The home is an Italian villa in the heart of Houston

You can take a tour of Italy without the cost of airfare or even visiting Olive Garden by purchasing this home at 1604 North Boulevard in Houston.

The $5,500,000 home is located along a treelined street in the desirable Boulevard Oaks Historical District with easy access to the Museum District and downtown Houston. Listed by Mitch Beasley of Douglas Elliman Real Estate, the home's entrance is a welcoming space with soaring ceilings and timeless architecture.

The living room and sunroom offer views of the backyard designed as a homage to Pompeii's gardens, Beasley explains. An elegant formal dining room with a tray ceiling is located to the left that flows into the kitchen and wine bar with white marble. The breakfast nook has a fresco of smiling angels above it while the windows look onto the pool outside. 

The entrance to 1604 North Boulevard

The bright living room has plenty of space to entertain

A charming sunroom looks into the Pompeii-inspired gardens

Originally built in 1925, the villa underwent a complete remodel to bring it into the 21st century, complete with two guest ensuite bedrooms and an enhanced primary suite. The 8,602 square-foot home has five bedrooms, including separate quarters with an efficiency kitchen and separate entrance that would be ideal for extended family or perhaps a live-in nanny. The elaborate, fully stocked media room could be a bedroom with a hidden door leading to a full bathroom and sauna. Or, use it to host ultimate movie nights and stock the built-in bar with delicious snacks and drinks for easy serving.

One of the guest bedrooms

The media room features a handpainted fresco

The larger study is on the first floor. Ample built-in shelving with lighting lines one wall, while stained glass imported from older estates abroad dots the other walls. A second smaller study is upstairs and has numerous windows to let in natural light.

The downstairs study has both stained glass and frescoes 

The primary suite has a view of heaven above the bed to enjoy while falling asleep at night. Each fresco in the home was handpainted by Romanian artists. The primary ensuite wraps around behind the bed, with a spacious walk-in closet. A built-in breakfast bar and separate seating space mean the future owners can sip their morning coffees while gazing at the blue pool below. The primary bedroom has two entrances, including via elevator. 

The primary bedroom has a beautiful view of a fresco from bed 

The second floor includes a game room that is currently being used as a yoga room. The room has an indoor grill and a single large burner that the current homeowner uses for lobster broils so the festivities continue no matter the weather.

The statues that pepper the backyard were created using 3D renderings of statues found in Italy, Beasley says. Artisans then used the renderings to hand-carve exact replicas out of marble.

The backyard pool is surrounded by classical statues 

1604 North Boulevard in Houston, Texas1

The 8,602 square-foot house is located central to the Museum District and Rice University

The home is located in the Boulevard Oaks Historical District

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