Central Florida Residence
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An old-world Mediterranean soul, rooted in the quiet, prehistoric charm of the Florida landscape.

Location
Florida

Conceived as a Mediterranean villa transposed to the Florida landscape, the project is anchored by a narrative of permanence: a grand travertine residence built from enduring, timeless materials, set against a mysterious lakefront teeming with prehistoric wildlife and ancient flora.

Beauty was drawn from the lake itself – the silver-grey drape of Spanish moss, the deep tea-coloured waters – as well as from the home's existing baroque architectural bones: a glass dome and classically proportioned columns that quietly set the tone for palette and spatial choreography alike.

Grand yet serene. Certain formal moments punctuate the interior – vignettes framed deliberately by portals and columns – but with two lakes serving as a constant backdrop, a pervasive stillness defines the atmosphere. The landscape does much of the work; nature, here, is the most compelling design element of all.

The palette was chosen to feel like a continuous reminder of Florida's warmth and particular charm. Travertine anchors the scheme – laid in large-format slabs across the ground floor and exterior pool area, its monolithic quality lending the home a quiet gravitas. The material is well-suited to the climate, prized locally for its heat resistance, but its selection was equally aesthetic: there is something inherently classical about travertine that translates naturally to the Mediterranean villa concept. Crucially, it extends seamlessly from interior to pool, dissolving the boundary between inside and out.

For the millwork, a darker stained oak was chosen to invoke the richer, more brooding palette of Spanish Revival architecture, while cypress – with its regional resonance – was reserved for the Summer Kitchen and Port Cochère. Accents of blush pink in the rugs and moss green in the upholstery and stone surfaces complete the picture, a nod to the sun-bleached pastels that have long defined Florida's architectural identity – colours that perform under the intensity of direct southern light.