In the world of architecture and interior design, ideas are uncovered by finding new and fresh combinations. This classical “Anglo Caribbean” home combines the formal splendor of “Anglo” with the relaxed, colorful, rich, and tropical “Caribbean”. It is the culmination of that rare and wonderful opportunity to design a home from start to finish, from the selection of the site to the last lampshade.
House with a View of Beautiful Florida Sunsets
One of the most significant decisions an architect faces is where exactly to situate the house on the property. Its location on a private peninsula within the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, called for the house to be situated with all major views pointing to the west for magnificent, celestial Florida sunsets. That’s what inspired this heavenly home to be called: “Seraphim Point”.
From the start, it was clear that this was a magical place. The house itself rests on a base of native Florida keystone. It is approached through two rows of banyan trees, so the roof was made of wood shake to blend in with the environment. Windows feature traditional Caribbean shutters, while the elaborate stucco detailing the walls are characteristic of those Anglo overtones that blend to enhance the home’s Anglo Caribbean style.
Fusing the Outdoors and the Indoors
This two-story, five-bedroom house is designed to fuse the outdoors and indoors. So inside and out, the balconies and stairways are brought together by unique wrought iron railings.
The foyer introduces the guest to the sense of wonder that pervades these “great indoors”. The walls are hewn from solid pieces of Florida keystone. The floor is a traditional circle and square stone made of three differently honed marbles and inspired by the floors at Miami’s Vizcaya Palace. The room’s centerpiece is an antique Swedish table with bronze “lion paw” feet. Indeed, everything in the house comes from a neoclassical vocabulary.
Special touches appear everywhere in Seraphim Point. The bracketed ceilings have the same detail as the keystone.
Decorative wooden brackets support the eaves in the morning room. The decorative pattern used on the exterior, curves along the main stairway. The guest lounge features hand-painted nautical charts.
Maritime-Style Master Bedroom Design
The master bedroom, sited closest to the water, with its vaulted ceilings and expansive windows gives the feeling of being on a yacht. Anyone who dreams of “sailing away to Key Largo” will wake up in this room to have their breath taken away. In the evening the sunset reflects onto the bay and in turn, its colors infuse the grand spaces within.
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