After spending a lot of time in Italy, Ray and Terry Travaglione knew they wanted a Tuscan-style villa back home. So in 2002, they bought an idyllic piece of land on South Carolina's Hilton Head Island and built one.
It's not heavy the way some people think of Tuscan architecture, Ray said. "It's not Gothic, but understated, with a Santa Barbara appeal to it. Every corner is rounded, as you would find in a Tuscan villa."
The home is on the market for $4.97 million with listing agents Dan Prud'homme and Tristan O’Grady of Carolina Realty Group.
Giant oak trees share the grounds with trees that recall Italy: lemon, lime, orange and fig.
Unlike central Italy, the property sits on the water, with a private beach alongside a deep-water dock. There's also a lap pool that was designed on an angle so swimmers can look up the Intracoastal Waterway.
The 6,671-square-foot home offers stunning water views, including from the chef's kitchen, which boasts a six-burner Viking gas stove, two dishwashers, a farmhouse sink and wood-beam ceilings.
It features four bedrooms and five baths, a 1,200-bottle wine cellar and a guesthouse with a fully equipped gym.
The living and dining rooms include a custom stone fireplace, cathedral ceilings and French doors that open to water views.
Outside, there's a 400-square-foot dock house with built-in seating and wiring for music and television.
The villa faces west across the waterway, which makes for breathtaking sunsets, Ray Travaglione said.
"At the end of each day, there's this little gift given to us by looking west."
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