Even a rainy day can’t dampen the brightness found within Dani Thalheimer’s Oak Hammock Circle home in Indian River Club. Everywhere, there are either glass sliding door, large double-hung windows or transoms welcoming the natural light.
“The light in this house is wonderful,” Thalheimer said. The bedrooms and living areas all have access to either the courtyard or the golfer’s porch, which overlooks Hammock Lake.
The expansive, screened-in courtyard is a welcoming, tranquil place to get a bit of sun while enjoying lunch poolside. An adjacent cabana provides a private guest suite for visitors.
“My grandson loves it here,” Thalheimer said of the cabana. At 16, he needs his own space when visiting.
Thalheimer has decided after five years that it’s time to return to her home in Connecticut, since all her family members live in New England and she wants to be closer to them.
Thalheimer enjoyed her time at Indian River Club and plans to return to visit the many friends she’s made here.
When she and her husband first began looking for a Florida home, they scoured the several towns on the Atlantic coast – Stuart, Melbourne and Vero Beach. They stayed a long weekend at the Vero Beach Hotel and Spa, which had an in-house real estate agent who showed them the Oak Hammock Circle house.
“It’s the first time I’ve seen you smile,” Thalheimer recalled the agent saying to her when he saw her reaction to the spacious Indian River Club home.
The white beadboard wainscoting, the open floor plan and the natural light appealed to the Thalheimers.
The home’s main entrance sits at the nexus of the kitchen and dining room, giving visitors an easy overall view of the home, which offers an easy flow from room to room.
The master suite sits off the living room with access to the pool. The house was originally built with the intention of his and hers bathrooms, but the previous owner opted to convert one into a home-hobby space for sewing.
Thalheimer has since swapped out the sewing space for a home office. A built-in desk overlooks a window out onto the pool.
The remaining bathroom is fully appointed with a glass-enclosed shower, garden tub, and dual sinks. A larger-than-typical water closet is hidden behind a pocket door and a transom window provides another opportunity for sunlight to pour in.
On the opposite side of the house, through the beautifully renovated kitchen, are a guest or child’s room, hall bath, laundry and garage. It features a large, double window overlooking the pool, and has two unique recessed areas perfect for placing an armoire, desk, or entertainment stand.
The other guest room opens has a slider opening into the courtyard.
The laundry room off the main hall is equipped with a large washer and dryer, as well as a utility sink and cupboards. A well-placed counter is a perfect place for folding the laundry. And for Thalheimer the space doubled as a spot for her to craft hand-woven baskets.
As for the center of the house – the kitchen – the Thalheimers replaced the counter tops with striking light gray striped granite. The two kitchen walls are lined with tall white cupboards, the corner units set on angles with attractive glass fronts.
The home, as a whole, has a very breezy, beachy vibe. And while the bulk of the house is painted in neutral tones to suit just about anyone’s taste, the exterior shutters are a bright pop of a color Thalheimer has dubbed raspberry.
“We really liked it,” she said of the shutters’ color. “It goes really well with the gray” of the exterior.
Thalheimer spends her time lounging either poolside in the courtyard or out on the golfer’s porch. The porch is screened in and takes full advantage of the nearby lake.
Residents have been known to while away time casting a line in the lake – and others have helped stock it with their catches from other local waterways.
The sunset over the lake in the evening is something that will be difficult to replicate in Connecticut.
But it is something the next owner will be able to enjoy.
“It hasn’t been heavily used,” Thalheimer said of her house, which was built in 2007 and lived in part-time these last five years.
“It really is move-in ready,” said Peggy Hewett, listing agent for Berkshire Hathaway Home Services, who is offering the house for $449,000.
Vital Statistics
- Address: 218 Oak Hammock Circle SW
- Neighborhood: Indian River Club
- Lot size: 60 feet by 150 feet
- Construction: Concrete block with stucco
- Year built: 2007
- Size: 2,300 square feet under air
- Bedrooms: 3 • Bathrooms: 3
- Additional features: Courtyard home saltwater pool and pool cabana; kitchen renovated with new granite counters; Pergo flooring; wainscoting throughout; golfer’s porch; repainted interior and exterior; volume ceilings; lakefront with sunset views; 2-car garage plus golf cart stall; community clubhouse with pool and water aerobics, fitness center, restaurant and golf pro shop; social and golf club memberships optional.
- Listing agency: Berkshire Hathaway Home Services
- Listing agent: Peggy Hewett, 772-321-4282
- Listing price: $449,000
