The finest in country living

When Jim Leising and his wife Michele decided to build a home for themselves and sons Chad and Chase, they took into account their personal tastes and started drawing a plan. The resulting home is a 5,200-square-foot Early California-style ranch house with some 10,000 square feet under roof for a combined indoor-outdoor lifestyle.

Better yet, this home is full of handcraftsmanship and features that very rarely combine so nicely. Throughout the house heavy timbers and large pieces of antique oak furniture give a solid, ageless feeling to the rooms. In many cases, Jim was able to obtain century-old lumber that he gave to Mexican artisans to produce the exact designs that best fit the home. His experience in building fine homes is reflected in the choice of craftsmen and the resulting quality of workmanship.

The rough-textured tile roof sweeps across the large drive through the entryway — and covers several patio areas and a detached and completely equipped guesthouse. Indoors, the expansive living/dining/family room has space for a full-size pool table in one corner and a large dining table made of century-old oak planks carefully crafted on massive legs.

A separate wing of the house consists of bedrooms for each of the Leisings’ two sons, each with its own bath, and the laundry room. A hallway door can be closed to this wing for quiet times even when contemporary music fills the boys’ rooms. The master bedroom suite is complete with a built-in TV that swivels toward either the bedroom or a separate lounge area.

With three acres to enjoy from this hilltop location, the Leisings designed their outdoor landscaping, pool and pathways to include many foliage plants for a casual year-round beauty. Some ten truck and trailer loads of huge boulders were brought to the site for use in the pool area, which features a single flat boulder from which water cascades into the pool, creating a cave worthy of exploring. The spa is secluded from view at the top of the boulder area.

Chances are that when the next century rolls around, this house will still be standing… and still a thing of beauty. It was built to last for many generations to come!