Bob Juniper had long loved the warmth of the Southwest – both its sun-soaked climate and its distinctive architectural style.
But as the head of longtime Columbus auto repair center Three-C Body Shop, central Ohio was home.
So, instead of moving himself to the Southwest, Juniper set out to bring the Southwest to him.
Thus, the home at 8000 Wills Run Lane was born. The over-9,700-square-foot estate was built in 2001, situated on a nearly 4-acre lot in Blacklick's gated Colts Neck neighborhood, tucked away in the exclusive Back Forty community. Realtor Neal Hauschild with the Nth Degree Team at Coldwell Banker described the property as "a traditional Arizona home," a rarity for central Ohio, with its clay tile roof, rich wood floors, kitchen backsplash
and more.
The four-bedroom, five-bathroom residence – complete with a pool and pool house, two screened porches and a saloon – is now on the market for the first time since it was built, listed at $2.995 million.
In the years leading up to construction, Juniper and his wife, Mary McVay Juniper, made multiple trips to Arizona to learn more about the styles and materials that define Southwestern homes. They even imported several authentic features, including the hundreds of clay roof tiles that crown both the main residence and pool house, which Juniper estimated cost $60 a tile.
"The tiles and the installation of the tiles was $200,000, and that was in 2000," he said. "So who knows what it would cost now? It basically couldn't be done today."
For McVay Juniper, the home's rustic character creates a sense of coziness and comfort that's hard to find in other styles. She said the arches, curves and rounded walls of the property stand apart from the "typical square houses you see every day," creating an atmosphere that feels states away from central Ohio.
She pointed to the circular drive and gated motor court at the front of the home, where a fountain serves as the centerpiece of professionally landscaped grounds. Pea gravel pathways extend from the entrance gates to the yard behind the house, where the pool and pool house – which houses two changing rooms and a seating area – were also finished with imported tile.
"Everything is just more unusual here," McVay Juniper said.
The Southwestern influence doesn't stop at the home's exterior. In the dining room, soaring beam ceilings frame a pair of hanging rustic doors the couple bought in Santa Fe and incorporated into the home design. The great room is similarly anchored by a custom wagon-wheel chandelier.
Among the home's most memorable spaces is the lower-level Tequila Shot Saloon. Designed to capture the spirit of an Old West watering hold, the custom bar is complete with swinging doors, horse-shaped stools that were topped with vintage saddles and a decorative mirror that was painted with faux bullet holes.
It's those carefully curated details, the owners say, that have made the home such a special place to live.
"That's what we love about this house," McVay Juniper said. "Anybody that comes in the house, the first thing they do is stand in the foyer going, 'wow.' People always want to see it, and they love it because it's not the same."
But as Juniper and McVay Juniper will tell you, a 4-acre lot is a lot of work to maintain. That, coupled with the fact that they're retired and ready to move on to the next chapter, is what's led them to sell their home of 25 years.
"It's hard to sell a house when you love it so much, and your daughter was born and raised here," McVay Juniper said. "But we also don't want to be stuck in Ohio anymore. We want to have a base here, but we want to be able to travel more."
"It deserves a family. It deserves someone who can enjoy it as much as we did."
Reporter Emma Wozniak can be reached at ewozniak@dispatch.com or @emma_wozniak_ on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Southwest-inspired Blacklick estate with saloon debuts on market at $3M
