Dreaming of a house on a hill

Warning:  This is a picture-heavy post.  :-)

See the waterfalls behind us?  

Even before holy week, I was already making plans with my mom and big bro to go for long walks and jogs.  You know, a bride-to-be has to lose weight (Has is the operative word!), and my arms and tummy are glaring indications that I have to shed off so many pounds (Ouch!).  When they suggested Antipolo, I readily agreed.  We know of a place where we can walk around and breathe fresh air, and actually enjoy our exercise (as opposed to being chased by dogs here in Pasig). It's this exclusive subdivision with a golf course which my mom and big bro are also brokering, and I've been here a couple of times already.  I really love the place, so off we went to Sun Valley Estates yesterday.  Here's what it looked like:

Serene and lovely.  Who wouldn't be lured into walking everyday with a view like this?
More of man-made and natural lakes like this throughout the subdivision cum golf course.

Lovely, lovely view!  The sound of the water falling and flowing through is sooo refreshing.
I actually went ziplining with my sister and nephews and this is the view just below the zipline.  Cool!

Swimming ba kamo?  There's around 5 more pools throughout this humongous mountainside subdivision.

Below are some photos of the place which I took way back in 2008.  Check out also a blog post from my other site, Scribbing Angel.

I'd love to go walking with a future dog(s) and children beside this lagoon.

I love how the owner landscaped the pockets of places like this.  It's one huge subdivision with everything that's lovely in it.

Golf? Dito na lang.  Hindi na kailangan pumunta ng Cavite!

18-hole golf course.  Astiggggg......

I can lose track of time as I read my favorite novels here :-)

I wish I had enough moolah to buy a property here!

Go fishing or canoeing in this lake :-)

As you know, M and I are getting hitched in a few months' time, and we're currently looking for a place we can rent as we're still saving up money for our own crib.  So when I saw my aunt's own house here at Sun Valley, I suddenly remembered a long-standing dream of mine since childhood:  to build a house on a hill, surrounded by trees and beautiful gardens.  Well, my aunt did even more.  She and her husband built this massive three-storey house on a hill overlooking a man-made lake, and is just about 5 minutes away from the nearest clubhouse!

This is the lovely lake I'm talking about.  To the left of the lake is the clubhouse.  To the right of the lake stands my aunt's white house.  Children and their parents sometimes go canoeing here.  See that small boat over there?

This is the facade of my aunt's house.  It looks like it's a two-storey house, but it's got a basement.  It was constructed by my brother, Robert Eric.  PM me for contact details.

This huge house stands on a 750 square meter lot.  Whew!

This is the front door of the house.
If you noticed, it's got a white and chocolate brown color scheme.

I told you it's huge.  As you enter the house, you'll immediately see the living room and dining room.  To the right side is the stairs leading to the bedrooms on the third floor.  To the right side of the stairs is the TV room and a powder room, and to its front is the kitchen.

The view of the front door from the living room :-)

The living room is spacious and looong.  The doors behind the aircon lead to the veranda overlooking the clubhouse and lake.

This is the dining area.  See the roof of the clubhouse on the left side of the picture?  The lake can't be seen here, but if you step out onto the veranda, you can easily see it.   

This is the powder room on the second floor, on the same floor as the living room.  I love the shade of brown!

Intricate metal work.  The steps are made of mahogany wood.  This house has many windows, taking advantage of the cool breeze that living in the mountainside offers.  Check out the ceiling fan.  It's a native abaca fan with a flourescent lamp.  Very Filipino.

This is my aunt's bedroom.  Very roomy with a commanding view of the lake and the clubhouse. I like her orthopedic bed! 

See the clubhouse's roof from my aunt's balcony?  That's a langka tree in front.

Take a dip.  I love my aunt's bathroom.  It's huge as a room!  It's got a bath tub and a walk in closet all in one room!

Chocolate-colored cabinets for the walk in closet

I told you, the theme throughout the house is white and chocolate

Check out another ceiling decor.

And this.  L-O-V-E-L-Y.

I love how my feet walked on these mahogany steps.  Let's see the basement.

The basement houses the laundry area.  To the right is the bathroom.  To the left is the storage room, and the rooms for the house help and driver. 

Open door is storage area.  The door next to it is the househelp's room, and the room next to it is the driver's.

In keeping with theme, the kitchen is also done in white and chocolate.  I love this kitchen!  Look at the island table!

I love this!  This is my brother's design. Sorry for the dust.  The house is still under construction.

The sink!  The windows above the sink provide a beautiful view of the lake and the clubhouse.

Chocolatey cabinets!

Check out the house on the upper left portion of this picture.  This is the playground portion of the clubhouse.  

Beside the playground area is this pool area.

See that man-made lake and garden and the house?  I shot this photo near the pool.

House on a hill overlooking the lake and the clubhouse.  

How about you?  What does your dream house look like?