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By Robert Plunket Click here to see our Real Estate Junkie discuss these sophisticated abodes on ABC7. Some homes cry out for the patter of tiny feet along their hallways, the shrill and high- pitched screams of laughter that only children can provide. These homes are generally not for me. I much prefer the click [...]

June 3, 2009

By Robert Plunket

Click here to see our Real Estate Junkie discuss these sophisticated abodes on ABC7.

Some homes cry out for the patter of tiny feet along their hallways, the shrill and high- pitched screams of laughter that only children can provide. These homes are generally not for me. I much prefer the click of stiletto heels down a darkened corridor, and if I hear any screams, well, I prefer them to emanate from my own bedroom, with the lights set very dim and Sinatra coming from the speakers.

So while the two places we’re looking at today could certainly function for a family, they are, in their soul, the lairs of sophisticated adults. They’re sexy places, perfect for an affluent couple or a single person who wants to live with style and luxury – but not opulence or pretension. In a town full of McMansions, places as urbane as these are hard to find.

2392 Fiesta Dr.

First up is a 4,000-square-foot-plus custom home in the Phillippi Creek area, near Riverview High. This is a largely unknown area of town, but along the creek, set back from the road, are some lavish mini-estates belonging to old-time Sarasota families. This particular house dates back to 1985 and is Frank Lloyd Wright in feeling. It is owned by a guy in the design business who likes to live in a house and tinker with it until it’s perfect, then move on to another project. Well, I guess this one’s perfect – it certainly looks that way to me – because he’s finished his last improvement (an orchid house in the garden) and now has it on the market for $995,000.

It’s got 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, and is set on a large half-acre lot. The interior reminds you a place in Bali – in fact, a lot of the wood used in the paneling and floors comes from Indonesia. The built-in lighting is incredible, and the kitchen is particularly elaborate – dual ovens, a six-burner range. The centerpiece of the house is a spectacular family room, almost 30 feet square, with double height ceiling and a big fireplace. The pool area is particularly nice, too, and there’s a koi pond with some koi bigger then my dog. Call Michael Cochrane at 941-539-4520.

770 S. Palm Ave. #501

Next on the agenda is a pied-a-terre downtown in the Embassy House, which is the southernmost high-rise on the bayfront. This means it has one of the most spectacular views in town – not just west toward the bay, but also south, over Selby Gardens. It’s technically a two-bedroom, two-bath apartment of almost 1,700 square feet, but it’s been totally remodeled into a sort of lavish high-tech loft. Its most noteworthy feature is the master bath, which opens not just onto the master bedroom, but also – when you slide back a wall of screens – into the living room. The effect is one enormous room – part living, part bedroom, part bath – that fronts the whole south side of the building. The realtors are calling it the perfect pad for James Bond, and I see their point. It’s full of custom gadgets and features. My favorite – the tub fills from the ceiling.

The asking price is $795,000. Call Dick Lewis (941-302-3348) or John August (941-320-9795).

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