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Arleigh and Ron Tysoe of Cincinnati, Ohio, decided a few years back to buy a place in Florida. So they purchased a lovely home in Jupiter. But before too long, they fell in love with Naples. And over the course of the next two years, they searched for the perfect home in Port Royal.
“We came over on numerous occasions and toured the market to see what was available,” Ron says. “We actually came very close to buying a house in (the neighborhood) and, somewhat fortuitously, that sale fell through. That’s when we said, ‘Why don’t we build something, and that way we’ll get exactly what we want?’”
One of the houses they looked at during their search was a wonderful Bermuda-style home on Spyglass Lane.
“That was the house next door,” Arleigh says. “It was of such high quality and so beautifully finished, that’s why we went with John (Cooney of Stofft Cooney Architects). He did that home and did such a wonderful job on detail. (That house) didn’t meet all of our needs, but we liked what he had done.”
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And since green space was important to them, they purchased one of the deeper lots in the neighborhood. It gives them one of the few true backyards in Port Royal. So much room, in fact, they put their pool perpendicular to the water and still have lawn space. But what might be most amazing of all is that the couple went against the grain and asked that the home not read too large from the outside. You could argue that from the street the house is demure—as the second story is hidden within the attic trusses.
“People comment on that,” Arleigh says. “They like the fact that it’s not this big, imposing place. Our next-door neighbors, who bought the place that we loved, said they were so pleased that we didn’t build this gigantic, out-there kind of home. And a lot of people are so surprised when they come into the house. You wouldn’t have a clue from the street (how much room there is), which is exactly what we wanted.”
But once inside, the five-bedroom (plus bonus room), six-and-a-half-bathroom, 6,424-square-foot-under-air (9,466-foot-total) home feels expansive.
“When you enter the house there is a ‘wow’ factor,” Cooney says. “You look straight through the (two-story) grand hall out across the deck and pool to the waterway.”
The grand hall also helps provide privacy, because to the right is the whole master suite, while to the left are the great room, kitchen and other living areas.
“They wanted a house that was sophisticated but very comfortable inside,” Cooney adds. “They wanted a coastal traditional interior with the wainscot panels and crown molds and the tongue and groove, so it’s very beachy but in a very sophisticated way. The details are very historic in nature. In my mind it is the best of both worlds.”
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The Tysoes wanted their home to be understated, but it lives much larger both inside and out thanks to some architectural manipulation and a perpendicular pool.
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Stofft Cooney Architects gave the Tysoes an open floor plan that feels cozy despite 12-foot ceiling heights.
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Kurtz Homes’ attention to detail gives the home an Old World quality that’s brand-new. The grand hallway is a visual stunner, but it also serves to separate the master suite from the noise of the main living areas.
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When one of your daughters is a vegan chef, you know from the get-go you better have a kitchen that can take the heat. So the Tysoes brought in Bob Ostrowski of AlliKriste kitchens to make sure it met everyone’s needs.
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The home doesn’t feature a formal living room or a formal dining room, but it does provide for perfectly comfortable spaces to dine. Designer Molly Grip of Ficarra Design Associates kept the spaces elegant yet approachable and, most importantly, grandkid-friendly.Architect: Stofft Cooney Architects
Builder: Kurtz Homes
Interior designer: Molly Grup, Ficarra Design Associates
Kitchen designer: Bob Ostrowski, AlliKriste