Jacqueline and Kyle Albright happily left behind the long, dreary winter days they had experienced their entire lives growing up in upstate New York for sunshine and sandy beaches with their three daughters.
Kyle’s parents had discovered Vero Beach, and it didn’t take long for Jacqueline to convince Kyle that this was where they should raise their children.
Jacqueline knew they had found the perfect home when she entered the bright, beachy house at 855 Reef Road in Floralton Beach.
Noting that Florida favors a different architectural style than the Albrights were accustomed to, she says the Reef Road property nevertheless “had the charm and character that they could really envision themselves in.”
Jacqueline was immediately enamored by the two-story foyer lined with pecky cypress that ran the depth of the house. “It was the perfect element to Florida living. I could already see my masks and a mirror hanging there,” she adds, pointing to several items on the walls during a walk-through.
“They were drawn to how the light moves through the house,” says Shannon O’Leary, a realtor with Alex MacWilliam Real Estate whom Kyle has known since childhood.
“Every morning, the sunrise is a beautiful orange ball, and you can hear the ocean,” adds Kyle.
While the home had been well-maintained, “we brought it into the 21st century,” Kyle says.
In addition to making several cosmetic changes to freshen up the home, such as painting, adding a kitchen backsplash, and new window treatments, Kyle and Jacqueline replaced the A/C, electrical panels and hot water heater. They remodeled the first-floor bath and laundry room, rebuilt the porches and trellis, installed recessed lighting with smart technology, and replaced the irrigation system, the metal roof, soffit and fascia.
“They did the really big things that needed to be done,” says O’Leary, noting that the changes the couple made to the existing floorplan worked well for the family.
“That’s what’s special about this house – that the updates they’ve done make it in so many ways new but it still has all that charm that can’t be recreated,” continues O’Leary.
The formal living room, two guest bedrooms and a bathroom are to the right of the foyer, giving guests or the children their own private wing. The updated bathroom has dual sinks and an enchanting tile floor design with a hint of blue.
The couple’s palette of white and natural fibers with touches of navy blue is an elegant complement to the ocean-adjacent home.
The dining room, kitchen, family room, powder room, laundry room and access to the two-car garage are on the opposite side of the house. The rooms flow seamlessly for optimal entertaining and daily living.
French doors open onto the patio at the back of the house from each of the communal rooms so you can use the indoor-outdoor living spaces to the fullest.
The updated kitchen is central to these rooms, with natural stone countertops and high-end appliances, allowing for various entertainment opportunities. An island delineates the kitchen from the family room with seating for casual dining.
“We completely renovated the laundry room,” says Jacqueline, creating additional pantry space for their growing family.
A barn door hides the powder room off the family room and the spigot coming out of the shiplap-clad wall and flowing into a vessel sink are just a few of the modern, minimalist touches that add elegance to the traditional beach house.
Built-ins surrounding a window seat in the family room are functional – both as storage space and as a place where the kids can curl up with a book on rainy afternoons.
Kyle notes that he was pleasantly surprised with the amount of storage space in the house, from the understairs closet to the built-ins.
The foyer staircase leads to the second-floor primary suite. The generous space boasts east-west views from sunrise and sunset balconies, where Jacqueline says they spend much time sitting.
“And we love to open the doors at night and listen to the ocean,” adds Kyle, noting the breeze keeps the bugs at bay.
Outside, their daughters have spent endless hours playing in the large, saltwater swimming pool tucked safely in the lushly landscaped, fenced backyard.
When the family feels more adventurous, they head down to the beach; a mere two-minute walk away. Jacqueline says she would go for a morning run on the beach, too, when she could sneak off.
“Everyone from the Moorings comes over and walks. It’s probably one of the most well-traveled roads here,” she adds.
“But it’s a really safe area here. The kids can ride the bikes around without us worrying,” says Kyle.
The Albrights adore their beach house but have outgrown it with the addition of a fourth child – a little brother for the girls to dote on. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be going anywhere.
Floralton Beach is located on the east side of A1A, adjacent to The Moorings Yacht and Country Club with all its beautiful neighborhoods and full slate of amenities, and just minutes from Saint Edward’s School. The bright, beachy, updated house is only a 10-minute drive away from Vero’s famous seaside village with Riverside Theatre, the Vero Beach Museum of Art, and Ocean Drive for shopping and dining.
Photos provided
