By George Upton
For a view framed by a lush garden
Situated in the hills above the Sicilian town of Capo d'Orlando, Villa Laura is a four-bedroom house surrounded by citrus trees and olive groves. From the traditional tiled Sicilian kitchen it is possible to look out across a shaded patio-dining area, past foliage to the sea — and the Aeolian Islands beyond. Views from the pool stretch along the coast as far as the island’s capital, Palermo. The property is listed for €1.5mn.
For a remote clifftop location
Located on a remote plot in a Japanese national park in Chiba prefecture, this three-bedroom clifftop home was only granted permission after a protracted planning process that involved installing electricity and water supplies. The house, which is priced at ¥1bn ($7.8mn), was designed by celebrated architect Jin Aoki to maximise privacy while continuing to benefit from the views of the forest and the sea. Floor-to-ceiling windows can be opened on to terraces and a turf-covered roof offers space to take in the stars on a clear night. With Tokyo just under two hours away by car, the house is ideally located as a weekend getaway.
For a wild coastline
This $3.3mn five-bedroom house in central Chile is situated a couple of hundred metres from the Pacific Ocean. The large living-dining room — which opens on to a terrace with a barbecue area and pool — offers an immersive experience of the wild and windswept coastline. Two separate first floor areas contain a master-bedroom suite and an office with panoramic views. Despite feeling remote, the house is 10 minutes from the popular resort town of Concón, and two hours from the Chilean capital, Santiago.
For romantic sunsets
Views of the Aegean Sea, the Cyclades and the setting sun merge with the infinity pool of this €7mn five-bedroom villa on the Greek island of Ios. The open plan living space (also main picture, above) benefits from the house’s discrete, elevated position, with the living, dining room and kitchen continuing seamlessly on to a covered veranda that runs the length of the house. All the bedrooms have expansive mountainous landscape views.
For all seasons
Views of the English Channel fill the windows of this four-bedroom property, set on the edge of Bonne Nuit Bay on Jersey’s north coast. The house has recently been extended, adding two en-suite bedrooms and incorporating the traditional local granite walls of the original 1904 building into the living room. The large fireplace, also from granite, has been preserved in the sitting room, where the windows look out to the sea, while the sheltered patio and garden allow you to enjoy the landscape in warmer weather. The house is listed at £5mn.
Photography: Italy Sotheby's International Realty; List Sotheby's International Realty, Japan; Chile Sotheby's International Realty; Greece Sotheby's International Realty; Christie’s International Real Estate
