By the time renowned architect Addison Mizner arrived in Palm Beach in 1918, he had spent time in Guatemala and southern Europe, where he acquired a knowledge of and love for the local architectural styles. He sensed that homes in Palm Beach—itself a tropical island tucked between the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean—should more closely resemble the villas and palazzi of the Mediterranean and other warm climes rather than the traditional homes and townhouses of the American northeast. That intuition led to a career that helped define Palm Beach style. Mizner’s calling card became his legacy and that of the city itself, respected and replicated by architects for decades to come.
Palm Beach, Florida | Heidi Wicky, Sotheby’s International Realty – Palm Beach Brokerage
This magnificent modern Mediterranean-inspired estate bears the hallmarks of Mizner’s influence, featuring rooflines clad in terra-cotta barrel tiles, thriving colorful gardens, dramatic arched windows, ornate wrought-iron balconies, and loggias. It makes the most of its rarefied location with some 117 feet of direct frontage on the Intracoastal Waterway and a private 100- by 40-foot dock that encourages enjoyment of all manner of water sports and diversions.
The foyer offers a fittingly elegant introduction, with its stone tile floors, soaring ceiling, and gracefully curving staircase accented by an ornamental iron railing. Perfectly scaled for grand living and entertaining, the formal living room features a pecky cypress ceiling, an oversized fireplace, and three tall arched doorways affording a view of and access to the lush lawn and sparkling water.
Nearby is the formal dining room, which boasts a water view and a striking ceiling treatment. Eye-catching ceilings continue in the relaxed family room, which is warmed by a fireplace and has arched windows and doors offering a coveted coastal view—an outlook also enjoyed by the library, which is equipped with a wall of built-in bookshelves. The cook’s kitchen offers ample handsome cabinetry, a farm sink, granite countertops, a suite of superior appliances, and a sunny breakfast area. Facilitating festivities year-round are a capacious wine cellar and a lofty loggia with an outdoor kitchen and an enviable view.
Among the private quarters, the owner’s suite is a refined retreat with a sitting room, two luxurious baths, and two well-appointed walk-in closets. The four guest bedrooms are restful, sophisticated spaces in their own right. Outdoors, loggias give way to a sun-washed terrace and an alluring swimming pool and spa—all perched on the brink of the water, beneath beautiful blue skies and towering palms. This is the epitome of luxurious island living, surely just as Mizner must have envisioned it a century ago.
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