When Melania and Santos Rosado decided to leave Atlanta for someplace warmer, they visited the Tampa area. After determining that wasn’t for them, they decided to drive east and see where they ended up. It was a fortuitous drive because once they arrived in Vero Beach, they realized they had been here before and decided to move on the spot.
While she’s a jewelry designer by trade, Melania says that renovating homes is her passion.
“Since I moved to this country, I wanted to have a Spanish house,” she says, noting that when they decided to remodel the home at 601 Flamevine Lane in the River Oaks Estates subdivision in Central Beach, she finally realized her dream.
“Every time I see a house like that, it makes me feel at home,” she adds.
When the couple decided to renovate the existing home, they took every single interior wall down and altered and enhanced the floorplan with Spanish-inspired features, including tile mosaics, decorative ironwork, curves and arches, courtyards and patios.
“This remodel is a seamless fusion of Mediterranean charm and contemporary luxury,” says broker associate Kristin Dobson of the O’Dare Boga Dobson Group at One Sotheby’s International Realty. “Their design draws inspiration from Spanish villas while embracing modern finishes to create a truly sophisticated living space.”
The house is set back from the road. A circle drive opens the view from the street, so you can really take in the sprawling live oak that anchors the house.
A covered front patio provides a lovely spot to greet guests and enjoy a cup of coffee as you watch the neighborhood come to life in the morning.
Glass-paned, solid-oak, double-entry doors open into the foyer where the Rosados created an intimate setting by adding a wall that separates the foyer from the living space.
On the other side of the wall, the living room, dining room and kitchen flow effortlessly, with differing, beamed ceiling heights defining the interior spaces that flow in turn to the outdoor living spaces. This design creates a comfortable and elegant living environment.
High-end materials, from inset nickel joint detail to the solid-brass fixtures, reeded doors and paneling, concrete sinks, porcelain tile backsplashes, travertine staircase, and custom iron railing are some of the fine finishes that create an ambiance of quality and elegance.
The kitchen is light and bright, with a large, half-moon window overlooking the garden, and skylights in the vaulted, beamed ceiling. High-end appliances and a Mystery White marble waterfall island with seating at the center of the kitchen provide ample room to lay out appetizers or for the kids to work on homework after school.
Near the front entry, tucked beneath the travertine staircase with a custom-iron railing, are the laundry room, a utility room and powder room that are hidden behind a reeded panel wall.
The first-floor primary suite, situated on the eastern side of the house, away from family gathering spaces, completes the lower level. With a custom walk-in closet, double vanity and walk-in shower, this suite is perfect for long-term guests or anyone who prefers first-floor living.
With access to the outside from this bathroom, you have the added benefit of a pool bath.
The upstairs landing features a lovely window seat – a nice spot to sit on a rainy afternoon to read a book. Two guest suites, one currently being used as an office, are located on the western side of the house.
The second-floor owner’s suite enjoys an added measure of privacy on the eastern side. Here, a walk-in closet, dual sinks, a walk-in shower and a private balcony overlooking Flamevine Lane ensure the room meets the highest expectations.
Outside, a loggia with a wood beam ceiling and a summer kitchen with a Blaze gas grill and Colozo beverage fridge are perfect for entertaining al fresco.
The Rosados curated several intimate outdoor seating areas, so everyone has plenty of space to gather separately. A gravel sitting area with a fire pit, a slated pergola seating area, a kitchen garden with a pond, and a lounging area alongside the saltwater pool are cloistered behind a cement wall amidst the lushly landscaped yard, with pergolas blooming with bright splashes of bougainvillea.
The high attention to detail and quality extends to the outdoors, with coral stone pavers, copper gutters, custom-made wooden garage doors and wood soffits, all adding to the impression that the home has history and has been here for a long time.
River Oaks Estates is located in Central Beach between the bridges, making it convenient for mainland shopping, a short walk to the beach and the Ocean Drive shopping and dining district.
Cultural offerings are nearby at Riverside Theatre and the Vero Beach Museum of Art. Riverside Park offers a USTA tennis facility, boat launch, exercise trail and a series of outdoor events. The City Marina and a sprawling off-leash dog park are just a bike ride away.
“I love this location. We walk to the beach, and I love the fact that we can walk to the park. We feed the squirrels every morning. That’s the highlight of my day,” shares Santos.
It’s the best of both worlds, adds Melania, because they can watch the sunrise and the sunset.
Their proximity to the river and ocean makes it the perfect place to live.
Photos provided
