The Macalla
Secluded Luxury
By Ed Bertha
The quaint area known as “West of Trail”, closely and quietly neighboring downtown Sarasota is full of charming homes of varied styles. The area ranges from small salt box homes to mansions, many new, many dating back almost a hundred years. The charm of this neighborhood is amplified by a mixture of the softly dominating style of Spanish Revival, to a drop of a contemporary home here and there. Most of the homes are outlined by the city sidewalks, creating a sort-of ‘Welcome’ mat for residents to enjoy their community as well as visitors. The sidewalks lead to adventures through the neighborhood parks, restaurants, and shops.
John Cannon embraced the neighborhood aura in developing the Macalla, an architecturally pleasing gem nestled in the heart of Desota Park on the corner of South Osprey Avenue & Wisteria Street. Making a conscious decision to play to the neighborhood’s characteristics he set the tone with a Spanish Revival style quietly blending the home into its surroundings. “It was important for me as a builder to design a home that maintained the integrity of the neighborhood, and I believe that we achieved that with our Spanish style of architecture, courtyard and mature landscaping,” he shares.
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From the street the Macalla has aged beauty. This is due to the little details; the cap on the chimney, lighting fixtures, use of brick, but more importantly the mature, lush tropical landscaping framing the Macalla emulates a sense of longevity. Walking up the motor court another key characteristic of the home catches my attention, the front door. The door, framed by a simple cast stone moulding entryway, is striking. A true craftsman piece constructed from solid pecky cypress, it even has an operable speak easy.
I push the latch on the door and it gently glides open. Stepping in my eyes immediately dart to the distressed wood beam volume ceiling cresting at 22 feet ringed by simple clerestory windows. Set back into the depth of the wall, the windows softly filter light into the room highlighting the beams and crown molding. Gazing back down I am taken back by the beautiful decorative cast stone fireplace gently reaching far up into the heights of the great room which is surrounded by a sea of chiseled edge stone flooring in a regal cascade gold color. Off to the right of the amber glass tiled hearth sits a window box, a cozy nook where one can envision curling up against the arched window and reading a book.
French doors to the side of the room open to a large outdoor kitchen with its own dining table and additional seating area. Passing the outdoor kitchen I step onto a large deck circling a lagoon style pool, with a pulsating bubbling water feature and circular hot tub. Ringing the deck is a manicured lawn leading to very tasteful landscaping, once again mature, providing total privacy for one to enjoy this outdoor area. Looking into the pool it captivates me casting an inviting deep blue glow like I’ve never seen before. Inquiring about it John explains, “This pool has a BeadCrete finish. BeadCrete is the latest development in pool finishes and contains glass spheres that create a 3-dimensional effect. The pool finish is designed to catch your attention.”
Moving past the brick inset outdoor shower, I step under the arched portico and through double French doors into the master bedroom suite. This spacious retreat offers a sitting area, large dual walk-in closets and a sunlit master bath that includes dual sinks with custom arches above, a large soaking garden tub and a walk-in Roman dual head shower. This is a very cozy, personal space.
I next take the contrasting saddle-finished Eucalyptus species engineered wood stairs and head up finding myself in a large bonus room. Built in cabinets with book shelves, an entertainment center, tray ceiling and custom wrought iron railing opening to the great room below define the space. An arched hallway leads to two spacious ensuite bedrooms. However, another unique design feature of the Macalla interests me, a large veranda with a circular staircase leading down to the pool area. A perfect place to gaze up into starry nights.
I head back down to explore the kitchen. As a kitchen designer I appreciate well executed kitchens and the Macalla doesn’t disappoint. There is the expansive Colonial Gold granite topped island, sitting on maple cabinets finished in a soft, creamy beige with a coffee glaze, complete with a wine cooler. It is a focal point unto itself. Across sits the Wolf gas range with a custom stone hood mirroring the fireplace. A large window over the sink fills the room with natural light and spotlights the balance of the Colonial Gold granite counter tops and maple cabinets stained in a dark cocoa finish. A glass tile back splash blends into chiseled stone, complimenting the chiseled stone floor. A disappearing panty and aquarium glass window with a view of the tantalizing pool are the finishing touches.
Complete with a study and over sized laundry room, every aspect of the Macalla was well thought out and has a purpose. One of the many things I most appreciated is the subtleness of the details, and how well each worked together in the home’s composition. The Macalla, secluded luxury and a true display of innovation and craftsmanship.
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The Macalla [10]
1815 Wisteria Street
Sarasota, FL 34239
MLS A3948703
$1,549,900* | €1,132,300 | £925,900
*Fully Furnished
3BR/3B 3,300 sq ft
Represented by:
Mark Grigoli
John Cannon Homes [11]
Elite Properties
6710 Professional Parkway West, Suite 100
Sarasota, FL 34240
MGrigoli@JohnCannonHomes.com [12]
(941) 361.1300
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