Saturday shelterporn

Sometimes, we wish we had a little extra room to spread out at home — and in terms of extra room, we think this custom-built River Oaks home would fit the bill. At just over 13,000 square feet, it's roughly the size of Rhode Island, though it's distinctly more Mediterranean.

As you'd expect, the house has a lot of room for entertaining, including big formal living and dining rooms opening off a dramatic two-story foyer with polished limestone floors and an antique iron chandelier from Bordeaux. There are fireplaces, a bunch of large, arched windows and French doors that open onto a covered limestone patio and landscaped backyard with a pool and spa. The kitchen has a beamed ceiling, green marble countertops and — shocker! — stainless steel appliances (there's also a butler's pantry for ... uh ... your butler). Upstairs are a few bedrooms, including a master with a barrel vaulted ceiling and private balcony; the third floor has an enormous space with a full bath, large closets and what's described as a "versatile gun storage room." Versatile? Does that mean we could store different kinds of guns in there?

Bedrooms: five to seven. Bathrooms: eight full and two half. Square feet: 13,106. Price: $5.6 million.