Chateau d'Amour - Modern Victorian Home on 2 Acres

America has given a lot of people the opportunity to have a better life. Our family is blessed to be one of them. All the sacrifices that people before us made to give us the peace, freedom and lifestyle our family now enjoy is something I recognize and feel grateful for, everyday. Through hard work, persistence and perseverance, our dreams are realized. Because of my huge family, I needed a place where I could enjoy and celebrate the family without bothering anyone. This beautiful land came to light, thanks to the Marshall Family, on what was then a forested area of the western side of Wake Forest. Mom wanted a wrap around porch and I wanted a turret because of the amount of natural light that comes from it and the view it gives of the outside. Reeves Spainhour, a great local, custom builder with a big heart ended up building this beautiful Victorian home for our family for which we are eternally grateful for. Over the past 12 years, the number of people who lived permanently in the home waxed and waned. In 2015, it was decided to share this American Dream with others in this vacation rental platform. It truly has been heartwarming to see other people enjoy the home even just for a brief time. Chateau d'Amour is the new name for Villa Banika. All the reason it is what it is and where it is, is because of pure, unconditional love. The French version is adopted because of my love for Paris, the city of love which I have visited more than once. Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors without Borders) originated in France stood by my hometown Guiuan Philippines after it was destroyed by Typhoon Haiyan in 2013. The house itself if built on red soil, Banika from my native Waray dialect so it could still be referred to as Banika. But now, we would like to call it, the Castle of Love, Chateau d'Amour because, as corny as it sounds... it is what it is. Everyone who steps in this property soaks into the warmth and love this home was built with. The space The one thing that is noticeable about this home is, even if it is looks huge with 5,348 sq ft, it is far from overwhelming. It is like a gentle, loving big house, warm and embracing with it's circular floor plan, all formals, a rotunda in the center of the home with a dome ceiling, 2 story family room and the circular room on the second floor. One can have karaoke in the family room and another could be playing piano in the formal living room, the rest could be dancing in the moonlight in the outside dance floor and no one overrides the other. The house is well divided and insulated to be able to enjoy the spaces meant for. Watching the cherry blossoms and azaleas in spring come up, hummingbirds feasting on bee balm flowers, monarchs & sparrow tails feeding on the butterfly bush from the comfort of the spacious wrap around porch is a joy sure to warm your heart. Squirrels running about the yard, dragonflies chasing each other, fireflies dancing around at night, crickets, cicadas and the daily avian songs giving you a feel like you’re in a bird sanctuary. We have two bird feeding stations so the property is full of NC birds like the cardinals, chickadees, finches, hummingbirds, eastern bluebirds, doves, Sparrows and several other birds who are voracious eaters. There is a telescope where you can clearly look at the moons surface and a pair of binoculars to watch the birds. Chateau d'Amour perfectly expresses a luxurious, yet casual lifestyle. The sculptural facade and expansive verandas create an image of comfort and warm welcome. Upon entry, you are greeted with a dramatic 80-foot view axis through the rotunda to the family room fireplace. The convenient circular floor plan provides easy access to the den and formal living room, while connecting the kitchen and formal dining via the butler’s pantry. Connecting you from the family living areas to the outdoors is the covered outdoor dining and BBQ porch. The rotundas circular stair leads to the spacious master suite retreat. A guest suite, two other suites sharing the turret and a large media room with a sink complete the upper floor. Guest access Guests will have access to all areas of the home except for the downstairs office, large master closet, the storage room off bonus and the detached garage. Only the two car of the attached 4 car garage can be used as it's the entertainment room where the pool table and pingpong table, workout places are. Interaction with guests You will be shown around the house and given the key. My siblings who are managing this home will be accessible via phone if you need anything. The only time you will see them is when you are being welcomed into the home! :) Other things to note: The Owner Suite has a king size bed. The second bedroom has a queen size bed with a twin trundle bed. The other two rooms beside the turret both have queen size beds. The Bonus room (bonus) has a queen pull out sofa which could sleep two, a chaise and another section of the sofa which could fit two more. Note that there is no bedroom on the first floor. There is an office which will be locked. There is a gym area in garage by the pool table which has an elliptical machine, a weight machine and a treadmill. We also have a ping pong table and poker game. The air filters are always brand new for each new guests. We also make sure all high touch areas are sanitized before leaving the home. The homes kitchen appliances were just recently upgraded (Dec 2020) with brand new 48" SubZero fridge, Wolf stove, microwave and oven and a Cove dishwasher. These are top of the line appliances. The property is also now gated with a custom designed wrought iron fence. Right now, it is manually operated. Please close it before going to bed at night for extra security. Our water source is from a 200 ft deep well which has been tested for lead, nitrate and nitrate. The homes was also tested for radon gas. All results showed no problems. Our grass is a combo of wild grass and Bermuda. We don’t apply any chemical fertilizer on the grass. Chateau d'Amours' traditional beauty highlights a floor plan designed for flexible family living, winning Best of Show honors at the 2003 Seattle Street of Dreams (17 out of 22 awards) and a 2004 Best of American Living (BALA) award.