Home Showhouse (continued)
Our shapely new project boasts relaxed spaces that flow seamlessly
The layout offers a resort-like lifestyle with touches of green. "You can be environmentally sensitive in a big house," Mouen says of the 7,300-square-foot home. "We built that in; we didn't rely on gadgets." He used passive-cooling techniques to usher in natural breezes and aid cross ventilation: Two 30-foot-wide walls of glass doors open to the courtyard and allow winds from the lake into the house. "You can turn off the AC, open up the entire house, and let it breathe," says Mouen.
Hot air rises, escaping through remote-controlled transom windows in the 13-foot-high space. "Even opening them a crack starts a natural convection that moves through the house," the architect explains. This circulation also helps improve humidity and indoor air quality.
Interior designers Dave Brown and Kim Deddens applied a palette of blue hues and a minimalist aesthetic based on a nautical theme. "The home works like a fine ship: Everything syncs easily with everything else," Deddens says. This showhome's lesson: You can teach a new house old tricks—beautifully.
The common living areas—family room, informal dining area, and a spacious kitchen—flow into one another in the west wing of the house. The plan was designed for a casual, family lifestyle. "My kids love this house," says Mouen. The wow factor comes with accordion-style doors on either side of the courtyard that open to create the ultimate indoor/outdoor living and entertaining space. "This is exactly how people want to live in Florida," Mouen explains.
Using locally-sourced natural materials was important to Mouen and Orlando-based builder Charles Clayton. The cypress wood (indigenous to Florida and naturally rot-resistant) that comprises the cabinetry, louvered shutters, and ceiling beams was harvested just 20 miles away.
Smooth, cool travertine tile covers the floor in the kitchen, bathrooms, and main hallway. "It's informal, low maintenance, provides another layer of texture, and just feels like Florida," Deddens says.
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