Craftsman Ranch Home
Grand Award Winner, Parade of Homes 1993
This home, which has come to be known by admiring Orlandoans as "Stonehenge," is a fresh expression of the traditional Craftsman style popular in California in the early 1900s. Its design was inspired by Florida's dramatic sunsets and summer afternoon thunderstorms.
Rough-sawn cedar entry trusses and four-poster columns accented by California driftwood stone, bold dormers and decorative window boxes complement the home's natural lakeside setting. The dramatic arrival experience is heightened by a soaring 42-foot high interior volume with clerestory glass and rooftop skylights which collectively achieve the owners' dream for a home with "windows to the sky."
The family room and living room are built on a grand scale to accommodate the owners' tropical palm arboretum which is planted directly in the soil below a pair of planting wells. The indoor-outdoor theme continues with a greenhouse overlooking the swimming pool, and a glass-enclosed walk-in atrium at the master suite.
To achieve the optimal amount of natural light which gives this home an elegance that transcends its style, the front of the home faces due east. Those inside may view the summer and winter solstice sunsets over the lake. At the autumn and spring equinox, the sun sets due west and shines directly through the rear and front French doors and high glass. The equinox was marked in a similar way by the builders of the ancient Stonehenge, from which this home derives its nickname.
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