Rob Arigo and fiancee Santa Cataldo live in a theme world.

The home they share in The Water's Edge is one of eight featured on the Smith Mountain Lake Charity Home Tour today through Sunday. The 3,500-square-foot cedar-sided farmhouse enclosed by a white picket fence is neatly perched on a hillside some 100 yards from the water. The front of the house looks down on the lake; the side view is of the golf course's rolling countryside.

From the outside, it is not unlike the other New England cottage-style homes in the Golfers Crossing community. What sets it apart is inside -- what the Boston-born Arigo calls "fla-vah."

That and its five themed bedrooms and 4 ¹₂ bathrooms.

Theme seems to be a continuing theme with Arigo. It's a word he often uses when talking about the home he had built and moved into in 2004, its setting and location.

"I love the mountains, the water, the village-type views here," said the 40-year-old manager and developer of hotels and resorts who spent much of his youth around Martha's Vineyard on the Massachusetts coast.

"I like that it's a themed community, and that it's natural and authentic and has every amenity," he said. "When I saw the neighborhood, I was done."

Done looking, perhaps, but far from done.

In fact, he and Cataldo, who moved in several weeks ago, said they may never be done collecting what Arigo calls "iconic" memorabilia. It decorates the three-story house from top to bottom. Replicas of old movie posters and copies of photographs of movie stars and well-known news events are among the retro-type furnishings.

The landmark Hollywood sign that hovers on a hillside in the Hollywood Hills area of Los Angeles has been duplicated by Allen Tolley of The Cottage Gate and overlooks the living room. The Cottage Gate, said Arigo, is a place he and Cataldo frequent often in their never-ending search for interesting decorative pieces and wooden signs with pithy sayings found in most every room of their home.

The decorative items tie in with the home's themes of memories and family, said Arigo, a classic-film buff.

"It's all about collecting life, collecting memories," he said.

A copy of the famous photo of a World War II sailor kissing a girl on V-J Day in New York's Times Square is positioned above the wide-screen TV and fireplace in the living room on the main floor.

Also on the main floor are the master bedroom, an office and the kitchen. The kitchen leads to the 2,000-square-foot deck with hot tub and television that winds around the house.

The master bedroom, adorned with photographs of Cataldo as a young girl, leads into a master bath, which sports a Vargas Girls theme. A separate men's area off the bathroom is described by Arigo as having a "Frankie Avalon" theme. A river spout from the ceiling fills the Infinity tub.

Leading from the living room to the second floor is a winding staircase with wrought-iron railing. Upstairs are the bedrooms of Arigo's teenage children: Rachel and Michael.

A surfboard on the wall is the focal point in Rachel's room.

"It's 1960s beach meets 2008," explained Arigo.

'Life is Good,' the name of a New England-based apparel and accessories company, is the theme in Michael's room.

Above the bed is an original sign that previously hung in the Life is Good flagship store in Boston. It holds special meaning to Arigo.

"I saw the sign in the store, and I said, 'This is Michael,'" he recalled. "It looked just like Michael and Durham [his yellow Lab]."

Arigo tried to convince the store owner to sell him the sign, but to no avail. That's when Cataldo stepped in and delivered.

She told the store owner that Michael was autistic. The store owner agreed to sell. It cost Arigo $2,000, but the piece is priceless, he said.

The bottom floor of the house is home to a nautical-themed room and a "Robbie Bahama"-themed bedroom. Arigo said the room is named for Tommy Bahama, a brand of clothing that he said symbolizes a "relaxed, casual, but smart lifestyle."

The bedrooms are located off of a home theater/family room whose theme, said Arigo, is "fun." Lighting designed by Arigo to resemble marquee lights illuminates an area above the mantel; a felt-topped game table sits in one corner.

Arigo said Home Tour officials originally wanted the home as part of the 2009 Tour, but water damaged one of the 2008 homes, so he was asked to include his home on this year's Tour. Arigo agreed.

Last week, Arigo and Cataldo were finishing up landscaping and completing small projects to get the house ready. Most of the work that remained were decorating details.

In the process of being framed were photographs of their children -- his son and daughter, and her three grown daughters -- that will hang on the "family themed" wall in the living room.

The couple met in 2007 in Palm Beach, Fla., where he was working and she was vacationing. Cataldo, who worked as a real estate agent in Long Island, N.Y., said she's here to stay.

"It's tranquil, a great place to decompress," she said.

Arigo, who is affiliated with Crystal Shores Marina Resort in Bedford County and part owner of Distinctive Services, a business that provides residential and commercial cleaning, limousine transportation and other services, said he, too, has found a home and haven at SML.

"There are no high taxes, and you don't have arrogant, angry people," he said. "I love it here."

Bet that love turns into a theme.

SML CHARITY HOME TOUR 2008

Eight homes around Smith Mountain Lake will be open for tours today through Sunday to raise funds for eight regional charities. Tickets are $30 and may be purchased at the SML Visitors Center or at any of the Tour homes.

Proceeds from the 18th annual Smith Mountain Lake Charity Home Tour will be split between Bedford Christian Ministries, Bedford Hospice House, Crisis Line of Central Virginia, Free Clinic of Central Virginia, Free Clinic of Franklin County, Lynchburg Daily Bread, Moneta Volunteer Fire Department and Roanoke Valley Interfaith Hospitality Network.

No children under 12 years of age and no children in arms are permitted. There is no handicapped access.

Visit www.smlcharityhometour.com for information.

More: Cherished items add heart to the Correll home

More: Charities aren't all who benefit from Tour, say veterans

Directions

Correll home

From Hales Ford Bridge, drive north (toward Bedford) on Virginia 122 for 2.3 miles and turn RIGHT at the light onto Hendricks Store Road (Virginia 655). *Virginia 655 becomes Virginia 654.

Drive 4.1 miles and turn RIGHT at the stop sign onto White House Road (Virginia 608).

Drive 2.7 miles and turn RIGHT at the stop sign onto Smith Mountain Lake Parkway (Virginia 626).

Drive 0.2 miles and turn LEFT onto Tolers Ferry Road (Virginia 608).

Drive 3.7 miles and turn RIGHT onto Trading Post Road (Virginia 734).

Drive 1.4 miles and turn LEFT at the Mountain View Shores sign onto Capewood Drive.

Drive 1.3 miles to the Correll home, #2436.

Gantt home

Return to Trading Post Road and turn RIGHT.

Drive 0.8 miles and turn RIGHT onto Lakefield Drive.

Drive 0.2 miles to the Gantt home, #1241.

Fuzi home

Return to Trading Post Road and turn RIGHT.

Drive 0.6 miles and turn LEFT onto Tolers Ferry Road (Virginia 608).

Drive 3.7 miles and turn RIGHT onto Smith Mountain Lake Parkway (Virginia 626).

Drive 0.2 miles and turn LEFT onto White House Road (Virginia 608).

Drive 2.7 miles and turn LEFT onto Radford Church Road (Virginia 654). *Virginia 654 becomes Virginia 655.

Drive 4.1 miles and turn LEFT at the light onto Moneta Road (Virginia 122).

Drive 5.7 miles and turn LEFT at the light onto Scruggs Road (Virginia 616).

Drive 7.0 miles and turn LEFT at The Boardwalk sign onto Boardwalk Drive (Virginia 1343).

Drive 0.4 miles and turn RIGHT onto South Pointe Lane.

Drive 0.1 miles to the Fuzi home, #99.

Gusso home

Return to Boardwalk Drive and turn RIGHT.

Drive 0.2 miles and turn LEFT onto Park Place Drive.

Drive 0.1 miles to the Gusso home, #131.

Lampkin home

Return to Boardwalk Drive and turn RIGHT.

Drive 0.9 miles and turn RIGHT onto Scruggs Road (Virginia 616).

Drive 2.1 miles and turn RIGHT just past the Exxon onto Bluewater Drive (Virginia 942).

Drive 1.1 miles and turn RIGHT onto Saunders Farm Road.

Drive 0.3 miles and turn RIGHT onto Winding Waters Drive.

Drive 0.4 miles and turn LEFT onto Parkway Avenue.

Drive 0.4 miles and turn RIGHT onto Vermont Avenue.

Drive 0.2 miles and turn RIGHT onto Atlantic Avenue.

Drive 0.1 miles and turn RIGHT onto Pacific Avenue.

Drive 0.2 miles and turn LEFT onto Marvin Gardens Drive.

Drive 0.1 miles to the Lampkin home, #94.

Heck home
Redden home

Return to Scruggs Road and turn RIGHT.

Drive 4.0 miles and turn LEFT onto Lovely Valley Road (Virginia 833). *Virginia 833 becomes Virginia 668.

Drive 2.4 miles and turn RIGHT onto Burnt Chimney Road (Virginia 670).

Drive 2.5 miles and turn LEFT onto Brooks Mill Road (Virginia 834).

Drive 7.8 miles and turn LEFT at the stop sign onto Virginia 40.

Drive 6.1 miles and turn LEFT just past the Dairy Queen onto Old Mountain Road (Virginia 645).

Drive 1.5 miles and turn LEFT onto Smith Mountain Road (Virginia 626).

Drive 0.5 miles and turn LEFT onto Waters Edge Drive (Virginia 610).

Drive 1.8 miles and turn RIGHT onto Silver Tee Drive.

Drive 0.4 miles and turn RIGHT onto Blackwater Circle.

Drive 0.1 miles to the Heck home, #140 and the Redden home, #145.

Arigo home

Return to Waters Edge Drive and turn RIGHT.

Drive 0.3 miles and turn LEFT onto Golfers Crossing.

Drive 0.1 miles and turn LEFT onto Milestone Lane.

Drive 0.1 miles to the Arigo home, #85.

Directions by water

Lampkin Home

N 37 degrees 04.910'; W 79 degrees 37.771'

Exit the S-curve, keeping Park Place water tower and two islands to your right as you pass R15. Count four docks from the left in the cove directly in front of the water tower. House on the hill has round white pillars and there's an eagle weathervane on boathouse.

Gusso Home

N 37 degrees 04.342'; W79 degrees 37.570'

Exit cove, keeping largest island to your right. Enter the uppermost Boardwalk cove, keeping shoal markers to your left. On left side of cove, home is colonial Williamsburg brick with two chimneys and twin angular staircases down from deck.

Fuzi home

N 37 degrees 04.007'; W 79 degrees 37.539

Return to main channel by passing outside of shoal markers. Round R13 and The Boardwalk's red-roofed tower. Pass community docks and head toward back of cove. House is high on the right, with blue/gray shakes and stone columns.

Gantt home

N 37 degrees 04.310'; W 79 degrees 32.365'

Your destination is Witcher Creek, down past R1. Follow main channel past the dam's guardian islands and head well up Witcher Creek, bypassing the cove marked with no-wake buoys on your right. Home is on the right, hidden by trees, a bit beyond the dock with the glass-enclosed octagonal porch. Mind your wake as the cove narrows.

Correll home

N 37 degrees 03.428'; W 79 degrees 32.539'

Head back toward the mouth of Witcher Creek, bearing right into the last cove on your right before W1. Look for balloon on left shore, deep in left-hand fork of the cove.

Heck home
Redden home

N 37 degrees 01.556'; W 79 degrees 36.474' and N 37 degrees 01.639'; W 79 degrees 36.536' respectively

Head back up the Roanoke, crossing the large bay toward Vista Pointe. Pass marker B1 and aim toward distant house with blue-green metal roof. Heck home is directly across the cove from that; Redden home is around the shoal-marked point to the right, second dock on the left. These homes are right across the street from one another and both are accessible from either dock.

Arigo home

N 37 degrees 00.962'; W 79 degrees 37.333'

Head up the Blackwater, passing three coves on your left. Round BU1 into Bull Run; pass BU3 and then round BR1 (on your left) into Little Bull Run. Golf carts will transport visitors from the community dock beyond marker BR3.