Casa De Sueños
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Habitats_TOTIJA06.qxp 5/24/06 10:06 AM Page 22 ) HABITATS( Casa de Sueños The House of Dreams that Hoffman built by Suzanne Tissier LaBounty tepping onto the grounds of Casa de Sueños is like stepping onto a palatial estate in S Andalusia on the southern coast of Spain. From the vine-covered entry complemented by a bubbling foun- tain, to the private terraces fenced in fish- scale terra cotta, one feels infinitely closer to the Mediterranean than the Caloosahatchee. This Spanish-revival home is truly a “house of dreams,” as its name translates. Built on two and a half acres directly on the Intracoastal Waterway with a view that is unrivaled, Casa de Sueños is the vision of Dawn and Al Hoffman, founder of WCI Communities, Inc. and United States Ambassador to the Republic of Portugal. The Hoffmans put their heart and soul into the creation of the home, traveling throughout Europe to bring back and recreate their most favored architectural elements in the dwelling’s design. Long-time admirers of 1920s architect Addison Mizner, known for his Moorish- Mediterranean-revival designs, the Hoffmans set out to create their own Mizner-inspired masterpiece. Important to the Hoffmans, however, was that the home feel like a home and not a formal manor. “We made sure that the rooms, A two-story foyer with suspended stone and wrought iron staircase (above) greets arriving guests after passing through the entrance gardens (right) more reminiscent of the Mediterranean than the Caloosahatchee. PHOTOS BY RHONDA MANDEL BY RHONDA PHOTOS 22 JULY/AUGUST 2006 Habitats_TOTIJA06.qxp 5/24/06 10:06 AM Page 23 though large, weren’t so big that it became Moorish castle. Deep sienna-colored impossible to keep them within the limits walls, an iron chandelier, and an intricate- of scale for personal living,” says ly stenciled, beamed ceiling all add to the Hoffman. “Also, the personalized touch- old-world feel, as does the pecky cypress es–artwork, photos, throws–all point to door leading into the hall.There are forty- GPSCFBVUZBOEXFMMOFTT the fact that it is a lived-in home.” nine doors like this one throughout the From floor to ceiling, each room of the house, every one unique, every one a work over sixteen-thousand-square-foot manse of art. is drenched in authenticity. A brazier, In conversations with interior designer .BTTBHF once used in palaces throughout Europe Joan Simonsen-Hickok, one discovers that 4LJO$BSF for warming the rooms, is the centerpiece each armoire, each majolica vase, each of the two-story foyer which is also graced impressive piece of artwork was hand- .BOJDVSFT by a suspended, stone and wrought-iron picked or custom crafted to authentic staircase and stone columns indicative of specifications. “The Hoffmans wanted a 1FEJDVSFT European manors.Throughout the home, home that was elegant but comfort- .BLFVQ shades of blue, ochre, and deep red mimic able...more rustic than formal,” says the colors found in Mediterranean homes. Simonsen-Hickok. “It took two and a half )BJS4BMPO Even the water in the negative-edge swim- years to build and furnish the home. ming pool, poised at river’s edge, appears Dawn [Hoffman] was very hands-on dur- a deep sea blue rather than everyday ing the process. We shopped for many of turquoise. the pieces together.” 5FO1SJWBUF Just beyond the foyer, guarded by four- One of the reasons the home emanates 5SFBUNFOU3PPNT foot foo dogs, the grand salon greets its authentic charm so successfully is the guests with breathtaking awe. A remark- work of faux artist and painter Molly able view pours through picture windows Anderson, whose talent can be seen .FEJ4QB warming each piece of rich fabric-covered furniture #0509 and illuminating every 3BEJBODF design element. In one cor- 3FTUBMZOF ner stands a baby grand piano, whose formality is "RVB%FUPY softened by family photos 1IPUP and children’s sheet music. 3FKVWFOBUJPO A fireplace dominates the opposite wall, its design /FFEMFMFTT 8SJOLMF'JMMFS taken from one found in the only Mizner-designed home in the state of California. And large nich- es on either side of the The formal dining room, with velvet drapes and iron entry hold elaborate bronze chandeliers, adds to the old-world feel of a Moorish monkeys, a tribute to castle. Mizner’s own pet monkey perhaps? throughout the home—on walls and most Stepping through the iron-gated for- notably in the perfectly replicated stencil- mal dining room almost feels like stepping ing on the pecky cypress ceilings and into another time.The courtyard fountain beams. “Ceilings are most often over- can be heard through the windows, creat- looked in thinking about architectural XXXTBOJCFMEBZTQBDPN (VMMZT'BNJMZ3FTUBVSBOU 0QFO'PS#SFBLGBTU -VODIBOE%JOOFSPQT 'JOF4I BZ4QB ing a romantic ambiance. Velvet drapes detailing, but they are the largest expanse 4BOJCFM% .. F 4JEF PHOTO BY RHONDA MANDEL BY RHONDA PHOTO puddle on the tile floor in the style of a in a room and will catch your eye if done WWW.TIMESOFTHEISLANDS.COM 23 Habitats_TOTIJA06.qxp 5/24/06 10:06 AM Page 24 ) HABITATS( by holds a pedestal sink that is, perhaps, the most unusual piece in the house. Designed by Dawn and inspired by one she saw in her travels, it is formed from concrete and covered with a random pattern of mosaic tiles. “We formed the sink right where it stands, and a tile artist set the broken old tiles in it,” says Hoffman.“It was so heavy it was going to stay put no matter how it turned out.” On the other side of the house is the master suite. The bedroom has a fireplace sur- Although built on two and a rounded by built-in shelving and a half acres overlooking the Intra- private balcony overlooking the coastal Waterway, (left) Casa river. Described as having a “light Sueños was designed to feel Gothic feel” by Simonsen-Hickok, more like a home than a formal the focal point is a sixteenth-century manor. The master bath (top) Italian bed above which carved features a claw foot tub painted cherubs hover on the wall. Indoor to complement the tile and and outdoor chaise lounges further stenciled trim, and water in the embody the room’s relaxing aura. negative-edge pool (middle) is The master bath rivals the bedroom a deep sea blue. in square footage and features a walk-in shower and a claw-foot tub properly,” explains Hoffman. “That is just the right texture—not too bumpy, not as a central focal point. Again, the key what makes some of the old homes so too smooth.” word here is detail.The outside of the tub great. We took many photos of ceilings in The same care translates into the floor- is painted to complement the tile and the older homes and tore pages from books ing. Except for the kitchen, which utilizes stenciled trim throughout the bathroom. that contained ceiling pictures and details pillowed limestone for a warm, brighter Truly a stunning centerpiece, it is rivaled of old homes.” look, Mexican tile graces the home only by a custom-designed, dark wood True to Mizner’s fondness for design- throughout. The pattern in each room is armoire/cabinet nestled between his-and- ing tongue-in-cheek elements into a different—some arranged in a herring- hers pedestal sinks. home, Anderson did the same: Just bone design, some with decorative edg- And, of course, there is the master clos- around the corner from the grand stair- ing, and some, like the powder room off et. Rich, thick carpeting welcomes bare case at the entry appears to be yet anoth- the grand salon, with brightly painted tile feet. It is built for maximum storage and er winding staircase at the end of the hall. squares sprinkled among the terra cotta. organization, as one would expect, but it Upon closer inspection, one comes to find To further accent the casual feeling of also hides a spiral staircase that leads to a an expertly painted trompe l’oeil mural— the home, a family room and informal second-floor workout room. Also on the a staircase that leads to nowhere, a trick dining area feed off the kitchen. A down- second floor are three more rooms for that Mizner, too, employed. The convex filled sofa and an oversized coffee table guests and for the Hoffmans’ daughters. wall it is painted on serves as the perfect and chairs serve as the perfect spot to Three guest suites grace the property. canvas to truly perplex the viewer. When relax and kick off your shoes while taking Although all were built with the same asked why he would do such things, in the mesmerizing water view. These exterior architecture as the main house, Mizner often replied, “Why not?” rooms, while still in harmony with the rest the interior detailing of each has a differ- The walls, too, match old-world speci- of the décor, are more relaxed and are ent look and feel. A breezeway connects fications—twelve inches thick with round- clearly the heart of the home where the the main home to the first guest quarters, ed corners, sans baseboards or trim. Says day-to-day activities occur. a one-bedroom suite with a living and Simonsen-Hickok, “I stood right there Also in the heart of the house, tucked dining area and full kitchen with a casual, with the contractor as he troweled the behind columns, is a morning room that 1930s feel. walls, experimenting until we achieved overlooks the courtyard. A half bath near- After the home was originally built in PHOTOS BY RHONDA MANDEL BY RHONDA PHOTOS 24 JULY/AUGUST 2006 Habitats_TOTIJA06.qxp 5/24/06 10:06 AM Page 25 1998, two more guest quarters were added.