Roger Long and Cynthia Schulz-Long moved into the two-story carriage home at 121 Palm Island Lane in Palm Island Plantation in 2005.
“It’s a very traditional home,” says Cindy Schulz-Long, homeowner and Realtor with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices. “This is the home that I always wanted to live in. It has good bones, and the floorplan is very practical.
“It’s a home that lives in the moment,” continues Schulz-Long.
Leah Muller designed the interior of the award-winning home, creating an elegant retreat infused with exotic tropical motifs – a nod to the elegant British West Indies-style architecture Palm Island Plantation is known for.
Detailed craftsmanship is abundant throughout. The British West Indies-inspired design marries quality construction with transitional exterior features using shutters, exposed rafter tails, carriage-style garage doors and covered porches to create the ultimate in indoor-outdoor living, admirably adapted to a subtropical climate.
“One of the most wonderful features is the Brazilian walnut floors,” says Schulz-Long, while also noting the millwork, including the arches, custom molding and wainscoting.
A thick hedge running the length of the property provides privacy for the tranquil setting.
Where the hedge parts, a drive of brick pavers leads to a two-car garage and front door where a covered entry opens into an elegant foyer where guests can pause before heading into the more formal spaces.
To the left of the entry, tucked away behind pocket doors, is a library lined with custom-designed cherrywood built-ins and millwork. Schulz-Long says they spent endless hours in the space reading and many a night enjoying cocktails with the French doors open to the outside and the gas fireplace providing warmth and ambiance.
A large formal dining room is located to the right of the front entry, where Schulz-Long fondly recalls entertaining family and friends.
She says she would open the French doors to the courtyard while entertaining or enjoying a coffee in the morning as she listens to water trickle from the fountain.
Access to the garage and laundry room are conveniently located toward the front of the house near the dining room, with the butler’s pantry providing a staging area between the dining room and kitchen.
The kitchen and breakfast room are spacious, with an island setting off the areas. The farm sink and granite countertops are offset by stainless-steel KitchenAid appliances, a gas cooktop, a pot-filler and a Miele coffeemaker, making the room functional and elegant.
The breakfast room offers a lovely view of the pool and the “secret garden,” notes Schulz-Long, pointing to the retention area behind the house. Only a few homes surround the private enclave, and she said the placement of their home gives them the best view.
The Cambridge great room at the center of the house combines English elegance with an exotic tropical feel. Thatched raffia wallpaper covers the inverted hip ceiling, adding to the sense of spaciousness. Intimate conversation areas allow guests to enjoy views of the pool while others watch the television tucked into the built-ins across the eastern wall of the room.
The owner’s suite occupies the rear, eastern wing of the house and can be reached through the great room.
“We have one of the best views through the bay window,” Schulz-Long says. “You feel like you’re practically in the pool.” A walk-in closet and en suite bath resplendent with a jetted tub, walk-in shower, water closet and bidet complete the elegant space.
Just off the butler’s pantry, a set of stairs leads to an open loft area perfect for studying or a children’s game room. On either side of the loft two en suite bedrooms with a shared balcony overlook the street – a great place to watch passers-by, notes Schulz-Long.
“We are outdoor people,” she says. “The yard is one of the things that makes this house so desirable. It’s a great house with a great floorplan, but then you have a yard like this. It’s so Zen.” The couple enjoyed the added layer of privacy the preserve offers. “You don’t even know that you have neighbors.”
They spent many evenings grilling dinner in the summer kitchen and dining on the covered porch. “In the mountains, when the sun is getting low, you call it ‘alpenglow.’ Here, we call it ‘swampenglow’ because as the sun goes down, you can see the sun hitting the trees,” Schulz-Long says.
The couple have loved their time at Palm Island Plantation but want to be closer to their children. “We’ve had so many wonderful memories here,” says Schulz-Long. “The house was always perfect and just waiting for the next adventure that we were going to have. I love this home. It was a wonderful place to experience life.”
Palm Island Plantation abuts the historic Jungle Trail and is a short drive to shopping and dining in Vero Beach’s charming Village by the Sea along Ocean Drive. Enjoy cultural events at Riverside Theatre or the Vero Beach Museum of Art in Riverside Park.
The 58-acre, ocean-to-river, guard-gated community offers some of the finest Anglo-Caribbean architecture on the barrier island along with resort-like amenities, including a beachside clubhouse with a heated pool, spa and private cabanas; fitness center with a pool and steam rooms; and a Har-Tru tennis court. The River Cabana – with 12 boat slips, deep-water docking and a river deck – offers easy access to the Indian River Lagoon.
Photos provided
