Santa Fe, New Mexico
The chef's kitchen of this Pueblo-style home is designed for entertaining, with two islands, counter seating, wet bar, wine room, and butler's pantry. The five-bedroom house has beamed ceilings, flagstone floors, kiva-style fireplaces, great room with see-through fireplace, primary suite with library–media room, and an interior courtyard.
The garden-landscaped hillside lot includes a patio with adobe fireplace and an infinity pool on the edge of a terrace with sweeping views. $4,750,000. Neil D. Lyon, Sotheby's International Realty – Santa Fe, (505) 660-8600.
Encino, California
This open-plan home's gourmet kitchen features a wine display, walk-in and butler's pantries, and a wall of glass, shared with the living room, overlooking the valley and mountains. The house also has a separate dining room with fireplace and floating staircase, and five en suite bedrooms, including a main suite with a mountain-view, spa-style bath.
An entertaining area with terrace, lawn, and infinity pool perches above the valley; Mulholland Drive is minutes away. $5,495,000. Kevin Pane, Sotheby's International Realty–Sherman Oaks, (310) 308-7595.
New York City, New York
The kitchen in this gut-renovated 1869 loft was created by a designer known for high-end hotel and restaurant projects. The full-floor four-bedroom apartment has oak floors, 14-foot ceilings, wood built-ins, and a huge entertaining space including the chef's kitchen, with top-name appliances, slate island, and custom cabinetry, and a living room with 9-foot-high south-facing windows.
The building is steps from shops, markets, restaurants, parks, and transportation. $4,495,000. Cherie M. Hinson, Sotheby's International Realty – Downtown Manhattan, (305) 588-2985.
Heath, Texas
This six-bedroom home has kitchens indoors and out. The house features a gourmet interior kitchen, with commercial-grade range, expansive bar and counters, built-ins, two dishwashers, and island with sink; a wine grotto; a wet bar; a living-dining room; a primary suite with jetted tub, dual closets, and private outdoor entrance; and game, media, and exercise rooms.
The 2.4-acre property includes a floodlit multisport court with stadium seating; a pool with waterfall, central firepit, and spa; a pond; fruit trees; and a covered dining patio with an outdoor kitchen equipped with a grill, infrared heater, and refrigerator. $3,499,000. Vicky Chesna, Coldwell Banker Realty, (972) 772-1504.
Darien, Connecticut
The high-end kitchen of this six-bedroom home includes marble counters, walk-in and butler's pantries, and a waterfall island with sink, dishwasher, custom drawers, and storage. The house has 10-foot ceilings, a two-story foyer, a forged-iron stairway, living and dining rooms, a study, a primary suite with cathedral ceiling and fireplace, and a multiuse finished lower level.
The 1.2-acre lot with landscaped yard and pool is near beaches and is an easy commute to Manhattan. $4,785,000 Bruce Baker, William Pitt Sotheby's International Realty, (203) 655-8234.
Townsend, Massachusetts
This 1830 four-bedroom home features a big eat-in kitchen with cathedral ceiling and exposed beams, anchored by two central stoves, one modern and one vintage converted to modern fuel. Also on the main floor are multiple living rooms, a dining room, a primary bedroom with bath, and a laundry; upstairs are three bedrooms and bath, plus a walk-up attic; and a finished barn area has a separate entrance, full bath, gas stove, and attic with pull-down stairs.
Outside are a back porch, a large backyard, and a two-story shed. $430,000. Mary McCauley, Keller Williams Realty – Merrimack Valley, (978) 496-6739.
This article was first published in the latest issue of The Week magazine. If you want to read more like it, you can try six risk-free issues of the magazine here.
