“It’s a work of art.”
That’s what most people say after visiting the home Ross Power and Holly Brennan created at 3926 Indian River Dr. E. in Riverside Park.
Located just before the bend in the road where the street changes names from Indian River Drive E. to Live Oak Road, the house allows for an exceptional level of privacy, which Holly Brennan, an award-winning resort designer and homeowner with Power, took full advantage of to create their version of Shangri-La.
“It really is Shangri-La,” says Power, noting that the only reason they are leaving the house is because of his commitment to creating a thriving art village in Vero’s historic downtown area.
Power, a nationally recognized artist, has left his mark on Vero Beach, most recently with the Indian River County NextGen Veteran’s “Words from War” monument in nearby Riverside Park, which is dedicated to veterans who served during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
The couple has purchased a 1925 house in the Arts Village that he hopes to make a “feather in the cap for Vero.
“I’m giving up one slice of paradise and building another,” he adds.
Of the house on Indian River Drive, one visitor says that walking into the house feels as if you’re leaving Vero Beach and landing in Costa Rica.
“This mid-century modern home oozes cool,” says Premier Estate Properties broker associate Cindy O’Dare who with partner Richard Boga has the three-bedroom, two-bath, 2,000-square-foot home listed for $1,495,000. “From the private backyard landscaped with rare and exotic flora to the Zen-inspired indoor pool, everything about this home and property is unique and beautifully designed and upgraded.”
Guests alight onto a pebbled front stoop from the circle drive and enter through a brushed metal door with inlaid tempered glass into a courtyard with a pool and open roof. Power wanted the water to reflect the sky, nature’s canvas.
Mother Nature adds her creative spin to the design when it rains, creating a four-sided wall of water that cascades into the pool. A covered space where you can sit and enjoy the linear fireplace overlooks the pool.
“You’ve got this beautiful sheet of water coming in. Couple that with the fireplace going, and it’s a kinetic work of art,” explains Power.
While walled at the front of the house, the back of the patio opens to the fenced backyard, where the lushly landscaped property is like a private rainforest filled with mature oak trees, bamboo, palms and ferns.
The dining room is located just off the courtyard area. You can open the sliding glass doors and dine al fresco no matter the weather. The open floorplan makes the most of the interior space, with the kitchen and living room sharing a wall with a wraparound gas fireplace adding to the ambiance.
The living room enjoys views of the lushly landscaped front yard through large picture windows. “It’s all about the outside being inside,” Brennan says. “It’s done in such a way that it’s all private garden, so you’re always getting the light.”
Another creative feature of the house is Power’s sliding artwork that hides the television when you aren’t watching a show.
White Cypress paneling complements the richness of the Brazilian teak wood floors throughout.
In the kitchen, a gorgeous mahogany-topped island counter breaks up the room, which elsewhere has tumbled glass tile counters and backsplash. High-end appliances and sliding cabinet doors designed by Brennan and built by Power are special and serviceable features.
A pantry in the corner provides added storage space, and the garden side entry allows for cooking outside at a handy grill.
The wine bar and cooler are just off the kitchen, where a hallway leads to a full bathroom and guest room. More of Brennan’s resort-style touches can be seen in the hall bath with a screen panel, pebbled shower floor and a natural barrier created using a trail of pebbles. The Zen-like feel is more prevalent than ever in this room.
One of the features that attracted the couple to the home when they purchased it 20 years ago are the corner picture windows featured in both the guest and owner’s bedrooms.
You really can’t tell where the house ends and nature begins. In addition, French doors open out into the tropical environment created outside, so you really are living in both worlds.
The owner’s suite is accessed from the courtyard at the center of the house and boasts a lovely en suite bathroom with a jetted tub and shower.
One feature the couple says they will miss the most is the outdoor shower located just outside the owner’s bathroom. With controls located inside, you can adjust to the perfect temperature before stepping outside, where they say they often shower in the rain.
On the opposite side of the courtyard is a private guest room that could serve a variety of needs: office, art studio or fitness room. The laundry room is located in this area as well as access to the one-car garage.
Reflecting on her first visit to Vero Beach in 1969 with her parents, Brennan says the quiet, out-of-the-way beach town made an impression on her then, and that “it still has that feeling today. It’s a very cool little beach town.”
Photos provided
