When realtors pitch a house to a buyer, saying, “You couldn’t build this today,” they usually mean that the home couldn’t be built for anywhere near the asking price, but when it comes to the sprawling 8,700 square-foot estate at 11140 U.S. 1, it would be a near-impossibility to find the materials to build it today without salvaging old wood from a demolition.
The 35-year-old compound consists of a cluster of four structures – the three-story main house, the two-story guest cottage, a large pavilion and a barn with workshop. The main house and guest cottage, within their cedar frame, are covered floor to ceiling with pecky cypress, a rare wood that is native to the swamps of Florida and a few other locales.
The pecky cypress in this Sebastian home was harvested from South Florida by the late pharmaceutical manufacturer Bernard Braz, who turned his vision of his wooden palace playhouse into a reality.
“The original owner who built it bought a mill in Okeechobee to be able to get this wood,” said Robert Taylor, the current owner.
Unfortunately, Braz died just a few years after it was built. His widow kept it for a decade until she sold it to Taylor, who was seeking to relocate from Miami after having been pummeled by Hurricane Andrew.
“I was looking for a place that reminded me of Coconut Grove,” he said.
A retired developer and builder, Taylor knew the value of the old wood in the bones and walls of the home.
The reason why pecky cypress is so rare and so expensive is because it is produced by a natural process that can’t really be replicated in a laboratory. The beneficial hand of Mother Nature comes into play when a bald cypress tree, usually deep in the swamp, gets a certain fungus called Stereum taxodii. The fungus ceases once the tree is cut down, leaving unique markings in the wood.
In an online discussion forum of forestry experts, the wood was characterized in this way: “Boards cut from pecky cypress are ornamental and have lens-shaped holes that follow the longitudinal axis of the log. Prized for paneling and ornamental timbers it draws premium prices. “
The combination of these woods not only gives the home a richness and a character, it’s a delight to the senses for anyone who relishes the look, the feel and even the aroma of wood paneling and beams. Anyone with a hint of nostalgia running through his or her veins will fall in love with the house and with the panoramic views of the Indian River Lagoon from the wraparound balconies, or especially from the third-floor master suite.
The master suite takes a bit of climbing to get up to as it lies atop a wooden spiral staircase, but the journey is well worth it. Spanning the entire eastern portion of the house, the room offers pillow-top views of the river, plus a living-room-sized seating area and a luxurious, art deco-style master bath with a two-person shower tiled in black and white, his and hers vanities, a large jetted tub and two walk-in closets with built-in shelving. It’s like having a permanent honeymoon suite right at home, tucked away on the very private top floor.
But even the less sentimental buyer – say, a real estate developer with an eye for a good bargain – might see potential in owning five acres of prime riverfront with riparian rights going all the way out to the two spoil islands in view from the picturesque pool deck. The land, which lies just outside the city limits in the unincorporated county, is zoned for up to six homes per acre.
The asking price of $1,695,000 is for all the buildings, plus two lots (11120 and 11140) adding up to nearly five acres that could be developed into a riverfront enclave of homes. Taylor suggested a horseshoe would be the best design for the community. Since he owns the riparian rights, he said getting a permit to build a dock or two as an amenity for the homeowners would be no problem.
Taylor, now 82, said he bought the property with the intent to develop it and he still would have if a recent head-on crash on U.S. 1 hadn’t shifted his priorities. He loves the home where he and his wife live when they’re not visiting their other home in China, but practicality pushed him to put the estate up for sale this summer in search of a single-story residence better suited to his current mobility.
Coldwell Banker Paradise Ed Schlitt Realtors associate Margo Sudnykovych, who describes herself as the “Ooh-la-la” Realtor, said there’s plenty to get excited about with this property. She commented about the luscious views, the uniqueness of the materials and craftsmanship and the desirable location.
