This 3,600-square foot home is located in the historic Hudson Bayou neighborhood of Sarasota. The residents, who previously lived in a bay view downtown condo, envisioned a warm, modern, and sophisticated home designed around their own private “Selby Gardens.” The home was designed to be respectful of the scale and context of the neighborhood, while simultaneously providing privacy for the residents. 

The 160-foot long home meanders east to west across the length of the large double lot, wrapping around a series of exterior courtyards that provide each room in the home a unique vista of the tropical landscape. An entry courtyard, with a cantilevered ‘modern front porch’ modestly engages the neighborhood and features curved coconut palms, tropical plantings, and a concrete stepping stone path. Visitors enter the home into a gallery space and are greeted with a long view across the pool courtyard. A water wall, painted a vibrant pink, serves as the focal point of the courtyard and provides white noise from busy Bahia Vista.

The light-filled living room features 13-foot ceilings and west-facing clerestory windows to capture views of the sunset sky. Floor-to-ceiling glass faces the pool courtyard, with a backdrop of dense tropical plantings providing privacy.

The kitchen opens upon a deep porch that provides shade from the southern sun. White kitchen cabinets wrap the perimeter of the kitchen, while the large center island is wrapped in rift cut white oak.  A Carrera marble backsplash and back-painted glass upper cabinets provide timeless and elegant accents.

The master suite opens to a private meditation garden and the pool courtyard. The master bathroom shower and tub sit in front of a wall of glass, looking upon the meditation garden, reinforcing the connection between indoor and outdoor spaces. A den is situated to the front of the home and opens to the entry courtyard and front porch, providing an intimate and peaceful space to relax.

A warm palette of natural materials is used both interior and exterior. Natural-finished white oak floors were chosen for their warmth and beauty. Cypress wood detailing and locally-sourced Florida limestone cladding were used on the exterior providing a rich contrast to the smooth white walls of the homes interior.

The home is Gold certified per the National Green Building Standard.