FOR ELOISE KUBLI, A FLORIDA DESIGNER WHO WAS NOT about to be daunted by the logistics of designing and furnishing a home 3,200 miles away, the arrival of seven tractor trailers hauling cargo toward their destination - a 30,000-square-foot residential complex was a thrilling apogee.

“Yes,” she says, “most of the custom work was fabricated or purchased in Florida then shipped north, including 27 pairs of leaded glass doors and all of the furnishings.” But in a whirlwind conclusion to the several years it took to build the home, Kubli would extract the truck’s contents and have the home installed and completed in 11 days.

“This is really a residence for the ages,” the designer says. “The owners are some of the most generous-spirited people I have met, and though the home is very large, it is still all about warmth and family a place where successive generations can live and grow. The owners love French, Italian ... a classically European style. And on a project of this scale, everything had to be grand and expansive, yet controlled.”

The entry foyer immediately gives way to the grand hall, where a soaring stairway swirls upward with festooned wrought iron balustrades. Here, the 40-foot ceiling and coffered millwork continue skyward to a Venetian-plastered dome and a palatial chandelier by Originals 22. Off of the foyer, opposite the doors to the library, lies the dramatic dining room. The massive table and gilded intricacies of its chairs by Giemme make every guest feel like royalty. Overhead, golden teak Swarovski crystals hang from the chandeliers refracting rainbows across the room. “All of the ceilings are coffered and the millwork hand-bronzed, but here I wanted something even more visually gorgeous,” Kubli says of the hand-stenciled, rich crimson and gold filigree ceiling medallions.

But nowhere is more luxurious than the grand salon. With walls hand-troweled in an Old World burnish, the rest of the room is serene in hues of cream and gold. The elaborate symphony of drapery jabots, swags and cascading silk reflected in 552 yards of fabric speaks to Kubli’s layering philosophy. “Layering gives dimension - so does texture,” she says.

And on the lowest level, the real fun begins. Created by master home-theatre architect and designer Jeffrey Smith, claret walls and gold leafed Corinthian columns turn the downstairs into La Scala. “Actually, the entire theatre is a room within a room,” Smith says.

With CineLounger® seats that heat, massage and power-recline, there’s little reason not to see a double feature. Even the Italian marble side trays have cavities to hide pillows and blankets for snuggling. Above the cartwheel ceiling element, a universe presides. “With the push of a finger to touchscreen, the colors of dusk, dawn, a starry night and even shooting stars will appear overhead,” Smith says. “In fact, I would say that despite the look of another century, this home has automation second only to the Bellagio in Las Vegas.”

Pristinely set against a vista of trees, this grand paradise, with its stone garden that wraps around an outdoor entertainment complex fit for a high-end resort, welcomes friends and family in a place the owners love.