountains that cascade in sheets of water and accents of Oceanside glass tile.
Furnishings. The furnishings were selected with style, comfort and relaxation in mind. Unlike the rattan sofas and hard cushions that predominate in the Caribbean, the living room includes two custom sofas comfortable enough to curl up in and read a book or take a nap. The bedrooms and ensuite baths feature plush mattresses and luxurious white linens and towels. The villa also features both indoor and outdoor dining spaces that can seat up to 10. Kitchen and dining room chairs from Knoll add a distinctive flair. Outdoor furnishings were imported from Brazil and include Sunbrella fabric.
Electronics. The home includes all the electronic features one would expect in a high-end villa, including a large 52" Sony flat screen TV in the living room with full stereo-surround, DVD player and iPod docking station, along with wireless internet and satellite TV service. Each of the king bedrooms also features a flat-screen TV.
Lighting. The house comes alive at night with dramatic lighting that highlights the stone and glass walls and architectural elements. Almost all lighting is set on dimmer switches for dramatic, romantic or comfortable effect. Kalorama's pool glows at night, becoming the centerpiece of the house. The dining room and bedside lights are from Artemide. The clear glass kitchen island pendants are from Flos. All interior ceiling fans are from the Modern Fan Company.
Kitchen. The kitchen is made for a chef and features a 13' center island with a Kohler trough sink for entertaining. At one end of the island is a custom-designed elevated turquoise glass bar with seating for three. All custom cabinetry is sapele and countertops are Silestone in Blanco Maple. Professional grade appliances include a GE Monogram 36" Dual-Fuel Professional Range with 6 Burners and KitchenAid dishwasher and refrigerator - all stainless steel. The kitchen is equipped with every major amenity you would expect in a luxury villa. The large sliding window over the main sink opens to serve as a pass through for outdoor dining and cool drinks.
Baths. In addition to a power room on the main level that offers both interior and exterior access, each of the king bedrooms also features a spa-like ensuite bath with outdoor shower that opens to shielded tropical foliage or expansive water views. All baths feature "floating" sapele cabinetry with ample storage and Silestone countertops, and two of the showers incorporate Oceanside mosaic glass tile.
Bedrooms. There are five bedrooms: four king bedroom suites with attached baths, and one smaller bedroom with twin beds. Each bedroom suite features expansive glass doors that recess to reveal the stunning views, but also include Hunter Douglass Luminette Privacy Sheers that close for complete privacy. The two main level bedrooms overlook the pool, Pillsbury sound and St. Thomas, and three upper level bedrooms (accessible via either indoor or outdoor stairs) overlook either Great Cruz Bay, the open Caribbean and the large veranda or the northern cays and the Atlantic beyond. The smaller bedroom is currently set up with two twin beds (accessible via indoor stairs) that can convert to bunk beds. The room can also be used as an office and includes phone, cable and internet hook-ups.
Laundry. The oversized laundry room on the main level is flooded with natural light and opens on to the fountain courtyard. It includes a deep sink and under counter washer and dryer plus a utility closet (including a house safe). A second washer and dryer are located upstairs.
Storage. In addition to ample closets in each of the bedrooms and built-in cabinetry throughout the house, a large walk-in owner's closet is located off the laundry room on the main level for easy access. A second owner's closet is located upstairs in one of the king suites. Outside, two large exterior storage rooms are located in an ipe-clad building adjacent to the fountain courtyard at the top of the driveway. These rooms provide storage for hurricane shutters, beach chairs and more. One of the storage rooms is designed to accommodate a generator for the house, if desired.
Security system. The house features a Centurion security system with key pad and includes a combination of motion, infrared and sensor alarms.
Solid concrete construction. The house is solidly built with 12" thick poured concrete walls. The roofs are also poured concrete with a Vulkem-coated polyurethane membrane.
Custom hurricane system. The walls of glass and windows are protected during hurricane season with a custom-fitted Armor Screen hurricane protection system that is easy to deploy and store, and surpasses Miami-Dade's maximum testing requirements.
Parking. The driveway offers three parking spaces with easy turnaround.