Lakeside Luxury

Situated on a spectacular lakeside site in Orlando, Florida, this 10,187-square-foot custom home demonstrates that a residence can be both breathtakingly elegant and tremendously comfortable to live in at the same time!

Featuring many of the Mediterranean architectural elements of its California "cousin", including a tile roof, stucco exterior and arched windows, this home’s style is uniquely Florida featuring lighter colors and more refined architectural details, according to Larry Davis, designer and interior architect.

"My clients wanted a very traditional Florida-style home that was both warm and friendly," says builder Dave Brewer. "They wanted to be able to kick off their shoes and relax or be able to entertain a hundred guests."

Exterior accents, such as the native wildlife depicted in the wrought iron entry gates, to the corbels in the porte cochère columns, are incorporated inside the home, including in the hand-painted coffered ceilings, interior columns and display niches.

Imported tile, stone and marble are used extensively for flooring and accents throughout the house. The foyer, for example, features a pair of massive mahogany and beveled glass doors, a black granite floor inset with travertine tile and an elaborate coffered ceiling. A side window provides a view of one of the home’s two fountain courtyards.

A second, interior foyer leads to the master wing, which includes a spacious bedroom suite with gazebo sitting area, a mahogany-paneled library, and a lavish bath/dressing area. One of the home’s two garages directly accesses this wing.

Architect Greg Hyatt designed the home to take full advantage of the views offered by its site. A combination of windows and French doors stretches across the back of the home offering diagonal views from all of the key living areas.

A sophisticated security and home automation system permits remote or programmable control of a variety of functions including the sound and theater system, interior lighting, temperature, and remote operation of the draperies. Other amenities include three pools-the main pool, plus a spa and kiddie pool.

There are two separate garages on either side of the home with enough total space for seven vehicles.

The $3,000,000 home was completed in early 1998.

Builder: Dave Brewer, Dave Brewer Homes, Sanford, Fla.
Architect: Greg Hyatt, Hyatt Design, Orlando, Fla.
Interior Architect: Larry Davis, Lawrence Davis Interiors, Winter Park, Fla.
Interior Decorator: Elaine Widener, The Decorating Corner, Cairo, Ga.

MAJOR PRODUCTS USED:

Appliances: Thermador, SubZero. Cabinetry: Custom-DC, Wards, KitchenCraft. Countertops: Corian, slab granite. Doors: Precision Manufacturing. Fireplaces: Isokern. Home Controls/Automation: AMX, Lutron HomeWorks, SuperVision. HVAC: Trane. Lighting: Iris Lighting. Plumbing Fixtures: Kohler. Roofing: MonierLifetile. Windows: Milestone.