When Joe and Sharon Pruskowski decided it was time to leave Washington state’s cold, wet climate, they naturally looked for a warmer and sunnier place. After touring Florida several times, they liked the quiet beauty of Vero Beach the best.
They were drawn to the Floralton Beach neighborhood because there were several oceanfront lots to choose from. Joe says he wanted a clean slate where they could build a home that suited them as a couple but also allowed for plenty of room for their many grandchildren to come to visit.
“It can be pretty comfortable just for us, plus it can expand quite a bit. You can put a lot of people in here,” says Joe of the house they built.
Building the home also gave him the freedom to “put the latest automation pieces together for the house,” he says.
“In 44 years of being in this business, I’ve never seen anything as technologically advanced as this,” says Premier Estate Properties broker associate Kay Brown of the two-story home at 826 Reef Road in Floralton Beach.
“It’s a techie’s dream,” agrees co-listing agent Melissa Talley, noting that lights, blinds, fans, air temperature, entertainment systems, appliances, home security and even the shower can be controlled using an app on your phone or using a virtual assistant.
Sited on a 1.3-acre lot with 153 feet of direct oceanfront with a private dune walk-over, the estate home offers the best of indoor-outdoor living. Clean lines and an open floorplan complement the sweeping ocean views evident from nearly every room in the house. To expand on those views, most rooms open to terraces and balconies.
“We’ve got views forever. It’s like having your own private beach,” says Joe.
The home is solidly built with 68 pilings, 50 feet down, and concrete block construction, notes Brown.
“This house is like a fortress,” agrees Joe.
The front entry opens into the great room at the center of the house. Custom cabinetry on the southern wall draws focus away from the kitchen, creating a sense of open division.
Two en-suite guest bedrooms, the laundry room and a powder room are located in the southern wing with access to the four-car, air-conditioned garage and to the second-floor guest suite, allowing visitors to enjoy a measure of privacy.
The mechanical room is tucked in near the garage and houses four air-conditioning systems, ultraviolet light disinfection, whole house water filtration and two tankless water heaters.
The upper-level guest suite has two en-suite bedrooms, a gathering room and a kitchenette. It’s perfect for long-term guests or live-in companions. Access from this suite to the rest of the second floor can be easily made by adding a doorway through the exercise room, notes Talley.
“The space is quite separated, so nobody is on top of anybody else. It was thoughtfully designed,” says Brown.
The kitchen, ocean-view dining nook, elevator and additional en-suite guest room complete the northern wing. The kitchen is equipped with commercial-grade Blue Star appliances, ensuring you can handle large and small gatherings. The large island provides plenty of seating for casual dinners and the layout offers the added convenience of terrace dining.
The main part of the second floor was designed as the owners’ retreat where they can “get away from things,” says Joe. It can be reached via an elevator or the spectacular marble matte staircase near the front entry.
A studio, den, powder room and exercise room are accessible from the parlor near the owner’s suite. The oceanside rooms enjoy communal and private sunrise balconies or open decks with a sunset balcony located off the parlor.
A walk-in closet, elegant bathroom with dual sinks, water closet, on-demand shower with side jets, a rain showerhead and pre-programmed temperature settings extend the luxury of the owner’s suite. Glorious sunrises over the ocean are as much a part of the décor of the sitting area as the paintings on the wall of the capacious suite.
Outside, automatic screens can be rolled down for outdoor dining when the ocean breeze doesn’t quite keep the bugs at bay, and rolldown shutters secure the house when you’re away. A whole house, built-in generator means you’re ready for anything.
From the covered porch, you can enjoy expansive views of the broad back lawn that provides a buffer between the house and the dunes. A private, 150-foot Trex dune walkover makes it easy to head down to the accreting beach. Floralton’s community beach access is adjacent to the house, so there will never be neighbors on the north side of the property.
Joe explains they were attracted to the community’s voluntary homeowner’s association. “It’s a very friendly neighborhood.”
Floralton Beach is located on the east side of A1A adjacent to The Moorings Yacht & Country Club community, minutes from Saint Edward’s School, and just a short drive to Riverside Theatre, the Vero Beach Museum of Art and all the shops, restaurants, pubs and resorts along Ocean Drive in Vero’s charming Village by the Sea.
Photos provided
