Bill and Grier McFarland’s barrier island home sits nestled on 1.21 acres of stunning oceanfront in the lovely and well-established gated neighborhood of Seagrove. Built in 1989, the McFarlands’ purchased the property in 2000 and completed a total renovation of the 6,300-square-foot home.
“We loved the house from the moment we saw it and we knew it had really good bones. We just wanted to make it ours,” said Grier McFarland about the remodel. “It was very modern and we wanted to make it more traditional and beachy at the same time.”
With the help of local architect John Dean and Croom Builders, the four-bedroom house was transformed into the couple’s dream home.
The McFarlands moved to Vero Beach 16 years ago from Miami after visiting friends here. They fell in love with the town. “Bill is from Chicago and I’m originally from Tallahassee. We met in Miami 35 years ago,” said McFarland. “We each had our own businesses and careers and decided it was time to sell them and move to this quiet, beautiful beachside community.” McFarland became a licensed realtor six years ago and works for Dale Sorensen Real Estate.
“Living in this home that we created has been such a gift for us, our children, grandchildren and friends over the years,” said McFarland. “It’s about experiencing the true Florida lifestyle with having both the ocean in your backyard and the Indian River Lagoon across the street.”
The McFarlands’ home includes a deep water dock on the river side of Seagrove, which can accommodate a 25- to 30-foot boat. So you can play on the beach all day, enjoy swimming and sunning around the resort-style 50-foot pool, lounge in the hot tub, and then take an evening cruise on the river as the sun goes down. It doesn’t get much better than this.
The McFarlands’ home exudes elegance and comfort. “It’s not just a beach house,” McFarland said. “It’s a home for a family or a couple who enjoy entertaining on the grand scale. There are private spaces throughout the home for relaxation or covered porches off of nearly every room to just sit and listen to the ocean, watch the bird life or witness dolphins leaping out of the ocean right in front of your eyes.”
The home features spacious rooms, including four bedrooms, each with en-suite bathrooms, a library, living room, family room, dining room, gourmet kitchen, a magnificent curved staircase that leads to the second-floor master suite, an elevator, and plenty of closets and storage space. The oversize three-car garage is also under air.
Walking into the foyer, you are greeted by the McFarlands’ giant schnauzer, George, and in the distance you can hear the chatter of their blue and gold Macaw, Paddy. Stunning views of the Atlantic are everywhere you look.
“We decorated the whole house ourselves,” said McFarland. And their taste and eye for interior design is nothing less than perfection. “The house has very eclectic furnishings from all over the world. Bill and I traveled quite extensively over the years and we would always find something we liked to bring back with us for the house,” said McFarland.
The spacious rooms are a reflection of their unique style. The living room and dining room have a wonderful mix of Chippendale lamps, Balinese sofas, tables from Morocco, other traditional pieces from Europe, and a pair of Chinese foo dogs which guard the hearth of the fireplace – one of three in the home.
Moving into the gourmet kitchen, the feeling of the ocean and the outdoors remain a common theme throughout. The huge island and countertops are a beautiful colorful green. “It’s called Jurassic green granite and they were cut on a cross so you can see large rock shapes that look like the bottom of the ocean,” said McFarland.
She also designed the cabinets herself and had a company called Craftsman Cabinets in Quincy, Florida, build them for her. The custom kitchen has all top-of-the-line appliances – Wolf, Subzero and Miele – and she had the countertops all built to 40 inches high. The floors throughout the house are made of Brazilian cherry and the tile is a stained Mexican tile called Saltillo.
The kitchen overlooks the large family room and McFarland’s open office space. The 16-foot pecky cypress cathedral ceiling and the fireplace surrounded by tongue and groove bead board makes the space very tropical and inviting. Intricate handcrafted millwork and 60-inch wainscoting envelop this grand room.
The entire second floor comprises the master bedroom suite with a fireplace, large covered balcony overlooking the pool and ocean, and an enormous en-suite his and hers bathroom that is beyond luxurious. “The floors are onyx and I designed all of the cabinetry. I also designed the ceiling and created a dome with crown molding,” said McFarland. A second large covered balcony extends the length of the bathroom, bringing the outside in. The deep tub has multiple jets to massage you while you gaze out on the ocean. “We had a window placed at the same level as the tub so you could have this magnificent view,” she said. The shower has every water feature you can imagine and doubles as a steam room.
“And here is the piece de resistance,” said McFarland as she walks into the master closet. It’s about the size of my living room and has enough closets, drawers, and shelves to accommodate the wardrobe of at least 10 people.
Standing outside on the private dune walkway that leads to the beach, McFarland talks about a leatherback turtle that returns every two years and lays her eggs next to the stairs of her walkway. “It’s amazing to witness this giant beautiful sea creature make her way up to this same spot, dig her nest so she can give birth to her babies, cover them all up and slowly make her way back home to the ocean. This alone is one of the most special things about living in this house.”