On the Market: Lake Tahoe
05/01/2008
LOCATION: Zephyr Cove, Nevada, in the South Lake Tahoe neighborhood of Skyland.HISTORY: The lakefront residence was originally built in 1964 for casino tycoon Bill Harrah, to entertain Mint Club headliners like Judy Garland, Sammy Davis Jr., Bill Cosby and Frank Sinatra. "Harrah spent $23 million on this house, but it had Formica cabinets and pink toilets," explains Richard Costa, who purchased the two-bedroom log cabin in 1993 and renovated it about a year later. Now spanning three stories and situated on more than half an acre, the decadent eight-bedroom estate greets guests with an imposing entryway of azul imperial granite floors, 24-foot ceilings and panoramic views of the lake and Sierra mountains beyond.
STATS: Formerly Villa Harrah,
Villa Costa retains some of the home’s original features, including its
Clearheart Redwood and Italian stone exterior, a 60-foot stained-glass window
and a private, underground tunnel that leads to the shore. Elements like a
heated driveway and porte cochere, a Japanese teppanyaki cooking area and a
12-seat home theater modernize the approximately 20,000-square-foot
mountain
escape.
WHAT SETS IT APART: Because construction on the original home began in the 1960s, restrictions were more lax. "We have a 120-foot floating dock with a breakwater and no rocks in that immediate area of the lake," says Costa. "Bill Harrah blew them up with dynamite, so you could boat in and not worry about it scratching."
MARKET INQUIRIES: $32.5 million. Jean Merkelbach, Distinctive Homes Sotheby’s International Realty, 800.710.9085, www.distinctivehomessir.com