On the Market: Colonial-style home in The Bear's Club in Jupiter

Richard and Lynn Sabella greatly expanded their Colonial-style home in The Bear's Club in Jupiter to create a family-oriented retreat

A Colonial-style home in The Bear's Club in Jupiter was already in great shape before real estate investor Richard Sabella and his wife, interior decorator Lynn Sabella, became its new owners.

But the Sabellas envisioned something even better.

The couple bought land next door, moved their pool and added an outbuilding with a guesthouse, an entertainment room and a sound studio. Lynn then put her own touches on the 12,817-square-foot residence, refurnishing it, landscaping the exterior and making it a perfect home for her family.

But son Allen graduated from the Benjamin School this year, and son Randy, 17, is soon to follow - and the Sabellas had chosen their Bear's Club home because of its proximity to the school.

As a result, they are moving to a new home on the ocean, and the seven-bedroom house at 130 Bear's Club Drive is offered for sale for $12.5 million through Realtor Rosalind Clarke of The Corcoran Group's Palm Beach brokerage.

Built by Tuscan Harvey in 2003, the house today presides over nearly two-and-a-half acres in the Bear's Club, where residents have access to a 40,000-plus square-foot clubhouse offering multiple amenities. They can also purchase a golf membership to play on the 18-hole championship and par-three golf courses created by the Golden Bear himself, Jack Nicklaus.

Lynn Sabella said she had definite ideas as she approached the massive interior-decorating project before her.

"Coming from Manhattan, I wanted to bring the streamlined, rectilinear feeling that we had outside, inside," she says. "And the house itself is very rectilinear. I've furnished it with 1930s French-inspired pieces mixed with Modernist American from the '40s and '50s with a few European antiques thrown in."

Offering six bedrooms, the main house boasts three fireplaces as well as an outdoor fireplace and summer kitchen. With a symmetrical floor plan, tailored lines and Brazilian-rosewood floors, the residence has a modern feel and abounds with interesting architectural features.

Two stairways rise in the two-story, pitched-roof foyer. Here, the floors are covered in squares of limestone framed in rosewood, and the walls are white-paneled.

"The two chandeliers over the stairs are from a bank in Illinois. I like to resource unusual lighting," notes Sabella.

Just beyond is the main living room. It features sets of French doors that open to a formal garden centered on a sculptural fountain. Architectural features in the living room include wainscoting and a coffered ceiling. The room is furnished with straight-line sofas, armchairs and wood tables that blend with the Colonial architectural style, creating a sophisticated ambiance that is anything but stuffy.

One seating group is around the attractive fireplace. A second grouping of furniture takes advantage of the lush garden views.

To the left of the entry are the dining room, kitchen, family room and loggia. The kitchen has sleek, off-white cabinets that contrast with the chalkboard-slate walls, stainless-steel top-of-the line appliances, dark Sicilian volcanic-stone countertops and knotty-cedar floor. A notable architectural feature is an intricate coffered ceiling. An island separates the main kitchen area from the breakfast area, where the focal point is an unusual modern chandelier.

"Two things the tradespeople tried to talk me out of: using black and the large chandelier in the kitchen," Sabella notes. "They came back and apologized later. The color makes the cabinets pop."

With a grand fireplace and a pitched roof, the attractive and comfortable family room opens to a dining terrace and summer kitchen. It views the outdoor fireplace and patio.

The dining room is centered on a dark wood table surrounded by chairs with zebra-patterned cushions. The predominant color here is sand, but it's offset with cream moldings. Architectural features include wainscoting and the Colonial-style wood-and-brick fireplace.

In the right wing are two guest bedrooms, the home theater and a library.

Upstairs is a large master-bedroom suite that runs the full length of the house and accesses a balcony terrace. The suite includes the bedroom, sitting room, master baths and closets.

The bedroom is separated from the sitting room by columns, arched openings and a partition that holds the television. Sitting on one of the chaise lounges, one can press a button and the TV will rise into place.

Among the notable architectural features in the master suite are a fireplace, wood-paneled ceilings and a built-in breakfast bar. The color scheme is deep sand and cream, which complements the floors of Brazilian rosewood.

Off the master bedroom is another bedroom that the owners use as a gym.

Also upstairs are two more guest-bedroom suites - but guests aren't limited to those accommodations: Between the pool and the tennis court - and detached from the main house - is the new guest-and-entertainment wing.

The expansive entertaining area - referred to by Sabella as 'the fun house' - is set up with arcade games. It was her sons' dream room, but it could easily become a billiards room or a party room.

Behind this room is the sound studio and the poolside guest suite, which has a bedroom, bathroom and kitchenette. A two-car garage is attached. Meanwhile, the main house's garage can accommodate four cars plus a golf cart.

The new pool features four fountains. In addition to the tennis court, the grounds include six covered patios.

Sabella finds herself moving through the house and gardens to enjoying the different vantage points.

"There are so many amazing places to sit," she says. "We are mostly in the family room. I love the living room. The colors calm me. As large as this house is, we still find it a home, and cozy.

"We love watching movies in the home theater and the boys love the 'fun house.' Sometimes, I go and sit in the guesthouse to read a book, just to experience that space.

"My husband loves his studio and office. This home is really family-oriented."

For information about 130 Bear's Club Drive, call Rosalind Clarke at (561) 818-6351.