Contemporary, Courtyard, Custom

Welcome to 1140 Citrus Avenue, located in the historic Hudson Bayou neighborhood near downtown Sarasota. First time on the market, this award-winning residence designed by architect Chris Leader was voted in 2018 Platinum Best Overall Home of the Year, Platinum winner for Best Landscape, Platinum winner Sustainability|Green Award, Platinum winner Best Kitchen, & Platinum winner Best Great Room. The home has achieved the National Green Building Standard’s Gold certification. This near downtown location cannot be more convenient to the urban lifestyle afforded by its proximity to Palm Avenue with boutiques, restaurants, Marie Selby Botanical Garden, and Sarasota’s bayfront—all within walking distance. Plus, a mere half mile to Southside Village's coffee shops, boutiques, gourmet food market & restaurants galore to delight the senses. The owners worked closely with the architect to create this warm, modern, sophisticated home designed around magical Zen gardens. The home achieves a respectful context within the neighborhood, while providing privacy for the residents. Meandering east to west across the length of the 20,000 sq ft double lot, the home wraps around a series of courtyards. Each room offers a unique vista of the gardens, designed by landscape architect, David W. Young. The cantilevered entry's courtyard features carefully placed curved sabal palms, plantings, and a concrete stepping stone path leading to the front door. Guests enter into a gallery space and are greeted with an enchanting long view across the pool courtyard. This is a “wow” moment as the eye is drawn to a water wall, painted a vibrant Luis Barragan pink, which serves as the focal point of the pool courtyard. The living room features 13-foot ceilings & west-facing clerestory windows to capture colorful sunset sky views. Floor-to-ceiling glass faces the pool courtyard and a backdrop of dense plantings providing privacy. This is the heart of the home, providing a place to pause and reflect on the surrounding beauty. The kitchen opens to a deep porch with large overhang, providing shade from the southern sun. White kitchen cabinets wrap the perimeter while the center island is wrapped in rift cut white oak. A marble backsplash and back-painted glass upper cabinets provide timeless accents. The dining area is enveloped by its own dreamy views of the north gardens and landscape lighting illuminating specimen plants. The owner’s wing opens to both a private meditation garden and the pool courtyard. There are separate bathrooms, one with the shower and tub placed to allow views of the meditation garden, connecting visually between indoor and outdoor spaces. A guest suite with a secluded outside sitting area is accessed from the pool courtyard. A den at the front of the home can serve as a 4th bedroom, and opens to the entry courtyard and front porch, providing an intimate space to relax. There are two offices, both with views to the pool and gardens. A warm palette of materials is used on both the interior and the home's exterior. The exterior Cypress wood detailing and Coralina Shell Stone cladding provide a rich contrast to the smooth white walls of the interior. With first class quality construction lending to the timeless appeal of the entire experience, it's as if the home was completed just yesterday. Don’t wait to see this magnificent property; you will come away with a feeling of enchantment. This just may be your next home.