Room to relax

Sometimes small is good, like in the case of golf scores or jeans size. But those who claim that smaller is always good have never had a car weather the elements because it lacked a garage, seen family members bump elbows while preparing a meal or stumbled over clutter due to a lack of storage space.

In real estate, bigger is often simply better. And this University Park home in northern Colorado Springs, listed by Connie de Jong of RE/MAX Properties for $999,000, proves how luxurious it can feel when you have space to let down your hair, let down your guard and let a sigh of relaxation drift - through the open floor plan, up to the vaulted ceilings and out the sunny windows to dissipate in the pine trees.

"A lot of houses of this caliber are outside city limits," says Rob de Jong, pointing out that few homes so close to the city center have .66 acres of trees, soaring views and such private quiet. "The location makes it stand out. The privacy is amazing, and it makes it really unique to border 250 acres of open space."

The feeling of space to roam continues past the earthy gray of the stacked-stone and stucco exterior into the interior of the four-bedroom, five-bathroom, 6,441-square-foot home.

Past the entryway, guests are led on shining hardwood floors into the massive formal living room, which is lit by a bright wall of windows and two wrought iron chandeliers and warmed by a fireplace with a travertine surround. Even the details of the room are large, including 10-inch baseboards and oversized crown molding.

Despite its scale, says Connie, "Every inch of the square footage was utilized very well." And every inch is also decked out in architectural details: archways throughout, coffered ceilings in the dining room, and a built-in entertainment area and rough-hewn, beamed ceilings in the family room. "I think the attention to detail throughout the home is phenomenal," she adds.

Her favorite area of the home, she admits, has to be the nearby kitchen, where the family chef can enjoy a Wolf six-burner gas range with griddle, a warming drawer, two dishwashers, two sinks and a Thermador fridge wide enough for party platters. The recently remodeled room also offers custom cherry cabinetry with oil-rubbed bronze pulls, a beautifully crafted stone hood over the stove and granite counter tops.

"We gutted the kitchen, so it's all new, high-end everything," says the seller. Pointing to the pass-through to the family room, she explains, "We opened up this wall so you can have conversations and have a ton of people in here."

The pass-through features a counter top and a nearby built-in table, both in granite and both heated to be warm to the touch, one of the seller's favorite amenities.

From this area of the house, more entertainment space lies out a French door on the 540-square-foot, partially covered Trex deck. The landscaping in the backyard is a mixture of natural trees and scrub oak along with a flat area of grass with stone retaining walls, just enough space for the kids to run free.

"There's absolutely no maintenance to this house," Ron notes, looking at the exterior of stucco and tile. "And it's all treed. The seller chose to keep it very natural, but some trimming at them would give you big (mountain) views if you wanted them."

Downstairs in the garden-level basement, there are even more opportunities to entertain friends. A built-in theater area with plush carpet to pamper the feet and a 122-inch projection screen can shake the house and dazzle the eye with its state-of-the-art equipment. Grab a soda or mix a drink during intermission at the adjacent wet bar with marble counter tops, two refrigerators and a dishwasher.

"The sports in this theater - we watched all the football games here - were phenomenal," says the seller. Connie agrees, adding, "This could be the ultimate party room."

Two baths and two bedrooms, both with coffered ceilings and walk-in closets, round out the lower level.

No matter how many guests - or how many family members - fill the home, there's always elbow room. For instance, the oversized three-car garage could accommodate even larger vehicles without encroaching on the built-in workshop. Above the garage, a whole wing of the house, with dormer windows and two rooms, could be arranged any number of ways.

"You could have this as an office. It could be an exercise room. It could even be maid's quarters," Connie jokes.

There's also lots of room for out-of-town family in the main-level guest suite, which boasts a private bath with both a shower and a tub, hand-troweled walls and built-ins.

But the most luxurious, private space is found in the master suite, which features upgraded patterned carpet, a coffered ceiling and great views of the backyard's trees. The attached bath is massive - "You could do cartwheels in this bathroom," says the seller - with its two separate vanities, a jetted tub, a glass-tile window and a walk-in shower.

"It's a very private, luxurious master suite," says Connie. She draws attention to a small detail in the shower, which is in all the home's showers: a special spigot near the floor where you can check the water temperature with your toes or warm your feet. "That's when you know you're being pampered," she adds.

Speaking of special details, the seller raves about the size of the master's walk-in closet and also points out that the upgraded 10-inch baseboards that run throughout the home weren't forgotten in the closet.

"It's so sturdy and built to last," she says. Plus, the sellers added loads of updates: "There's new paint, new carpet, and every lighting fixture is brand new."

While there's room for everyone, a place for everything and space to roam, the size of the home is never intimidating. "It's a good-sized home but still very warm because of all the materials used - all the wood and natural stone," says Ron.

And to people who believe a bigger home means bigger utility bills, Connie notes, "It has two high-efficiency fireplaces upstairs, two Trane furnaces with electrostatic filters, three air conditioners and two with humidifiers. It's a very efficient home."

And, she adds, "It's offered at almost $500,000 under its appraised value."

Now that's something small that buyers can get behind.

OPEN HOUSE
1940 QUADRANGLE COURT
1-3 p.m. today and Sunday, May 17-18
Connie de Jong
RE/MAX Properties
719-637-7212