The waterfront home at 401 Sabal Palm Lane deviates from the characteristic Neo-Georgian residential style that prevails in John’s Island, but it is a good deviation.
“I would say it is Bahamian,” says Daisy Keevil, who built the home 10 years ago with her husband, Philip Keevil, a prominent investment banker with Compass Partners LLC. “That is the style we wanted.”
The island theme is evident throughout the beautifully designed and decorated 4-bedroom, 6-bath residence, seen in the shape of the fanciful curves at the bottom of the front gables and the open, decorative rafter ends; in the massive mahogany doors, stone and hardwood floors and vaulted, beamed ceilings found in many rooms.
It is also there in a sense of whimsy and bold style that echoes the freedom from staid convention felt by many of the ambitious adventures who came from England to settle the Bahama’s and West Indies in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Bedrooms are painted bright Bahamian colors such as pink and sea-foam green, bathrooms feature floral and striped wallpaper and decorative details like the base-relief manatee tiles that highlight a big upstairs bathrooms.
The upstairs bedrooms all have vaulted beamed ceilings that give them a cozy cottagey feel as well as views of an inlet on the Indian River Lagoon that is full of actual manatees.
“Each room has its own color and personality,” says a John’s Island Real Estate representative. “There is not a bad room in house.”
The setting of the 6,500-square-foot home adds further to its island ambiance. Located on the shore of John’s Island sound, an inlet that leads out to the Intracoastal Waterway, allowing boat access to marinas, waterside restaurants and waterfront shopping districts in Vero, Sebastian, Melbourne, Fort Pierce, Stuart and other nearby river towns.
The landscaping is ideal, lush and artfully designed, with a wide range of palm trees and flowering plants.
“It is a tropical paradise,” the JI rep says.
“The best feature of the house is the life we have on the river,” says Daisy. “We have had otters in our pool and we see manatee’s all the time. They love these quiet waters. There is wonderful bird life and good fishing right off our dock. Our grandchildren love to come down and fish. They will be here for Christmas.”
The Keevil’s odyssey in their JI home got off to a dramatic start.
“We finished house the week after the first hurricane in 2004. It blew all our landscaping away and we put it back and then the second came and blew it away again!”
Shortly after the home was compete, Philip Keevil’s work took him to London and the family lived in the UK for a number of years, only using the their John’s Island home on holidays and during part of the summer.”
Despite that unexpected separation from the house, Daisy says she and her family are deeply attached to their home and the community.
“My children still love it and so do the grandchildren. They love kayaking and going to the beach. The John’s Island beach people are great with the kids.”
The home was designed by Scott Layne of Moulton Layne Architect and build by Wissell Construction.
“Scott Layne was just starting out at the time,” Daisy says. “We interviewed all the other tried and true architects and then talked to Scott. He was so enthusiastic and excited about the project, we chose him. He was just going out on his own and I would want someone to help a son of mine if he was in that position. We had a really fun time building the house.”
Clearly, Layne was a wise choice. The house is pleasantly sprawling in the manner of a country estate, yet scaled, room by room, for comfortable daily living. There are grand rooms, such as the 23-foot by 18-foot living room with a high vaulted ceiling and three sets of French doors opening out onto a breezy covered veranda overlooking the pool and lagoon, and intimate spaces such as the 12-foot by 14-foot study situated between the living room and gourmet island kitchen.
The kitchen, which features a 48-inch Thermador gas cooktop and oversize Thermador refrigerator among other top-end appliances, is flanked in the front by a handy laundry room and hallway that leads to one of two garages and in the rear by a breakfast room and large family room, both with vaulted ceilings, that extend, hall-like, to an arbor and sunny poolside terrace.
The lavish first-floor owners’ suite is located on the opposite side of the home.
Upstairs are three charming bedrooms and three equally charming bathrooms, along with a children’s bunk room, and a hall/landing with a railed opening that looks down into the living room and a set of French doors that lead to a large front balcony.
The home’s whimsical elements are counterbalanced by formal features including coffered ceilings in the master bedroom, foot-high baseboards and other exceptional millwork, and built-ins in a number of rooms. First-floor stone floors are afforded added beauty and interest by hardwood insets that serve to define transitional spaces. Upstairs dark islandy hardwood prevails in the hallways, with textured carpet in the bedrooms.
Daisy says Layne took some of his architectural cues from the work of Sir Edwin Lutyens, a prominent English architect who worked in Great Britain and India in the 19th and 20th centuries, designing a number of notable buildings and monuments.
“It is hard for me to talk about selling this house,” Daisy says. “But our children are all married now with in-laws pulling them in different directions and they don’t get down as often, and we are ready for change. I like doing new houses.”
Before building on the river, the Keevil’s owned an oceanfront condo in JI and Daisy says they are likely to stay in the community.
“My husband who is form England has talked about getting a house on the golf course,” she says. “He likes the idea of the sweeping views. One great thing about John’s Island is that it gives you so many opportunities to switch it up [in terms of home locations and lifestyles].”